Mass Market Retailers articles from June 2003

Mass Market Retailers archives from June 2003

Dollar tree grows. (Industry News).(Dollar Tree Stores Inc. acquires Greenbacks Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DOLLAR TREE GROWS: Dollar Tree Stores Inc. has signed a binding agreement to acquire Salt Lake City-based Greenbacks, a privately held chain of 96 dollar stores, for $100 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close this month....

Eagle Food Centers. (Industry News).(supermarket operators receives court approval for debtor-in-possession financing facility)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... EAGLE FOOD CENTERS: Eagle Food Centers Inc., which owns and operates 60 supermarkets in the states of Illinois and Iowa, has received court approval of its $40 million debtor-in-possession financing facility. "The DIP financing facility will...

Sale of McLane O.K.'D. (Industry News).(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. able to sell McLane Co. to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... SALE OF MCLANE O.K.'D: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has received permission from the Federal Trade Commission to sell its McLane Co. subsidiary to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. for about $1.5 billion. McLane is a wholesaler that primarily serves the...

Fleming gets help. (Industry News).(Fleming Cos. receives bankruptcy court approval to historical preserve net operating losses)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... FLEMING GETS HELP: Fleming Cos. has received approval from the bankruptcy court of its effort to preserve its historical net operating losses (NOLs) by prohibiting certain transfers of equity securities in the company and its subsidiaries. If...

Big lots directors. (Industry News).(Philip Mallott, Ned Mansour and Russell Solt elected to board of Big Lots Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... BIG LOTS DIRECTORS: Three new independent directors have been elected to the board of Big Lots Inc. Philip Mallott is an independent financial consultant and former vice president and chief financial officer of Intimate Brands Inc. Ned Mansour...

Ahold gets hit again. (Spotlight).(accounting scandal widens)
June 16, 2003... AMSTERDAM -- Ahold NV's accounting scandal has widened with the revelation of irregularities at Tops Markets and other unspecified subsidiaries. The retailer, which earlier this year reported that its U.S. Foodservice Inc. subsidiary had...

Two named VP, GMM for Kmart.(Robert Atteberry Joyce Dillon and Peter Whitsett promoted; Nicholas Just exits co.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... TROY, Mich. -- Kmart Corp. has announced the promotions of Robert Atteberry and Joyce Dillon to vice president and general merchandise manager positions. In addition, Peter Whitsett, divisional vice president, merchandising food and...

CVS moves on diverse fronts.
June 16, 2003... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Corp. has reaffirmed its second quarter earnings guidance and announced plans to enter the Minneapolis market. In addition the retailer will introduce digital kiosks into most of its stores. CVS says it continues to...

Safeway 'gets back to cost reductions'.(finanical strategy planned)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Faced with declining profits and stagnant sales, Safeway Inc. is responding with cost cutting. "This is the year we set the strategy to get back to cost reductions," chairman, president and chief executive officer Steven...

SEC looks at supplier rebates.(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- The Securities and Exchange Commission has reportedly begun looking at the way some retailers are handling supplier rebates. Late last month CVS Corp. and BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. said they had received and responded to informal...

Wal-Mart passes another milestone.(now nation's largest grocer)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. became the nation's largest grocer last year, with more than $53 billion in food sales at its 1,258 Supercenters and 49 Neighborhood Markets. That is according to a recent article in The Wall Street...

'Shrink recovery is a top profit source'. (News).(National Supermarket Research Group survey reveals economic consequences of inventory shortages)
June 16, 2003... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Food stores lose the equivalent of 2.32% of retail sales to theft and other inventory loss, according to the National Supermarket Research Group (NSRG). "Shrink continues to be a major source of loss for the...

Target hones focus.(on food and pharmacy aspects)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. will heighten its focus on food and pharmacy as part of an effort to boost shopper frequency, company officials said at the retailer's annual shareholders meeting here. Some other areas of emphasis for the chain...

Corrections.
June 16, 2003... In the May 12 issue of MMR, a photograph of a greeting cards section in a Dollar General Corp. store was included in a profile of Family Dollar Stores Inc. Newhall Laboratories Inc. is the manufacturer of the LaBella brand of hair care,...

On-line retailing starts to pay. (News).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... WASHINGTON -- While last year was far from a stellar one for most brick-and-mortar retailers, it was much better for on-line retailing, according to a new report from the National Retail Federation (NRF). The study, which was conducted for...

