European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 14, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes Money matters tuesday december 14,1993�? today a rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use German Mark. 1.65 British Pound .1.53 dutch Guilder. 1.85 greek drachma. 238.843 note the rates above apply wet twin the Host country. Figures Ore expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign Curren pics a italian lira .1,872.50 turkish lira .13,886.80 Spanish peseta .139,30 portuguese escudo 174.00 austrian Schilling. 11.9265 saudi Royal. 3.749 bahraini dinar0.3767 kuwaiti Dinar. 0.2982 norwegian Krone .7.371 danish Krone. 6.854 British Pound. $1.4935 German Mark 1.6940 Swiss franc. 1.4590 French franc. 5.8132 dutch Guilder. 1.8975 belgian franc. 35.55 Canadian Dollar. 1.3290 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $367.55 an ounce Silver quote $5 .11 denounce 5le a to foreigners take Jet jaunts to bargain malls of America by Barnaby j. Feder the new York times Gurnee lit a Iris Collicutt would never have thought to travel from her Home in Switzerland to do her Christmas shopping at Gurnee Milts a huge discount Complex Halfway Between Chicago and Milwaukee if she had t seen a Swiss travel company a newspaper and. Yet there she was saturday along with her sister Brigitte Mueller and her Mother Annemarie Mueller talking about How it All made great sense a a it a not just that its a lot cheaper but the salespeople Are much friendlier and its All indoors a a said Coll Cut who paid about $900 for air fare bus transportation and three nights at a pays inn. The three had some specific items on their lists such As Oshkosh children a clothing and Timberland boots but the general plan of attack was to wander in search Tiff appealing  a stated intention to a not overdo it a they had accumulated clothing shoes christinas ornaments and compact discs by the time they settled Down for a break in the food court shortly after noon. The three Day shopping spree represents a slowly developing but potentially powerful phenomenon the globalization of shopping. Foreign tourists have Long been major contributors to sales and profits in exclusive american shopping districts such As Madison Avenue in new York the magnificent mile in Chicago and Rodeo drive in Beverly Hills calif., As Well As at world famous department stores like Bloomingdale a. But until recently few asian or european travellers to the United states made major malls the focus of their visit. Many of these International shoppers like the Swiss family Are not especially wealthy. They Fly from Japan straight to Minneapolis to Board buses for the mall of America or from South America to fort Lauderdale fla., for the Short trip West to saw grass Mills or from Europe to Boston for the 90-minute bus ride to outlet shops around fall River mass., and Howland place in nearby new  such As Imholz Reisen . Of Zurich which organizes shopping oriented trips to several destinations typically leave a Day or two in the three or four night stay for sightseeing a or Jet lag a around a mall visit. But their advertisements make Clear that Standard tourist destinations such As the Sears Tower and Art Institute of Chicago Are extras. And some travellers use much of their free time for still More shopping. Part of the allure is the availability of items that can to be found at Home. But the main goal usually seems to be a better selection or lower prices. And some analysts see the trend As a big Opportunity for discount centers such As Gurnee Mills which Are almost unheard of overseas a brands at a discount is what the world is buying now a said Therese Byrne a new York based retailing analyst who believes tourists represent a much bigger growth Opportunity for retailers than local shoppers. That certainly squares with the experience of Andrew Arluck general manager of the clearance outlet that Saks fifth Avenue recently opened in Gurnee. Quot people from around Here May look at some of our designer items and think they Are expensive but foreign visitors we o have shopped Saks and other top stores in the cities realize they Are dirt. Cheap a Arluck said. The foreigners occasionally buy in astonishing quantities and return periodically he said. I<2 defects Force porsche recalls Detroit a porsche cars North american inc. Has announced two recalls affecting 12,495 cars one for a Heater problem and the other for a defective Brake valve. One of the recalls covers 11,346 Model ear 1989-92 Carrera 2 and Carrera 4 cars he vehicles need a new resistor for their rear Heater Blower which May continue operating after the cars Are turned off. That could Lead to an engine fire if the resistor becomes overloaded and ignites the