| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Olympic business
Bruce Lindsay
KSL-TV
So far, the Olympic tide has not lifted all boats. And many merchants who expected the Games to bring them brisk business, have been disappointed.
Hoards of games-going pedestrians fill downtown's Main Street.
Joan Nay, of Sam Weller's Bookstore told us, "There's a real party atmosphere outside. But we're not seeing a lot of shoppers."
Sam Weller's bookstore on Main extended its hours for the Olympic crowds. But after five days with no demand for the service, it resumed closing at the usual time.
Most shopping centers have not found Olympic business to be higher, swifter or stronger.
Kevin Ireland, the General Manager of Trolley Square agrees. "No. It's actually down. We have seen a drop in traffic, foot traffic, especially for the clothing."
Even the downtown malls, surrounded by Olympic crowds, find only sales of cold weather gear and fast food noticeably up.
A handful of strategically located eateries downtown are staying very busy.
But one of the state's largest restauranteurs says those are the exceptions.
"I'm probably hearing a lot of people being hurt," says Eric Slaymaker, vice president of Slaymaker Group. "And of some being hurt rather significantly."
The businesses that aren't hurting are sellers of Olympic licensed marchandise.
Melvin Beesley of the Pin It On store says, "It's just been fantastic!"
The store struggled through its first year in the Valley Fair Mall. But now, it's winning gold.
Beesley says, "We have had a line all day, every day, with two cash registers going full time, with two employees manning them."
Shoppers have Olympics on their minds, and not much more.
Steps away is a kiosk called Americans Apparel and Jewelry, whose owner, Eric Edwards, came to town hoping to turn Olympic profits. His stuff is red, white and blue, but lacks Olympic rings.
"We were expecting to do very well. And we're not even close to doing well," Edwards says.
The Valley Fair Mall, with six hotels and the E-Center within walking distance, reports quite a few out of towners.
But much unlike Gateway, suburban malls generally report no Olympic boost to foot traffic or sales — their pin stores being the big exception.
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February 18, 2002
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