Re: Office depot, skating rink, & other things...

["Farmpro" <farmpro@ren.net>]

Please, Please, Please take me off of all your e-mail lists, nothing you say
interest me! I do not even want to know what vision2020@moscow means. Please
NO MORE E-MAIL. Thank you, farmpro@ren.net Corby
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry L. Schutz <jschutz@moscow.com>
To: vision2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>
Date: Monday, March 08, 1999 8:22 AM
Subject: Office depot, skating rink, & other things...


>Here's my two cents---
>
>The announcement for OD did not shock or surprise me.  OD's marketing
>strategy is to open stores within a half mile of Staples and the Ernst
space
>fits that bill.  You might remember a couple of years back, OD & Staples
>tried to merge, they were not allowed to because that would have created an
>unfair market share.   So instead you have two mega corps.  competing at
the
>expense of the smaller local business across the country.  My vote is still
>for Ken's Stationary.  Seems when ever I need something Ken's actually has
>it.  Staples has to order it.  So maybe both Staples and OD will compete
>each other out of business, and the Ken's of the world will succeed.
>
>About trying to get a different business in the Ernst space...I know for a
>fact the Palouse Mall tried very diligently (almost 2 years)  to attract an
>Eagle or Home Depot.  The problem is both of those chains want a market of
>75-100K people.  They (HD & Eagle)  are not targeting nor are they
>interested in 'smaller' markets such as Moscow.    I know this in part
>because I wrote a number of personal letters to both businesses suggesting
>they look here.
>
>Let's not forget that the Palouse Mall is a business, and they need a
tenant
>in the space. Sam is right when he said Mall's primary activity is to make
>money for it's owners/stockholders.  A vacant space costs money not makes
>it.   The mall still has to pay taxes on the Ernst building if it is not
>occupied so  OD will pay the rent,  and  the Mall can pay the taxes,  and
>that's the way it has to be.  It is up to us to 'vote' with our dollars as
>to whether we want/need a particular Mall business.    If either business
>leaves then we should help find and recruit a business we want.   Not
bemoan
>the fact afterwards.  How many of us went and talked to the Palouse Mall
>Manager to express our desires?
>
>About the skating rink, my parents owned the rink in the Mall.  It was a
>very successful venture until my parent's accountant  decided he could make
>money in the same business.  So he built the Logos school building, and
both
>businesses closed within a year.  Roller Skating tends to be a cyclic
>activity and seems to gain popularity every 10 years or so.  There will
>never be enough business in Moscow  to support two such facilities.  Since
>both closed it is assumed that skating was unpopular/unprofitable, that's
>not entirely true, but investors look at historical data and with both
>closures it looks that way.
>
>I don't believe that  the City/County should be involved in the recreation
>business beyond providing open spaces and parks.  If there is a group of
>individuals that want a skating rink, then they should put up the capital
>the business would take, and operate it.    But  it is not the business of
>government to provide such services.
>
>Jerry L. Schutz
>
>
>