
Creative Leisure News
2677 Ashley Ct.
Tremont, IL 61568
Phone: 309-925-5593
Fax: 309-925-9068
Email: mike@clnonline.com

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Date:
June 18, 2001
Vol. V, No. 12
Printer
Version
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMMENTARY: THOUGHTFUL LETTERS
Recently I've received a number of thoughtful, thought-provoking
letters in reaction to pieces in Creative Leisure News and my
column in CNA. I've collected them and they're published here
as a sort of special "industry forum issue."
If any letter, or anything else for that matter, inspires you to
write, please do so. I'll fix any typos or grammar mistakes, perhaps
edit your note for length and clarity, and will run it with or
without your name, as you wish. I don't care if you agree with me --
just make it interesting and thought-provoking to your fellow
readers. Email your thoughts to me,
fax a note to 309-925-9068; or mail to 2677 Ashley Ct., Tremont, IL
61568.
MAY SALES DISAPPOINTING
The biggest jump by industry-related retailers was by Jo-Ann's
whose same-store sales rose 12.6%. That good news was tempered,
however, by the fact that the company's SKU reduction plan is in
full force. It boosted sales but will hurt margins.
Michaels and Wal-Mart rolled along with same-store
sales increases of 2.0% and 3.8% respectively, but Ames had a
disastrous month, with same-store sales falling 9.9%. Chair Joseph
Ettore blamed the unstable economy, increases in gas prices, and
poor weather, but said improved cost controls have maintained
margins. In our last issue we reported that Hancock's
same-store sales fell 2.0%.
"Nothing seems to be clear cut." Ettore said in his
"State of the Industry" address at the opening of the
International Mass Retail Assn. convention. Ettore is Chair of the
IMRA board.
A.C. MOORE HIRES LARRY FINE AS
PRESIDENT
A.C. Moore hired Larry Fine as President effective June 11.
He will report directly to CEO Jack Parker. Fine, 47, was most
recently Exec. VP/Merchandising for Michaels.
Parker said, "We are pleased to have someone of Larry's caliber
and background join our team. Larry brings to our company over 20
years of merchandising and general management experience in both
arts and crafts as well as mass merchandise retailing.
"As we've previously discussed, we will continue to add to our
management team and infrastructure to support our growth objectives.
Along with Rex Rambo, our COO, and Les Gordon, CFO, Larry's addition
to the team puts us in a very strong position to execute our
expansion plans."
Larry was very highly regarded during his tenure at Michaels and
reportedly talked to a number of chain stores before accepting the
A.C. Moore offer.
CALL FOR PRODUCT INFO
Manufacturers: If you're exhibiting new products at ACCI, INRG,
and/or SILK, you're welcome to send info to Creative
Leisure News for publication in our two July issues. We're
particularly interested in new products that you weren't able to
send in time to the trade magazines for their July (show) issues.
Photos won't be published, but we will include product info so our
retailer subscribers can get a head start on their trade show plans.
Please include the show(s) in which you're exhibiting, and the booth
numbers, if you know them. If your website includes info/photos of
new products, please include your URL, too.
Email (in MSWord documents) is preferred: mike@clnonline.com,
or mail to 2677 Ashley Ct., Tremont, IL 61568. The deadlines are
June 29, and July 13.
A HEAD START ON ACCI, PT. I
The following is a partial list of first-time ACCI exhibitors
who have websites so you can do a little advance research to see if
you need to visit the booth (or see if you have a new competitor).
We've given you the company name, the URL, and what types of
products offered. We'll give you the rest of the list in our next
issues.
