Retailers are trying to drum up business from the dynamic presidential election.
Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters Inc., which has stores in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Irvine, is selling Barack Obama T-shirts. Costa Mesa-based Paul Frank Industries Inc.’s stores offered discounts to those who registered to vote.
7-Eleven here and elsewhere started a vote with your coffee cup marketing push. Coffee is a big profit item for Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc., which has its Southwest headquarters in Brea.
Through Election Day, customers can choose a 20-ounce red Sen. John McCain cup or a 20-ounce Sen. Barack Obama blue cup.
The results so far for Orange County stores: Obama gets 60% of the vote, McCain 40%, according to 7-Eleven, part of Japan’s Seven & I Holdings Co.
Obviously, the poll isn’t scientific,McCain’s expected to win in OC. The 7-Eleven results probably have more to do with who’s buying 7-Eleven coffee than the county’s political mood.
At stores nationwide, the company’s “7-Election” marketing pushes have mirrored final voting for the past two elections. The national 7-Eleven results right now are the same as in OC, Obama 60% to McCain’s 40%.
The company expects 6 million cups “to be cast” by next week.
Muted Holiday Spending
Consumers are expected to spend an average of $832 on holiday shopping this year, up 1.9% from last year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C.
The increase is the smallest since the survey began in 2002.
Holiday spending includes gifts, decorations, food, flowers and cards.
For the first time in the survey, shoppers plan to spend less on gifts this year. They plan to spend $466, compared to $469 last year.
Online shopping is set to remain flat. About 44% of people are expected to buy gifts online.
Shoppers also plan to spend more on themselves this holiday season. About 57% of survey respondents plan to spend an average of $120 on purchases for themselves, up from $107 last year. That may be because shoppers have been staying out of stores in recent months. In September the number of people shopping fell 9.3% from a year earlier.
The retail federation projects a 2.2% rise in holiday sales to $470.4 billion. The trade group is pushing for an economic stimulus package in time for the holiday season.
Store Openings
Seattle-based Sur La Table, a high-end cooking and entertaining supply store, is opening its second local store at Irvine Spectrum Center in November.
The 4,438-square-foot store is set to employ about 20 people. The store sells items such as stovetop coffee espresso makers, giant cupcake pans, brioche molds and sangria pitchers.
Sur La Table’s other store is at Corona del Mar Plaza.
The Irvine store will be its 23rd in California.
Total Wine & More has opened its first local store, at the Tustin side of The Market Place. The 20,000-square-foot superstore carries 8,000 wines. The Potomac, Md.-based company has 57 stores in 10 states.
FroYo Push
Rancho Santa Margarita-based Golden Spoon Franchising Inc. is expanding nationwide and abroad.
The frozen yogurt chain has about 100 franchisees in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
Golden Spoon plans to strike deals for franchisees across the U.S. and Asia, according to the company. It’s planning to open 130 stores in the coming weeks. It hopes to have 500 under contract to open by 2009.
Toy Story
Cincinnati-based Macy’s Inc. this month opened FAO Schwartz toy stores inside of its department stores, including in OC.
Macy’s has stores at several local malls, including Irvine Spectrum Center and Westfield MainPlace in Santa Ana.
Macy’s, which signed the deal with New York-based FAO Schwartz Inc. in May, plans to open the mini FAO stores within 275 Macy’s stores to start, expanding to about 700 stores in two years.
FAO Schwartz emerged from bankruptcy in 2004 and reopened its only two standalone stores in New York and The Forum Shops in Las Vegas.
Auto Loans
Ford Motor Credit Co. is spreading the word,financing still is available. The message not only is for auto buyers but also dealers.
“Isn’t it strange that it’s something we have to communicate?” asked Meredith Libbey, spokeswoman for Ford Motor Credit.
The company sent out memos to dealers nationwide.
The news surrounding the economic crisis has some dealers thinking that it’s impossible to get a loan, which may be keeping buyers out of dealerships, she said.
“We don’t lend just based on (credit) scores,” she said. “We have our own credit scoring system.”
Ford Motor Credit also continues to offer leases, according to Libbey. But auto buyers may pay more for a lease, she said.
Leasing hasn’t been a big part of Ford’s business anyway, Libbey said.
Fundraiser
Orange-based Wilson Automotive Group’s Tustin Lexus raised more than $130,000 for the Orangewood Children’s Foundation at its Tustin Lexus/Doug DeCinces golf tournament and dinner.