Penn traffic considers options.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Penn Traffic Co. may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection if it can secure the necessary debtor-in-possession financing. Voluntary reorganization is one of the strategic options the company is considering. The...

Declining wholesale prices trigger more worries.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... WASHINGTON -- April saw wholesale prices, expressed in the Producer Price Index (PPI), fall a record 1.9%, setting off fears that the United States is headed toward a deflationary economy much like that of Japan, which has been stagnant for...

Scoreboard. (Money News).
June 16, 2003... SCOREBOARD Quarter Dollar % RETAILERS Ended Sales Change Big Lots 05/03 948.4 mil + 4.9 BJ's (1) 05/03 1.44bil +15.7 Home Depot 05/04 15.1...

Family dollar declares quarterly dividend. (Money News).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... FAMILY DOLLAR DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND: The board of directors of Family Dollar Stores Inc. has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 7.5 cents per share on the company's common stock, payable July 15, 2003, to shareholders of record...

Ingles issues senior subordinated notes. (Money News).(Ingles Markets Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... INGLES ISSUES SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES: Ingles Markets Inc. has issued $100 million of 8.875% senior subordinated notes that will mature in 2011. The offering supplements a previous $250 million offering issued in December 2001. Net proceeds...

J.C. Penney announces dividend. (Money News).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... J.C. PENNEY ANNOUNCES DIVIDEND: J.C. Penney Co. has declared a quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per share on the company's outstanding common stock, payable August 1,2003, to stockholders at the close of business on July 10.

Biggest gainers. (Money).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 16, 2003... BIGGEST GAINERS-- Close Change % Stock 05/23/03 vs. 05/02/03 Change Delhaize 29.03 +7.53 +35.0 Ahold 7.71 +1.73 +28.9 Value City 2.50 ...

Biggest losers. (Money).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... BIGGEST LOSERS-- Close Change % Stock 05/23/03 vs. 05/02/03 Change Smart & Final 3.53 -0.87 -19.8 Whole Foods 52.60 -8.73 -14.2 Wild Oats 10.04...

Most active. (Money).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 16, 2003... MOST ACTIVE-- Vol. (000) As a % Change vs. 1 Wk. Ended of Total 1 Wk. Ended Stock 05/23/03 Shares 05/02/03 Smart & Final 223 0.8 +236.1 Longs ...

Wal-Mart bottom line hits mark. (Spotlight).
June 16, 2003... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Although sales came up short of Wall Street's projections, first quarter earnings at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hit the mark, helped, in part, by the effects of the weaker dollar. The world's largest retailer saw net income for...

Winn-Dixie results uneven in quarter. (Money).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. saw income from continuing operations decline in the third quarter of fiscal 2003 in the wake of lower sales and operating profits. After-tax income from continuing operations dipped 1.6% to...

Eckerd operating profit. (Money).
June 16, 2003... PLANO, Texas -- Despite flagging sales growth Eckerd Corp. notched a double-digit increase in operating income in the first quarter of fiscal 2003. The chain's performance was the only bright spot for parent J.C. Penney Co., which hit a wall in...

Target earnings up 1.3% as Mervyn's division stumbles. (Money).
June 16, 2003... MINNEAPOLIS -- Sales and profit downturns in the Mervyn's and department store segments cut into an advance in the core discount store business, to give Target Corp. a modest increase in first quarter earnings. Net income for the three...

Mass retailing stocks uneven. (Money).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- Mass market retailing shares ended May mixed, as uncertainty lingered about the course of the nation's economy. An increasing number &economists, however, believe that consumer and business confidence will begin to rise during...

Chicago No. 1 in food; L.A. first in GM; N.Y. top in drug. (Top 100 markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- The three most populated metropolitan areas in the United States--New York City, Los Angeles/ Long Beach and Chicago--are again the leaders in the nation's top retail markets. This is the third consecutive year that they have held...

Western markets are the best bet for retail expansion. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... While the current economic doldrums are restraining growth for many retailers, the underlying strength of the United States economy assures renewed vitality. Looking ahead, retail expansion will continue to be concentrated in Western markets...

In Inner City growth hard but doable. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... While the bulk of retail growth in the next few years is expected to take place in the the wide open spaces of the West, there is another frontier that many retailers have largely ignored, and that is the inner city. A groundbreaking study...