All My Memories ... allmymemories.com
Scrapbook, stamp; art, craft, office supplies
Amos Corp. ... amosglassdeco.com
Glitter and glue sticks, fabric paint
Angelwings Enterprises ... radiantpearls.com
Luminescent paint for embossing
Anna Griffin ... annagriffin.com
Invitation designs for special occasions
Barutan Embroidery Centre ... stitchart.com.my
Iron-ons, stickers, bookmarks; licensee for Disney and Looney-Toons
characters
Colors by Design ... cbdcards.com
In-store printing, personalized expression services
The Elegant Page ... embossingarts.com
Supplies for embossed cards and stationery
FairyTale Creations ... geocities.com/ftcreations/home.htm
Scrapbook border templates
Hy-Way Creative Supply ... hywaysales.com
Scrapbook, stamp, art/craft supplies
Illumicraft Div. of Craftexpress ... craftexpress.com
Candlemaking supplies, bath products
Imagehill ... imagehill.net
Candle- and soap-making supplies and info
Kidz Baking Klub-Chicago Metallic ... kidzbakingklub.com
"Deco-edible" kits for kids
Luv 2 Scrapbook ... luv2scrapbook.com
Scrapbooking supplies
Magnetstuff.com ... magnetstuff.com
decorative and useful uses for magnets
Memory Technology ... memorybutton.com
... Voice-recordable buttons for scrapbooks, cards
Milky Way Molds ... milkywaymolds.com
Plastic soap-making molds
Morn Sun Dev. Co.... mornsun.com.tw
Tools for lettering, drawing, painting, sculpture
Nordic Shield Plastics ... epvplastics.com
PVC for upholstery, etc.
Oceanic Linkways ... oceaniclink.com
Craft supplies, gift items, etc.
Rose Plastic U.S.A. ... roseplastic.com
Packaging design services
Renkly ... renkly.com 3-D
paint, kids' crafts, kits, etc.
Scrap Papers ... scrappapers.net
Fine quality paper for scrapbooking, stamping
Scrappin' Dreams ... scrappindreams.com
Scrapbooking products and projects
SDK Distributors ... sdkdistributors.com
Stamping supplies
Stamp Scrap N Roll ... stampscrapnroll.com
Scrapbooking, stamping supplies
Tidy Crafts ... tidycrafts.com
Plastic organizers for craft and office work
Ulead ... ulead.com Video
editing, web imaging, and graphics services
YY Gallery.Com ... yygallery.com
Paintings and prints by artist Yang Yang
WANT TO START/CHANGE A WEB SITE?
CONSIDER...
Note: In the past few months, Lynn Carlisle of Carlisle
Communications has been evaluating the websites of those paid
subscribers to Creative Leisure News who have requested this free
service. We asked Lynn to summarize what she's seen so far:
In looking at lots of sites in our industry, I realize that we all
struggle a little. Many sites try to cram every morsel of
information available into them, plus all the bells, whistles,
discounts, coupons, message boards, instant messaging, shopping
carts . . . and direct e-mail access to the CEO. Others may be
offering too little.
As with most things, creating a good (and manageable) web site
involves setting achievable goals, developing a phased approach to
meeting those goals, and keeping in mind the your company's
resources. Once you have those goals and resources, you can start to
build a site that makes sense for your company and your consumer.
Here are a few areas to consider:
1. Goals (or, "what do I want our site to do for my
company?") Do you want a site because you're tired of telling
people you don't have one? Who is asking? Perhaps you should develop
a site just for them. Maybe all you need is a business-to-business
(b2b) site.
2. Do you need to refresh a stale site? First, ask why it got
stale and develop resources to ensure that it stays fresh. Freshness
requires three things: fresh content, someone to actually put it
online week after week, and a reliable way to tell consumers that
new content is live.
3. Will your site educate and inspire consumers about your
products? A good goal, but first, educate your consumers about your
site. It is easy to find? Easy to understand? Be sure to put a plan
in place to promote your site and its valuable education component.
4. Do you want to add e-commerce to your site? Before you
even imagine the first screen, ask if you have an executable
fulfillment plan in place. Perhaps you can handle commerce simply by
letting your visitors click to sites that sell (and fulfill) your
products better than you can.
5. Are you interested in business customers ordering online?
First, ask them if they'd use it. Depending on your customer base,
some may not feel comfortable ordering that way.
