Another longtime downtown Bend merchant was saying to me how she thought the Saturday crowd was "different." As in, "harder to deal with."
"Really?" I said. "I thought I was the only one who felt that way."
"No," she answered. "I think most retailers feel that way."
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Duncan's Bubble Laws. (If you'll indulge me.)
1.) Bubbles go higher and last longer than you think they will.
2.) They end quicker than you think they will. (I know that seems like a contradiction, but both feel true.)
3.) They end from an unforeseen and unpredictable event.
4.) They drop further (usually past where they started) and last longer than you think they will.
Obviously, we're dealing with the fourth of the laws.
And I keep reminding myself, Further and Longer.
Further and longer.
Yesterday, Friday, was kind of a strange day. I broke my average by a little bit, but I kept looking out the window and seeing empty parking spots. Same as Thursday.
I can't tell you how strange that seems.
I'm also going to meet my mid-case average for the month, but most of that is attributable to a very strong first ten days. The last ten days, have been fairly weak. So the trend isn't what I'd like to see.
Of course, it could also be like trying to guess Christmas business on the 15th of December, (which I can't help doing every year despite knowing better), but which really doesn't mean much.
So, I'm going to expect July and August to be better, but not as good as I originally expected.
Thing about Bend, especially downtown Bend, is that we really need the tourist business in summer and Christmas. I'm not sure a lot of stores pencil out without that business. The tourists we are getting don't seem to want to spend much money. I guess they have to have a place to stay and they have to eat, so they must be spending that money...
As I've been saying, the new books and games are covering what would have been a shortfall, and I'm thankful every day that I added them to the mix. I'm going to turn a profit, in any case, but I'd rather turn a bigger profit than a smaller profit, for some reason.
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1 comment:
Well dunc, I don't know if you noticed on BB2, .. but last time I took my wife out dancing in Bend, I got into a bar-fight with a 30 yr old cali transplant asshole, who obviously felt that a 65 yr old with his 50 yr old wife shouldn't be taking up the floor.
Folks are getting meaner in Bend. I haven't been out dancing since, that was three weeks ago, don't need this shit, don't need an felony assault charge at this age.
I do concur that folks will get meaner, your 'harder to deal with', ... more drunks wandering into your shop. I usually limit myself to two beers once in awhile while trapped in Bend. Lately, I have simply quit going out just god damn depressing in Deschutes to listen to the self hating bullshit. If you can't find a job in Bend, then fucking move.
As you know I liked 1983 the best of times, and our Bend is returning to that Bend, but what I see in the short term is these CALIS that are caught in toilet vortex as our little town goes down, and yes they're going to be VERY hard to deal with, all being spoiled children.
FYI - On the bar fight thing this kid elbowed me hard like ten times to get off the floor until I knocked him on his ass. This lack of respect I think comes from the 1,000's of transplant un-employed kids in Bend living with their retired parents, I have no doubt this kid hated me like he hated his parents, and just hated to see mom&dad dancing at his bar.
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