Big three still lead; Philadelphia, Atlanta move up. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- Last year Atlanta and Philadelphia each moved up on the list of the nation's top 10 markets by total retail sales, but Detroit fell. The Los Angeles/Long Beach market remains the nation's top market (a position it took from...

A potent factor in urban areas. (Top 100 Markets).(African Americans)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- African-Americans represent a significant market, totaling 36 million people, or about 13% of the population, according to a March 2002 Census Bureau report. Catering to this consumer segment is of particular importance for...

Wal-Mart forces paradigm shift. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- A look at the shares in the top 100 food retailing markets reveals intensifying competition, much of it coming from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s steady Supercenter rollout. But in spite of ongoing weak consumer demand, increasingly...

Largest chains dominate drug. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- Regional chains scored a pair of market share victories last year, although the nation's drug store business remains dominated by the top four chains. Collectively, Walgreen Co., Rite Aid Corp., Eckerd Corp. and CVS Corp. were...

Wal-Mart keeps moving forward. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- The challenge facing Kmart Corp. is clear from a look at its position in the nation's top 100 markets for general merchandise sales. Kmart, which in the 1970s was a discount juggernaut, does not currently have the market share...

Chicago offers rich tapestry for retailers. (Market focus: Chicago).
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO -- The city of Chicago, immortalized by the poet Robert Frost as the city of broad shoulders, continues to be a vibrant urban center in the middle of the American heartland. Chicago's history is long and colorful, embodying all of...

A happy melange of upscale, mom-and-pop.
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO -- Not only is Chicago the nation's second-largest retail market with 2002 sales of $105.8 billion, its retailing scene offers tremendous variety, ranging from the glitziest department stores and boutiques to neighborhood mom-and-pop...

Hard times for no. 2 food chain. (Market focus: Chicago).(Safeway Inc.)(Dominick's Finer Foods Inc.)
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO -- The food-retailing landscape in metropolitan Chicago has long been dominated by two chains: Jewel Food Stores, now owned by Albertsons Inc., and Dominick's Finer Foods Inc., which was acquired by Safeway Inc. in 1998. Although Jewel...

Wal-Mart leads; target gains at kmart's expense.(Kmart Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO -- Discount retailing has been a fiercely competitive business in the Chicago region, where the strong have gotten stronger at the expense of the weak. Not surprisingly, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the biggest player, with a share in...

In windy city, it's not all Jewel, Dominick's. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO -- The nation's second city has long had a strong association with the food industry, dating back at least to the days when the Chicago stockyards were a major tourist attraction. As the country's largest food retail market,...

Walgreens persists, succeeds. (Market focus: Chicago).
June 16, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The Chicago market is home to one of the best retailers in the world: Walgreen Co. The nation's largest drug store chain in terms of sales, its consistently outstanding financial performance makes it no exaggeration to...

Walgreens execs make it happen. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Perhaps the most important factor in the unrivaled success of Walgreen Co. has been the quality of its management. While the top executives of its closest rivals chose to emphasize growth over performance and ultimately...

Is Sears where America shops? (Market focus: Chicago).
June 16, 2003... HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill -- Sears, Roebuck and Co., the largest department store chain in the United States, is also the largest retailer based in the Chicago market. But the company that styles itself the place where America shops has been...

L.L. Bean considers taking over Spiegel. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- The nation's lingering economic malaise has taken a heavy toll on one of Chicago's best-known retailers, catalog marketer Spiegel Inc. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection in March, propelled by declining sales in...

A retailing mecca ready to bounce back. (Market focus: Dallas).
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- This Texas city prides itself on being a shopper's paradise, with more shopping centers per capita than any other major city in the United States. That makes it a competitive market for retailers, but also an appealing one....

Eckerd defends market lead. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- Eckerd Corp. is the leading drug store retailer here, but the chain faces a major battle to maintain that position. Although it is based in Clearview, Fla., Eckerd would seem to have a number of hometown advantages in Dallas. The...

H.E. Butt has small presence, big impact. (Top 100 Markets).(H.E. Butt Grocery Co.)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has made a significant impact on this market with just three stores. The San Antonio-based chain, which has its strongest presence in central Texas, made its debut in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in 2001....