air pipe to which it is connected. The defect was discovered after customers complained about engine compartment fires and porsche said it knows of 12 such incidents. The  covers 1,149 Model year 1991-92 turbos and Model year 199293 american roadster vehicles. The vehicles need replacement of a potentially defective Hydraulic Brake pressure reduction valve. A problem in the valve could result in the rear wheels Locking up porsche said. Porsche said it discovered the problem during routine product testing and is unaware of any accidents that May have resulted from the  Likely to press vow to build Plant Prague czech Republic apr the government will insist that Volkswagen which owns 31 percent of the czech car maker Skoda build an engine Plant As previously promised a report says. The official news Agency ctr quoted Tomas Jezek chairman of the National property fund As saying the government will demand that Volkswagen proceed with construction of a Plant on czech territory when negotiations Are held probably later this month. Last week Ludvik Kalma president of Skodan a Board of directors said Volkswagen would Cut its planned investment in Skoda to $2.19 billion Over the next five years less than a half of the original proposal. Christmas tree buyers grow finicky Concord . A Christmas tree buyers have always been a finicky Bunch but tree growers say they re getting even tougher. For starters customers want perfection a Trees that look so Good they could be artificial As one Farmer put it. And those who Cut or select their own Trees want buying to be an  in response a choose and Cut tree farms Are putting on parties where buyers sip hot drinks sing carols go on hayrides and make tree Hunting an occasion. A marketing is the big thing these Days a said Mike Godzyk new Hampshire ver Mont representative of the National Christmas tree association. Its what Plainfield ., tree Farmer Walter Backofen Calls the a  of the business. A you have to take the Walt Disney approach to Selling these Days a Backofen said. That Means a going out in the cold and being Jolly As hell with hot  Backofen laughed about the changes but they re forcing him out of business. He and his wife Elizabeth started the farm in the 1960s and sold their first Trees in the Early 1970s. They grew about 15,000 Trees on 15 acres at one Point but now sell Only about 600 to 700 Trees per year most to to cats. Backofen said a Well shaped tree takes eight years of shearing and pruning. A you Don t have to be a rocket scientist. You just have to be diligent a he said. A glut of Christmas Trees is cutting Down the Market for new Hampshire Trees which once stretched As far South As Miami said state agriculture commiss amp a Felt along with getting the right Christmas Trees customers want the buying to be an a experience Quot growers  Steve Taylor. Many Large farms were started in the 1970s, and their Trees have come of age and Are on the Market. Still Christmas Trees generate $23 million annually for new Hampshire. The biggest out of state markets Are the Boston and new York areas. Godzyk who runs a 150-acre farm in Colebrook , and Sells about 9,000 Trees per year said the environmental movement Hasni to Given real Trees an Edge Over fakes which make up about 50 percent of the Market. A i done to think people realize the environmental benefits of a Christmas tree a he said. A after its Cut the tree is recyclable. A lot of communities Are Chipping it up for  to stimulate demand for real Trees Godzyk a organization is working with tourism officials in Vermont and new Hampshire on promotions like free trips and other prizes. Pam Dwyer executive Secretary of the new Hampshire Vermont association said she had to go on the Road last year for the first time to solicit retail outlets. A it used to be we could sit Back and be sold out by August a said Dwyer who owns a farm in Wolcott it. Vietnamese firm to set freight link with . Hanoi Vietnam apr a vietnamese shipping company plans to establish the first direct route since the Vietnam War for freight sent Between the United states and Vietnam. The state owned Vietnam sea transport and chartering co. Vietra Schart has been approved by the . Federal maritime commission to operate the sea link the sem official Vietnam investment review reported in its current Issue. All surface freight travelling Between the two countries most now go via Hong Kong or Singapore. The direct sea link could Start Early next year an executive for the company said. The United states has maintained a Trade embargo against Vietnam since 1975. American companies however May sell goods for humanitarian purposes. Vietra Schart is working along with Ira Devico Usa which acts As its agent in the United states the executive said