6. Content (or, "we've got a bunch of patterns around
here somewhere"): Do you really have the resources to develop
enough content? Surfers devour it and demand more, every month,
geared to the new trends, holidays, and featuring the latest
products. Can you provide it? New projects, tips, hints, design
ideas, and inspiration in any form attract visitors -- but take
resources.
7. Does your site need a message board? The answer relates
directly to your goals. If you just want to deliver an online
catalog, message boards would probably be superfluous.
If you want your site to be a crafter's favorite web destination,
then monitored, multiple message boards are an inexpensive way to
create "stickiness" -- encourage repeat visits. The trick
is to get the message board posters to visit more of your site than
just the boards.
8. Do you need "chat" on your site? I'm not a big
advocate of it. Since most chat sessions can't realistically serve
more than a few dozen people, but require a monitor and perhaps a
guest celebrity or two, you might be devoting lots of resources
toward a small number of people.
9. Do you need an e-mail newsletter? Let me ask you this: If
a craft consumer who loves your products asked you to send her
updates and project ideas once a week, and you could do it for less
than a penny, what would you say?
10. How about special effects, video, or slide-shows? Even if
you have a techno-wizard who can't wait to develop these for you,
and you have the money, don't do it -- yet. Our online audience
resembles the old Food Pyramid we heard about in health class: the
Early Adopters are on the top, the Enthusiastic Surfers are in the
middle, and the I-don't-know-what-a-modem-is group are represented
by the wide band on the bottom.
And remember, while your office staff may be frisking about the web
on a T1 line and your web developer's got multiple DSL connections,
many of our craft visitors are still struggling with slow modem
dial-ups and the vagaries of AOL. So, simplicity is truly a virtue
online.
Editor's Note: Lynn is a web developer, manager, writer,
stick-figure-designer and, she says, "techno-flunky" who
specializes in the craft industry. Her address is ljc@carlislecommunications.com.
But lately she's been struggling herself with some unplanned
shoulder surgeries. If you've requested a web review, sit tight, she
hasn't forgotten you.
CHANGING YOUR BUSINESS TO SURVIVE,
I
(Note: The following was written in response to an article in
an earlier issue regarding Frank's, but it is, in fact, a
valuable lesson for all of us, written by a successful independent
retailer.)
I have lived in and near the city of Detroit my entire life. I have
shopped at Frank's, worked as a demonstrator for Frank's, and for
the past 18 years been a competitor of Frank's. I think you hit the
nail right on the head when you mentioned how Mr. Gatti steered the
buyers' ship. His talent, knowledge, and intuition was beyond anyone
in this industry.
When Frank's was a Michigan company it was the best around. I miss
the old Frank's. I have been in Michaels and Jo-Ann's. I found
Michaels dirty, messy and the sales staff brusque. Jo-Ann's was
definitely cleaner and more organized, but the sales staff will not
come out from behind the counters to give personal service. Also,
some clerks are not crafters and therefore cannot answer questions
knowledgeably.
The original Frank's stores were smaller and more personable. During
the 60s and 70s when I was in Frank's as often as three times in a
week, the personnel were friends, too. They would stand in the aisle
and discuss the customers' questions.
Those days are gone at the big guys. That is why I am happy at my
2,000 sq. ft. independent shop. My ex-boss used to say quite
regularly "bigger is not always better". I think he was
right.
I opened my Ladybug Craft Shoppe on March 10, 1983. I
borrowed $10,000 and purchased a failing, 600 sq. ft. macrame store.
I cleaned it up, changed the name, and purchased $3,000 of new
inventory. In my area the two hot items were candlewicking and
basketweaving. I made $50 the first day.
I look back sometimes and wonder where the time went. My shoppe is
located in a city of 60,000+ in the downtown business district. One
very important consideration is location. I always wanted my own
business, but I was a realist. Owning a retail is tough and outside
forces are always out there.
