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p8 weekender january 8 1994 shopping survey of area retailers gives cause for optimism a post christmas survey of reflectioa the christmas shopping season some 20 retailers in the stouf- the optimism came as a result in most cases sales of everything fville and uxbridge area gave of the success enjoyed by the vast from baking goods to appliances cause for both optimism and majority of the businesses over were up over 1992 moving sale all stock j price slower total clearance everything must go hi aim to iesgkt our customers hurry for best selection quantities are limited dream leather fashion career casual wear 202mainstunionville 905 4700904 hours sundaymonday 115 tueswednesday 106 thursfriday 109 saturday 106 of the few not reporting increases most were veteran businesses who were content to settle once again for the relative ly healthy sales figures achieved the year before others were first year merchants who while hav ing no past figures to compare with were happy with their vol umes achieved in this their inau gural christmas sales season also heart warming was the contention of a good percentage of the business people that unlike some years there was action in their stores after christmas and into the early days of the new year in recent years there have been times retailers have felt they could leave the door wide open and go home in january for all the traf fic they were likely to get the renewed confidence shown by local consumers over the christmas shopping season just past has retailerj breathing a lit tle easier as a former retail mer chant i know there is nothing more depressing than sitting in a store full of merchandise and a drawer full of bills to be paid with nary a customer in sight having dispensed with the optimism what gives one cause for reflection is the fact that the two book stores i contacted one in stouffville one in uxbridge both commented on how their sales had managed to hold we are thankful to all the customers who supported us in 1 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ittarouamktu 29900 169 00 3 piece horn table set set of 3 only cash carry red 3mr00 now brass or white with porcelain headboard only 3 days only single double queen s 388- gedk s tii t5f53sb5s5i5 from where i live bruce stapley steady once again just as they had over the past several years stouffvilles john lord who has run john lords books for the better part of 20 years was so bold as to suggest the book business is actually recession- proof books are a cheap form of entertainment this consum mate retailer told me in his mat ter of fact manner barb pratt who has operated blue heron books in uxbridge for four years reiterated lords contention she pointed to the cost of attending a movie saying that for the same cash or less a person can grab a paper back and wrap him or herself up in it for several days then it can be passed along to a friend or read again a little while down the road when i suggested the book business was the game to be in both merchants were quick to insist it was the established retailers rarely the authors who stand to benefit with a canadi an book qualifying as a best sell er with just 5000 sales it doesnt take a mathematics degree to figure out you cant retire off the royalties of a couple of literary successes in this country but if your cash register is steadily ringing with the sound of sales of books written by a wide variety of hopeful authors you stand to make a decent living with a recent toronto star article stating how canadians spent more money than ever on entertaining themselves during the economicallychallenged year just past its not hard to under stand the tune being sung by book sellers such as lord and pratt and while a couple of book stores in stouffville and uxbridge may not be indicative of a trend anyone who experi enced the lineups that were evi dent in bookstores at markville shopping centre during the days leading up to christmas will agree that people still con sider curling up with a good book to be one of lifes 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