Retailers must kick doldrums of summer

Though the University's academic calendar keeps many students off campus for nearly a quarter of the year, retail officials say the new stores moving into the Sansom Common project will not see their bottom line suffer as a result. Most area retailers agree, however, that as campus empties out during the summer, as well as over Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks, business drops and stores are forced to compensate. If Sansom Common is going to jumpstart campus life the way University officials predict, merchants will need to keep business up despite the fact that the school empties out during the top two retail weekends of the year -- Thanksgiving and New Year's. University officials said that won't be a problem. Managing Director of Real Estate Tom Lussenhop said the vacation periods won't harm any of the new retail coming to the University, stressing that "the retailers we've talked to about coming to Penn are acutely atuned to the peaks and valleys of the student market -- we've only talked to people who know what they're getting into." "If our retailers do a quality job of merchandising, they will successfully attract consumers throughout the year -- the University is choosing its new retailers with an eye for success not just during the academic year," he added. Retail expert Kathy Sawin -- a top official in the retail development company working with the University to bring businesses to Sansom Common -- said that although the summer season is "dead, all across the boards," Penn has a "tremendous population from outside the University and is not a tomb during the summer." She said customers from other parts of the region are likely to come shop in the new stores during the University's off-seasons, noting that La Terrasse and the White Dog Cafe are both frequented by people who live outside University City. "It's our feeling that the new retail coming to Penn will prosper," she said, adding that retailers examine their sales over the course of the entire year, rather than just over a period of months. "You can't look at what you do each day, but you must look at what you do over the year," she said. But several area retailers emphasized the significant decrease in business during the summer months, and they predicted some hurdles for the new Sansom Common stores. "Summer is a difficult time and yes, it hurts our business," said Achilles Nickles, manager of the Penn Book Center at 38th and Walnut street. "Although there is a little flow during the summer sessions, it's difficult to compensate when the students and professors aren't here," he added. Terrell Stinson -- manager of the Foot Locker store in the 3401 Walnut Street complex -- agreed that "business probably drops 40 percent during the summer" because most of his store's customers are students. Some University officials said they recognize that business drops over the summer, and they have begun to implement new programs to help merchants stay afloat. Assistant Director of Houston Hall Retail Tom Hauber said he allows merchants to pay a full year's rent over the course of nine months, giving them the opportunity to pay rent when "things are good" -- rather than during the summer, when "business is slow." Houston Hall is completely closed during Thanksgiving weekend and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day because business is typically slow. Additionally, the building closes at 7 p.m. over the summer, as opposed to its normal 12:30 a.m. closing time. Hauber said he tries to draw people to Houston Hall during the summer by having special sales and barbeques on its back patio, but stressed that merchants are aware of the slow seasons when they rent the space.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.