Another important factor to change the look of the shop. Update
constantly. Find your strength and build on it. But I feel the most
important business practices are to build a loyal customer base and
always be ready to give the personal touch.
Fast forward to 2001! Ladybug Shoppe is now 2,000 sq. ft. I now sell
counted cross-stitch, collectible gifts, and custom framing. After
being located in my first store for 16 years I moved the business
around the corner to my current location. This building is newer and
I added about 400 sq. ft., most of it for a framing workroom.
Probably the hardest business decision was to eliminate the
basketweaving portion of the business. I sure made lots of money in
its heyday! But just like macrame, it was becoming a dust collector
on the shelves.
Another advantage to my business is how the downtown business area
has boomed. In the early 80s you could shoot a cannon off and hit no
one. Downtown Royal Oak is now a destination -- a bit of an artsy
community. We have a sewing store, a stamping store, a card shop
that is big in memory stuff, and a knit shop within two blocks of
Ladybug. In a sense, I have all the departments of a big chain and
none of the headaches.
Several times over the years I have been interviewed by students at
the local college taking a class in marketing. I don't have all the
answers and I have made some poor choices, but these are the
following suggestions I always offer: 1. Make sure you have the
finances. 2. Be careful of partners. 3. Know the business. 4. Hire a
bookkeeper who knows about taxes. 5. Learn how to deal with burnout.
6. Most important, remember it is a business.
Thank you for your interest and keep up the fight for us
independents. We may not be as many as 20 years ago, but we are a
tenacious bunch. -- Laura Harrison, Ladybug Craft Shoppe, 210 W.
Sixth St., Royal Oak, Michigan 48067.
CHANGING YOUR BUSINESS TO SURVIVE,
II
(Note:The following is from an independent retailer, but the
strategy she used may be appropriate for every business.)
I'm s-o-o-o tired of hearing everyone in this industry griping at
one another! Vendors at manufacturers, chains at vendors,
independents at chains, etc. Lest I start to sound like them, I need
to make a point I haven't seen made anywhere:
Stop griping at each other and re-invent yourselves! Speaking from
an independent's view only, I'm tired of hearing about how the
chains are going to eliminate us. We have to deal with: Ames
(1 mile away); Wal-Mart (3 miles away); Jo-Ann's (2
stores, each 4 miles away); and Michaels (5 miles away). We
looked around and decided we needed to make a big change.
So what craft area was being neglected? Kids! We have adapted our
store to reach all age levels. And moms started getting involved --
with stamping, gel pens, journals, beading. Now we offer day-camp,
summer camps, and Mom-and-me classes (even 16-year-olds bring Mom --
and Grandma).
While our business level isn't huge, and Michaels would cringe at
our profit margin, we have learned that this works for us and ALL
our customers are happy.
More independents could learn from this, and try to find a
"niche" for themselves. We'll never run out of customers,
either. Just realize that what may seem old to us is brand-new to
the next generation. And if vendors can re-invent macrame and call
it "hempwork", any business can do it, too. -- Marla
Maertin, Hobby World
A CLIQUE BETWEEN CHAINS &
VENDORS?
(Note: The following is a letter from a long-time industry
veteran on small vendors complaining about the difficulty of selling
to large retailers.)
There is no mystery to why smaller vendors are frustrated with the
"clique" vendor community and chains.
We are no longer in a specialty retailing environment. As the chains
grew, their complexion changed to mass market. The players are all
from mass market backgrounds who have no experience in the roots of
our industry.
Some buyers today cannot speak to product nor do they understand why
one item is important in an assortment over the next. They can speak
to their sales and slice and dice them with the skill of a butcher.
They may as well be selling cans of soup, motor oil, men's
underwear, or any other product type found in the mass-market
discount stores.
The buyers really aren't making buying decisions anyway, their
bosses are. And the bosses are racing to consolidate vendors in
order to form "partnerships" that extract dollars from the
vendors to enhance the chains' margins.