Supers Hone Mix, marketing. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- The supermarket business is brutally competitive here, forcing small players to know their customers and find viable niches. Minyard Food Stores Inc., a locally owned, family run chain, serves local food shoppers with three...

Wal-Mart loses one, wins one. (Market focus: Dallas).
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is bringing its Supercenter concept to this city's urban shoppers after all. The giant retailer fought--and eventually lost--a long battle to build a two-stow Supercenter in an upscale neighborhood near...

Melon Seed succeeds despite odds.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- A tiny company called Melon Seed, succeeding where much larger players have failed, is running a profitable on-line grocery shopping service in this sprawling market. Melon Seed, started in July 2002 by a couple in Piano, Texas,...

Kmart exit bad news for many. (Market focus: Dallas).
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- Kmart Corp. has emerged from bankruptcy and is striving to win back customers. But not in Dallas. Kmart pulled out of the city, and indeed most of the state of Texas, as part of a round of store closings announced in January. ...

Mr. Discounter now Mr. Supermarketer. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- Not content to be the largest general merchandise retailer in this market, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is on its way to being its largest grocer too. Wal-Mart has a long history of selling food in this town. When the company first...

Grocery retailing a fine art for Target. (Top 100 Markets).(Target Corp.)
June 16, 2003... DALLAS -- Upscale discounter Target Corp. has carved a niche for itself in this city's competitive grocery arena, offering low prices as well as differentiated premium products. Target entered the grocery business here in March 2000, with...

A prime retail battleground for the early 21st century. (Market focus: Denver).
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- Unphased by the downturn in the local economy that saw sales dip in 2002, mass market retailers say Denver remains a thriving area with a bright future. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, retail sales--sales of...

King Soopers has local heritage. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- Charles Houchens, whose creation King Soopers has grown to become this market's largest supermarket chain, died earlier this year at 91. Even though he had not been involved in the King Soopers business since selling the chain to...

Pharmacy to play greater role. (Market focus: Denver).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- As prescription medicines continue to play a greater role in Americans' health care needs, the market for drug stores is growing here in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Research shows that Walgreen Co., a perennial leader in...

Eckerd looks to take no. 2 spot. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- The drug store market here will get more competitive next year when Largo, Fla.-based Eckerd Corp. enters the fray. Eckerd, which earlier this year targeted Denver, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., as the site of its first forays into...

Hispanics need special attention. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- With its large Hispanic population, Denver and its surroundings are among the areas of the country where drug stores need to provide patients with prescription instructions in a language other than English. Too often, pharmacists...

King Soopers is dominant. (Market focus: Denver).
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- Supermarket operators in the Denver market are employing a wide variety of strategies, including discount cards, Internet shopping and careful expansion to win over consumers. Denver ranks as the 19th-largest grocery store market...

Nash Finch's Avanza forges partnership. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... DENVER -- As retailers pay increasing attention to niche markets, perhaps no group of shoppers in the Denver area is getting more attention than Hispanics. Minneapolis-based Nash Finch Co. is making a major effort to capture business from...

A market that's a microcosm of America. (Market focus: Newark).
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- Greater Newark encompasses poverty and affluence, a dense urban core, sprawling suburbs, a rural fringe, and multiple ethnicities. While Newark and its inner suburbs are as tightly packed as anywhere in the country, corn fields...

Newark presents special problems for supermarketers.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- There is a reason that supermarket chains with a national presence have steered clear of New Jersey. Kroger Co., Albertsons Inc. and Safeway Inc. have stayed away from the Garden State because it offers a low return on invested...

Pathmark works to build share. (top 100 Markets).(Pathmark Stores Inc.)
June 16, 2003... PARSIPANNY, N.J. -- The wide-ranging attractions of Pathmark Stores Inc.'s supermarket here range from a Fleet Bank branch and a pharmacy to hot food from the Chefs Creations department, photofinishing and self-checkout. The store, in...

Back to future.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- Area supermarkets will have some unique competition this summer and early fall. The city's Military Park, formerly called Common Greens South, will host the Common Greens Farmers Market on Thursdays from June 19th through October...

Toney food stores find niche. (Market focus: Newark).
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- With sections of northern New Jersey rivaling the wealthiest communities in the country, high-end food retailers have flocked to affluent and upper-middle class enclaves north, west and south of this city, the state's largest. ...

