Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1981)
Area shops rely on ingenuity/ By KATHY MIBKILL wmii-w Fixtures tor sale. No reasona ble otters refused. Selling out to the bare walls. The pleas on the windows of Holly’s J mark the demise of yet another clothing store along the University's 13th Avenue bush ness strip Although a favorable location for eateries, taverns and busin esses that cater to students, the three-block area often tests the resourcefulness of business owners who struggle to com pete with inflation — and each other The 13th Avenue location contains disadvantages for any small business, says Pauline Dorman, the manager of Holly's J University students are ir regular customers and, because of the economy, do not have much spending money Campus-area shops also ex perience a roller-coaster busi ness cycle based on the differ ent academic quarters "July is just a bummer — people just don't have excess money to spend," says Ruth Sylwester, co-owner of Sylwes ter and Acheson Books Students apparently spend little of their spare money at University-area clothing stores The failure of Holly's J follows the earlier closures of Mattox Outdoor Outfitters, 13th Avenue Clothing Works and the Jean Machine However, Dorman does not attribute her shop's closure to the fact that it sells clothes "It's just due to the econ omy," she says Kaufman s, another clothing store located near Holly's J. has weathered student whims and the economy for 17 years Students continue to buy Kaufman's high-quality, de signer clothing, says store manager Chris Higson. al though inflation has hurt sales for the past year and a half Kaufman's credit account al so gives the store an advantage over smaller clothing stores that operate on a cash-and-carry basis. Higson says The 13th Avenue retail com munity continues to grow as the University's population grows, says Chamber of Commerce Manager Ruby Brenne How ever, the duplication of book stores. camera shops and record stores makes it neces sary for such businesses to specialize in their merchandise and services Sylwester and Acheson Books, located down the block from the University Bookstore, challenges bigger bookstores by offering a variety of unusual gifts, including handcrafted and imported items "It's the only way a small bu siness can compete with large ones,” says co-owner Nancy Acheson Undaunted by the failure of the shop's former tenant — Merlin's Bookstore — Acheson says she thinks all bookstores must overcome a five-year hump before showing any sign of profit Walt Biddle, manager of Ger iach's Cameras, says that al though student priorities are paying food bills, tuition and rent, students still buy more cameras than the general population Biddle says his camera shop relies on personalized service to compete with larger camera stores Compared to the other busin esses, 13th Avenue eateries tend to stay in business longer, capitalizing on the lunchtime hungers and evening thirsts of college students Fall Creek Bakery owner Kim berly Murphy says the amount of foot traffic along 13th Avenue has helped her eight-month-old bakery "It's probably easier because you can count on people com ing in every day," she says Live music every weekend Pool Tables Pinball & Video Games Lunch served daily from 11:30 am Photo by Bill Wack Murphy says any business that offers a service to students can succeed “I can't really think of any business that would be obnox ious to this area," she says The biggest problem facing 13th Avenue merchants is a lack of parking spaces, Murphy says "That prevents a lot of people from coming," she says Other local proprietors agree that parking near the University is a major problem. The Univer sity Small Business Association, organized last spring, currently is working on a solution, says Biddle, the association's trea surer Although students' whims and an uncertain economy make owning a University-area business a risky proposition, the Chamber of Commerce still considers 13th Avenue a "valuable and necessary" part of the retail business communi ty, Brenne says And soon, another small shop will try to tempt students at the | former home of Holly’s J. Ca« 686-4343 or atop by 301 EMU Advertise Yo ODE Classtfiads offers both contract and non-cowtract rotae mini PHOTO SPECIAL! ▼nr.t Q x ^ Color Enlargement iTM Certificate returned with every roll of color print film sent in for developing & printing LIMITED TIME OFFER uo 13th & Kincaid Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 Sat 10:00-2:00 BOOKSTORE Textbooks 686-3520 • General Books 686-3510 • Supplies 686-4331 m EARN MONEY WHILE YOU STUDY DONATE PLASMA Bring your books in to Eugene Plasma Corp, study for two hours while you donate plasma, and walk out with cash in your pocket. Earn up to $100 a month And remember, bring a friend and get a $5 referral bonus. Bring in this ad and get *5 extra on your first donation. Clean, friendly, medically supervised, Call for an Appmt. 484*2241 Mon, Wed, Fri 8:00-4:00 Tues, Thurs 11:00*6:30 EUGENE PLASMA CORP. 1071 Olive St. WILD IRIS CAFE an unusual place for a life bite Steakfaat 7iJ0-11 Monday-Frtday, Lunch I 1:30-4 Monday-friday 1161 LinCOln Wednesday Miser Meal 6-9, Ute Suppers 6-9 Thursday and Friday 343"0366