If you are not a big' player, you are not likely to break into their
favor. Instead, they are going to tell a "clique" vendor
to get them the product you just showed them.
As the business increases between them, so does the size of the
rebates, co-ops, etc. -- and so does the size of their bonus and
value of their stocks. So why let a newcomer in?
The "clique" vendors stepped up to the plate long ago and
are not going away. They'll do what it takes to keep their position
with whomever the current regime or players are. That's the way it
is. It's not going to change or get better or go back to the way it
was.
So you are right in promoting the vendor community to pay attention
to the independent. It can be a money-making strategy to say to your
customers that you do not sell to the chains. It does work and it
feels good. The glory can get old quickly. -- Name Withheld
THE NEW ZEALAND MARKET
(Note: The following is from Peter Dyne of Golding
Handcrafts in New Zealand. Peter was also recently elected to
the HIA Wholesaler's Council.)
From an international perspective, trade shows are absolutely vital.
A number of our suppliers have been cutting back on costs -- we used
to receive samples of every new item but these have steadily been
dwindling.
We appreciate that our market is not large therefore it is probably
not worth the cost of updating everybody with what is available, but
we don't have sales reps visiting, the Internet is only so good, and
so we are becoming more reliant on the trade show for information.
Websites are great (and we use them a lot), but they do not replace
physically seeing something. One problem which especially applies to
cross stitch, but also to some hard crafts, is that many products
are not readily available. Therefore shop owners need to see inside
a book, for example, to see if the required materials are either
available or can be substituted.
The interesting thing is, companies that continue to send
information are those that have the best sales.
Regarding categorisation of the show floor, it does make life easier
to have like people grouped together.
Regarding the state of the New Zealand industry: Needlework is
actually quite flat at present. Last year was very good, but things
are dropping away at present and sales are not what we would like.
There are a few reasons for this; our dollar is impacted as petrol
and food prices have risen, a number of companies have fallen over,
including Qantas New Zealand which was our second largest airline.
This has caused people to become a little wary.
We have also had a relatively warm winter so far which is causing
the wool shops to struggle. Consequently they haven't the cash flow
for other stock lines.
There is nothing really "hot" at the moment - although we
are starting to see a rise in memory album-related products so this
might be finally beginning.
Still, we are upbeat; new goodies ordered at the HIA show are
just arriving and the Autumn Gift Fair was a good one for us with
reasonable orders being written.
I realise that from the supplier's point of view people like us may
be nothing but nuisances, as our country's total population is less
than the market for one good chain store, but that is a fact that
everybody must live with.
For example, we used to carry one specialist line from a very large
U.S. paint manufacturer. The company insisted that we carry all or
nothing, so that item was deleted. This has been the case for every
wholesaler, so this manufacturer is not represented in this part of
the world at all. -- Peter Dyne
Note: In addition to being a distributor, Golding also has
two shops in Wellington. For info on the operation, and to submit
products for sale by Golding, go to goldingcraft.com.
Comment: Want an example of what international sales can do
for your business? The Ohio Art Co. recently announced a
first-quarter profit, only the fifth time in 30+ years the company
was in the black in the first quarter. Why? Sales to Europe and
Australia, officials said. Meanwhile, an exhibitor at the recent Society
of Decorative Painters show said, "My show was saved by the
international buyers." Sounds like, if U.S. manufacturers want
more international business, cutting back on U.S. trade shows isn't
the way to go.
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
ACCI. Compared to the same time a year ago, the number of
exhibitors for the ACCI show July 20-23 is up 7% to 550 (155 are
new). That translates to 1276 booth spaces, up 5%. Pre-registered
attendees are at 3,521, up 9.3%. Advance on-line registration has
been extended until June 22nd. 18 classes have already sold out. Go
to accicrafts.org or call
Exec. Director Marrijane Jones at 888-360-2224, ext. 3131.