Wal-Mart has yet to grow presence. (Market focus: Newark).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- This metropolitan area remains relatively virgin territory for the world's largest retailer. In fact, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has fewer than a dozen discount outlets and Sam's Club units in greater Newark. In the comparable-size...

Drug chains have certain allure. (Market focus: Newark).
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- This area of New Jersey is the land of soccer moms, where getting in and out of a store quickly and back into the SUV is more important than saving a few pennies. That focus on convenience has not been lost on CVS Corp., Rite Aid...

Regional player sticks to basics. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- Community Distributors Inc., which operates 52 stores under the Drug Fair of NJ and Cost Cutters banners, is one of the regional chains that survived the drug store industry's cataclysmic consolidation in the 1990s. While other...

A good place for Duane Reade. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEWARK -- Duane Reade will open its third store in this city by early next year, says Tony Cuti, the chain's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "The market has long-term potential," comments Cuti. "In the medium term the...

Big apple more welcoming than ever. (Market focus: New York).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- New York City has long been a mecca for shoppers, and that has never been more true than it is today. The proliferation of mass market retailers in the city over the past decade has rounded out the offerings of department...

It's still a very pricey market. (Top 100 Markets).(New York City)
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK--The nation's overall economic slowdown has manifested itself in New York in several different ways. Unemployment is up due to layoffs in several business sectors, and a walk around the city reveals many retail spaces with "For Rent"...

Walgreens perceives a reason to return. (Top 100 Markets).(New York City)
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK--A number of major drug store chains, including Duane Reade and Rite Aid Corp., have been aggressively expanding in the borough of Manhattan in recent years. That is not too surprising, considering New York City is one of the nation's...

A&P, Pathmark lead supers. (Top 100 Markets).(New York City grocery market)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK--Because there are so many people from so many backgrounds and with so many differing tastes, New York City is not only one of the country's biggest grocery markets, it is one of the most varied. In 2002 supermarket sales here reached...

Duane Reade a home-growns star. (Market Focus: New York).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK--Founded in 1960, Duane Reade has grown to become the largest drug store chain in the New York metropolitan area. "The company's strengths in the city's highly competitive drug store market come from a flexible approach to store...

Toys 'R' Us' ultimate store. (Top 100 Markets).(Manhattan location)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK--Called "The Center of the Toy Universe," Toys 'R' Us Inc.'s 110,000-square-foot flagship store opened in Manhattan 18 months ago. Shortly after its opening sales and customer traffic exceeded the company's expectations, according...

Despite woes, Kmart remains committed. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- Kmart Corp. has been serving the New York metropolitan area since the 1970s when it opened up stores on Staten Island. It subsequently debuted outlets in the four other boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan. ...

Target: 'expect more, pay less'. (Market Focus: New York).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- For several years there have been rumors, especially in New York City's commercial real estate industry, that Target Corp. would open a store somewhere in Manhattan. For a brief time last year Target did have its first-ever...

N.Y.C. has become chain market. (Top 100 Markets).
June 16, 2003... NEW YORK -- Chain stores in a variety of trade classes are increasingly evident throughout New York City. The city offers a huge base of consumers concentrated in a relatively small area. While some city residents can afford to shop the...

Aging baby boomers turn market into retail gold. (Market focus: Phoenix).
June 16, 2003... PHOENIX -- The future of the Phoenix retail market is bright, strengthened by sustained residential growth throughout the metropolitan area. "With baby boomers entering their golden years, drug stores continue to compete for sites," says a...

Neighborhood Market to debut. (Top 100 Markets).(Wal-Mart concept to be introduced in Arizona)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... PHOENIX -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expected to introduce its Neighborhood Market concept to Arizona next year with the first such outlet in the nearby community of Mesa. The 42,000- to 55,000-square-foot stores feature a wide variety of...

Drug, grocery via Albertsons. (Market focus: Phoenix).(southwest strategy)
June 16, 2003... PHOENIX -- The population of this metropolitan area has grown tremendously, with tens of thousands of new residents moving to the Phoenix market each year. Many come from the Northeast and Midwest, some arrive from California, Texas and other...

Hard times have little impact on region. (Top 100 Markets).(Arizona)
June 16, 2003... PHOENIX -- The "downturn" that Arizona has experienced in recent months might well be the envy of many other states. Like much of the rest of the nation, Arizona has been encountering economic signs that have not been as encouraging as...