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Monday, December 10, 1984
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vol. 84 No. 74
i
Westhcr: Today, becoming sunny by afternoon
with a high of 61 (1 6C). Tonight, clear and warm
wiht a low of 32 (0C). Tuesday, mostly sunny with
a high of 57 (14C), but increasing clouds later in
the afternoon with a slight chance of showers.
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Retail spending up 12 percent
Mild weather, bette
r econo
my boost holiday sales
however, mild weather has given
holiday shoppers an early start,
he said.
And folks are buying more this
year, Marchese said. Low interest
rates and unemployment figures
mean people have more money to
spend, he said.
In recent years, people have
bought "needs" instead of "wants"
for Christmas gifts. With a better
economy this year, they're "buy
ing a little bit of each," he said.
An "extended weekend with
Christmas Eve on Monday" will
be "record-breaking sales days,"
Marchese predicted.
"I expect this will be the best
Christmas selling season of the
'80s so far."
Blowing snow and icy streets Bob Morand, owner of the Toy
last year kept would-be shoppers Room at East Park Plaza, is less
at home, Marchese said. This year, sure of a booming shopping
Hjr Ann Low
Dally NebrasBcan Senior Eepcrter
Editor's nuts: This is tLs first
citicl izi & Hvs-part ecrfes en
thst fw&t festivities, economics
end headaches of the holiday
Lin coln merchants say warmer
days and a brighter economy have
boosted this year's holiday sales
over the last few years. Some
hope for "record-breaking" Dec
ember sales. Others have more
conservative expectations.
"So far, it's been an excellent
holiday shopping period," said
Sam Marchese, vice president and
director of development at Gate
way Shopping Center. "The con
ditions this year have been ideal."
period.
Sales are
"holding their own,
compared to the past two years,"
Morand said. But the hope of a
record-breaking season is "media
hype," he said.
"You read the papers that sales
are going to be up," Morand said.
"They're about the same as last
year.
"People are still pretty conser
vative money's still tight," he
said.
Statistics show, however, that
Lincoln residents are spending
more. According to a November
report from the Nebraska Depart
ment of Economic Development,
Lincoln's 1984 sales through
December were up 12 percent
from the same period in 1983.
Shirley Kling, DEO staff assist
ant, said she can't explain the
jump in Lincoln's sales. Most other
Nebraska cities show sharp de
clines in retail business, she said.
Kling also said she cant tell
whether Lincoln's buying pattern
will continue through Christmas.
Retailers hope they will.
"You live 10 months of the year
for two," Morand said. "No matter
what business you're in, the last
two months will make or break
you for the whole year."
On the average, retail stores
make 40 percent of their annual
sales in the last three months of
the year, Marchese said. And mer
chants generally make half the
year's profits in October through
December, he said.
Morand said he does about 30
percent of the year's business in
the five weeks before Christmas.
Depending on the merchan
dise, December sales at Miller &
Paine are "at least 50 percent
more than an ordinary month's"
and twice as much as a slow
month's sales, Vice President Bob
Campbell said.
Miller & Paine holiday sales are
good so far, Campbell said.
"It's started very well, though
it's difficult to compare one year
against the next," he said. "A
Monday last year was two days
closer to Christmas."
Campbell said he cant predict
how the year will end. But he said
he's confident this year's sales
increase will continue through
the holidays.
"Looking at the national trend,
it appears that we will have a
good late business " he said.
Academic computing support
iTlEV iiei
un:
By Gene Gentrssp
D&ily Nsferasksm Erir Beperter
UNL's academic computing program
could take significant strides in updating
its equipment by the 1085-88 fiscal year,
according to two UNL officials.
Don Leuenberger, assistant vice presi
dent and director of universitywide com
puting, said if UNL receives $1.6 million of
a proposed $4 million improvement pro
ject, it could advance UNL's support of
academic computing to 80 percent of its
peer institutions. The NU Board of Regents
'keep pace'
has approved a needs statement for the
proposal and will submit it to the Legisla
ture in January.
UNL's lack of sufficient academic com
puters caused students and faculty to
protest in 1883, and UNL Chancellor
Martin Massengale used encumbered
funds to begin improving the computer
program.
"The specifics have been laid out for the
next 13 months to two years, but beyond
that it's tough," Leuenberger said.
Continued on P&e 6
Number of Public and Semipublic Terminals at UNL
500
Terminals
400 h
300
200
100 -
r n
0 1 i I
n
81-82
82-83 83-84
Academic Year
84-85
Courtsty of U.L Computing Fissourca Ctntsr