KIDS. ACCI has scheduled a panel discussion on toy retailers'
growing interest in kids crafts for Friday, July 20th, 7-8:30 pm.
Scheduled panelists include Bob Glaser, Editor of Specialty
Retailer magazine; Chuck Santoro, Director of Demonstration
& Entertainment, FAO Schwarz; Carmen Slaven, Arts and
Crafts Buyer, FAO Schwarz; Rebecca Quigley and Jim Moon, Crafts
Buyers for Family Toy. Peter Russo of New Approach is the
moderator.
ELECTION. The new officers for Sierra Pacific Crafts:
Emma Gebo, Crafts and Frames, was re-elected President;
Adrian J. Taylor, Taycor, VP; Dan Weaver, Alford,
Treasurer; and Neil Ferguson, Ferguson Merchandising,
Secretary. Other board members include Don Marski (Hannah's Home
Accents); Art Poliquin (Artco Crafts); Margie Trentlage (Crafts
Galore); Chuck Umbarger, (Craftmart); and Rob Williams (Jeson
Enterprises).
BOOKS. The charming book, Flowers Are For Love,
written by Kathy Lamancusa, is in Wal-Mart's book section. It
contains many lovely stories, some written by industry friends.
ELECTED. Cindy Groom-Harry, CEO of Craft Marketing
Connections was elected to the HIA board of directors,
filling the seat created by the resignation of Mike Catan of Darice.
She will serve the balance of Catan's three-year term ending in
2004. Groom-Harry is an industry consultant who develops
comprehensive marketing and design programs for vendors.
WAL-MART. Highlights from the recent annual meeting: Execs
said consumers are making fewer trips to the store ... They expect
to open another 290 stores in the U.S. this year; that's 40 million
sq. ft., about the size of the chain's entire square footage in 1985
... The retail environment is "as tough as we've ever seen
it" ... Vowed to continue its low price strategy, despite
increased price competition from Kmart ... Admitted they need
to improve customer service by making check-out lines shorter,
employees friendlier, and in-stock positions better.
CLOSING. West World Trading is closing its doors after 28
years in the industry. Darice has agreed to take on the
remaining inventory and will ship out orders as requested.
LICENSING. The mood at the recent annual licensing show in
New York was much more cautious and downbeat, the Associated Press
reported. A slowing economy and buyers being stuck with too much
licensed merchandise were the causes, the AP said.
FOR SALE. Past Impressions, a profitable 8-year-old mail
order needlework catalog in Great Britain, is for sale. For more
info, contact John Morey, Past Impressions, The Old Barn, Quay
Terrace, Newton Abbot TQ12 2BX, Devon, England. Call 01626 352146;
e-mail: pastimpressions.uk@virgin.net.
STOCK. Zany Brainy was de-listed by NASDAQ ... Bear Stearns
and Robertson Stephens reiterated coverage of Wal-Mart at Buy
... Hancock's board declared a dividend of 4 cents/share on
common shares, payable July 15 to shareholders of record July 1st.
PEOPLE. Bernina of America hired Jim Tennyson as Director of
Sales and assigned Tom Justic to VP of Marketing, a newly created
position ... Offray named Suzanne Sillence Haines as
Marketing VP and Jonathan Kobza as VP/Account Manager, and promoted
Barry Sokol as Exec. VP/Retail Sales and Marketing.
SEWING. The Associated Press ran a story published by a
variety of newspapers regarding the merger between McCall Pattern
and Butterick. Highlights: Butterick might have declared
bankruptcy without the merger ... The combined company now has
approximately 53% market share in the sewing pattern business ...
Last year Conso tried to buy McCall, but the Federal Trade
Commission nixed the deal ... Quote: "[Jo-Ann's CEO
Alan] Rosskamm thinks the business may get a boost over the next
decade or so, as baby boomers who learned sewing in school have more
time on their hands. But the only long-term solution is to encourage
more young people to use some of their valuable leisure time for
sewing."
