European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday november 28, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 3 tis the season to go shopping exchanges geared up for big Holiday business by Gary Miller Senff writer retailers use the term Black Friday to describe the Day after t thanksgiving. Many stores spend much of the year in the red said David Ruiz Deputy manager of the Naples Italy. Navy Exchange. And in the Days of hand tallied ledgers red Ink indicated debt. T but Friday is a Day most merchants look Forward to recording their transactions in the color of Choice for profit Black. Quot it s one of our biggest shopping Days of the Ruiz said and he a not alone. In the United states retailers look to the Day after Turkey Day As the official Start of the Christmas shopping season. With a Long Holiday weekend it often is the Best Day in terms of sales for the year. That trend was echoed across Europe on Friday where despite the draw Down military exchanges appeared poised to do Banner business. On a really Good saturday any time of the year sales at All the Exchange stores at the Naples naval support activity will total $100,000 to $ 120,000. If some Navy ships Are visiting according to Phil Harrison the Naples Exchange retail operations manager. But on the Day alter thanksgiving last year sales at the main store alone hit $170,000. Including the other facilities at the base a the country store and mini Mart a sales topped $190,000. A Friday because we re staying open late for a Sale Well probably take in $180,000,�?� Harrison said. Quot if we re Lucky $200,000.�?� parking places were at a Premium Early Friday afternoon in front of the Exchange but Harrison said shoppers appeared to be waiting for the 6 . Start of the Sale. A business is about average for a Busy Day a a he said. Quot the big crowds should Start coming in sometime before the Sale begins in Firth Germany a special Early opening time Friday was not Early enough for some shoppers at the cafes Post Exchange. When the door was unlocked at 8 a.m., a line of customers already was waiting. Quot we re Ery Busy Quot said Sabine elois Brown the Exchange manager. A it looks like Christmas season will be As Good As last the store in Firth serves a Large area. As Headquarters for the 99th area support. Group flirt he a William o. Darby Cavern is a focal Point for surrounding communities Itom Ansbach to Bamberg plus the training areas in Grafen Wuhr Vilseck and Hohen fils. A we have not hired additional Christmas help a a Brown said. A we extended the hours of some employees. Its better to have experienced help. And they were Happy to get the extra hours at customers crowd around the jewelry counter Friday at the Post Exchange in Frankfurt Germany for some Early Holiday shopping i he store plans another Early opening Christmas live and will remain open until 10 . Fridays and saturdays through Christmas. There will be two nights a dec. 18 and 19 a when the store with stay open until Midnight. On other nights it will close at the usual time of 8 . A in England at raft Lakenheath a base Exchange. Friday brought brisk sales that could surpass last years figures. A we have a Large number of people shopping today despite the fact that payday for the military is a couple of Days away a said Gerald c. Olson the main store manager. Quot we be noticed a lot of people with families with area military members no longer involved in persian Gulf operations Olson said the store should either reach or surpass last years sales Mark. One thing assistant manager Charles Sappington noticed was that a stronger Dollar has not affected the number of people shopping at the store. That assessment was borne out by one of the shoppers. Quot i done to plan on doing any shopping on the said chief Petty officer James Welch. Irom Raf Brawdy in Wales. Despite the crowds at the store. Welch wanted to do his shopping Fri Lav. Quot in a shopping now to get into the Christmas he said. While military exchanges Shat the big sales Day with stateside retailers ordering and stocking merchandise Lor the Holiday season poses unique problems for stores in Europe. Wrapping paper electing cards and other seasonal Meichai Ulise claims already Short warehouse space. But tenting containers in which to store such merchandise has eliminated that problem. Naples Ruiz said. The containers Are parked behind the main Exchange. Also Many of the items now on Sale at i Oyla tul in the support a country store had to be ordered shortly after last Christmas said Bill Blank who buys toys and other products for the Navy Exchange service Center in Naples. Baek to basics was How Blank described this year s toy trend. The products of plays Kool. Fisher Price and that perennial fashion favorite Mattel s Barbie wite hits As Weic dolls Anil other merchandise based on such movies As i Law i ill and la my Tinl Law Hlll Al. To Cox Pic a Supply of the most popular Plav m is. Blank said he watched what sold the i is is when Loyl Nind opened m sept cml Quot what i saw moving out i said Blank who added that those toys have been coming in during the past few weeks buyer Diane Johnson in Naples also laces a time lag of two to three months irom the time she orders merchandise until it Arves. Her responsibilities include women a merchandise family loot Eai. Cosmetics and fragrances domestics and fabrics. However there is some flexibility in some of those categories because the products Are supplied locally. A it he leathers advertised for Friday lot example Are made in Italy a jackets Coats and Johnson said. Quot we can place an order for such items Anil have them in seven to ii another of Johnson a areas of responsibility lingerie is a place where red in t such a bad thing m retail at least not m Italy. Buying red undies Lor ones significant other according to neapolitan tradition will bring a couple Good Luck in the new Yea i. Quot i missed the boat on that last veal. Johnson said of the demand Lor red hit Gene i made Misc we had some till a r ii j i. It it a a leis i ankh it a Ltd a it a i Haf 1 in a Ltd a a f 1 up Fth 1 Midi id , <11 j y a it n \.>, if qty great smoke shortage eases slightly in Italy Rome apr to the Relief of desperate smokers the first cigarettes in nearly a month began to trickle out of the states tobacco monopoly Friday after Union leaders for striking workers agreed to let a few police escorted trucks leave a warehouse. The strike has emptied tens of thousands of tobacconist shelves throughout Italy and seen smokers paying the equivalent of $20 or More for a pack from Black marketeers or waiting hours in lines of cars to Cross Alpine Borders to buy smokes abroad. Holdups and brawls to get cigarettes have also been reported. Rai state to showed footage of a few trucks rolling out of a monopoly warehouse on the Edge of Rome to bring cigarettes to tobacco shops in three neighbourhoods. Police escorted the trucks to guard against violence including any possible attempt to hold up a truck. The to report said Rome was the Only City to get cigarette deliveries on Friday. But Ersilia Barranca a tobacconist in the Monte Sacro District one of the three neighbourhoods said that no cigarettes had arrived yet at her shop. Bruno Fonzi a Union Leader said that the strike was still going on but that workers would t interfere with Treasury police who were loading the trucks. Even after the strike ends it will take several weeks before All shelves Are stocked officials have said Don t be fooled by Sun German forecaster says Offenbach. Germany Sas Friday s Sunshine Amoss Central Ger Many Olferd a Welcome respite from a spate of Gray Davs but it Likely wont last accor me to the German weather Bureau Quot i can say that it you re visiting a c Christmas Market this weekend you la need an umbrella to keep your Gingerbread Man dry and your hot toddy irom becoming i said in we Wesp. A Televik Ion Weatherman Lor Germany s Xii television network Western Germany West of the Elbe River will la act leu the entire weekend. Wesp predicted. The Eastern German Stales can expect ram on saturday Only Quot the weather will get better on sunday m the new German states and m the West on monday but Overall it will be slightly Wesp said. Records show that the mild weather is not unusual Lor the pre Christmas season Wesp said but that does t shed Light on what a ahead. A we can t predict it Well have a White Hiis Mas or even a Snappy cold one. He said East experience w mid Sav we a it int