CONDOLENCES. One of the industry's nicest people, Fred Head
of F.S. Head & Assoc., passed away after a long bout with
cancer. The family said donations can be made to a charity in Fred's
name. Cards can be sent to F.S. Head & Associates (c/o Ron), 17
Kimberdale Crescent Toronto, Ontario Canada M1W 1Y4 ... Tom Keller,
a popular manufacturer's representative for Fibercraft, Dimensions,
and Berwick Ribbon, passed away on June 9 from emphysema. His
wife and partner, Pat Keller, will continue on with their
representation in the Middle Atlantic states for many craft lines
... We've also heard that Dave Madeley, another popular sales rep
from the Dallas area, was killed last Tuesday in a tragic accident
on his farm.
JOB OPENING. DecoArt is looking for a Marketing Manager whose
responsibilities include public relations, Internet and new product
development, merchandising, international marketing projects, etc.
Requires 5 years craft industry experience in marketing, product
development, or purchasing craft supplies. A 4-yr degree in business
or marketing is preferred. Send resume to DecoArt, P.O. Box #297,
Stanford, KY 40484-0297, attn: Dawne K. Carlson.
PAINTING. In our last issue we cited an article in a major
Mass. newspaper about the resurgence of paint by numbers. Now the Los
Angeles Times has published a similar article.
MONEY. Actress, singer & former Miss America Vanessa
Williams, is throwing a special "craft-themed" Bedazzler
birthday party next week for her two daughters. She has paid a large
sum of money to close down the world famous FAO Schwarz toy
store on New York City's Fifth avenue for an afternoon to hold the
private affair. Natural Science Industries is supplying the Bedazzler
machines and loads of studs, rhinestones, and glue-on patches.
MEDIA. HIA has arranged tv coverage in all 50 states as part
of its Celebrate America With Crafts promotion that started
last weekend and runs through June 24th. In most cases, the media is
interviewing HIA's Certified Professional Demonstrators and/or
retailers.
THE CREATIVE NETWORK: JOB OPENINGS
To see a sampling of the current job openings and to contact The
Creative Network, click on the "Jobs" button in the left
hand column.
THE CLN RETAIL INDEX
A. C. Moore (ACMR). Last*: 14.00 ... Change**: +2.30
Ames (AMES). Last*: 1.97 ... Change**: -0.60
Hancock Fabrics (HKF). Last*: 7.70 ... Change**: -1.41
Jo-Ann Stores (JAS.A) [a]. Last*: 4.20 ... Change**: +0.19
Michaels (MIKE). Last*: 39.71 ... Change**: +0.16
Rag Shops (RAGS). Last*: 2.75 ... Change**: +0.15
Wal-Mart (WMT). Last*: 48.15 ... Change**: -3.57
CLN Retail Index. Last*: 118.48 ... Change**: -2.7%
Dow Jones Index. Last*: 10,623.60 ... Change**: -3.3%
*June 15 ** from June 1 [a] voting share Note: Prices are
exclusive of dividends
CALIFORNIA TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
A friend of mine recently applied for unemployment in California.
The clerk was very confused when my friend said she'd worked for an
e-commerce company. After more than a half hour of the clerk
struggling to fit my friend into the official job classification
list ("Is e-commerce connected to agriculture?"), my
friend asked how old this list was.
"Uh, let's see. Oh yes, it was written in 1946."
REMINDERS
1. Paid subscribers are invited to have their website
evaluated by Lynn Carlisle of Carlisle Communications. She'll
check the site and provide a confidential assessment and suggestions
for improvement. Just email mike@clnonline.com
or ljc@carlislecommunications.com.
2. If you want a hard-copy of this issue, click on
"Printer Friendly version".
3. If your company is a paid subscriber, everyone in the main
office is welcome to register, free.
4. If you want to recommend CLN to a friend, use the
"Tell Your Friends" box on the home page.
5. Creative Leisure News is published on the first and
third Mondays of each month. Your next issue will be Monday, July
2nd.
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