University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, March 24, 1992
LIFE
5
Merchants experience March Madness
Results of the NCAA tournament can determine the rise and fall of sales in Lawrence stores
By Shelly Solon Kansan staff writer
With the unpredictability and excitement of March Madness comes an ebb and tide of consumer confidence that has come from the KU enters between the KU enters the NCAA tournament.
Tom Wilkerson, manager at Jaya-
hawk Spirit, 935 Massachusetts St.,
said more purchases were made when the men's basketball team went to the NCAA Tournament, but that March Madness was different this year compared to last year.
"Last year nobody was designing KU shirts or anything," he said. "Nobody expected us to win, so when we went to the Final Four, we did not have much because no one predicted we would go I think this year people in Lawerence writing to see how far we would go. We had orders available for three weeks."
Penny Niles, manager at Campus Outlet, 622 W. 12 and 2246 Barker Ave., said that the store on campus stayed a couple hours Sunday because of the games.
The stores saw a significant increase in sales last week but business had slowed since Kansas' loss to the Uni-
ties of Texas-Ello Paso on Sunday, she said.
But win or lose, students, alumni and residents of the University of Kansas and Lawrence still buy KU T-shirts, hats and such.
"We have a couple other products besides KU ones, but people usually boo when they see them or aren't interested in buying them no matter what the tournament situation is," she said.
Niles said the store had designed Final Four T-shirts this year, but did not print them. However, Big Eight designs will continue to be printed, she said.
Even though March Madness is definitely mad, James Lapoint, associate professor and acting chair of health, physical education and recreation, said people in Lawrence acted normally, not madly, when spending their money on KU parahernalia.
"The reaction to winning the World Series, for example, tends to be perhaps less intimate than the reaction to team in Lawrence going to the tournament," he said. "In Lawrence, people more closely relate to their teams because they're right here in Lawrence. Professional sports are seen more as a business where at the university, people look at it as a combination of an athletic and academic experience, and people want to show they support that."
"We always expect to have more business whenever KUplays."
Pat Murphy
Schwartz Retail Liquor
Not only were people buying T-shirts and hats while KU was in the tournament, they frequently were toasting with beer and alcohol from Lawrence liquor stores.
Margaret Hinley, manager at Webb's Fine Wine & Spirits, 800 W. 23rd, said the store tripled its sales this weekend.
"It's a very noticeable change," she said. "We sold more case beer because people like to have it when they sit and watch the games and sold more kegs than usual. The guys were breaking their backs with the kegs."
Todd Miles at Webb's said that last year as the team got closer to the Final Four sales continually increased and always were at a high level.
But KU's exit from the tournament would not deter liquor sales, Miles said.
"Business isn't going to be less than normal," he said. "It will be where it usually is for this time of year."
Greg Dickinson, manager at Myers Retail Liquor, 902 W. 23rd St., said his store sold more alcohol on the days KU played.
Pat Murphy, manager of Schwartz
Retail Liquor, 1215 W. Sixth St., said
Friday was the busiest day since New Year's Eve.
"We sold more beer, and we sold more alcohol, mostly gin and whiskey," he said. "We always expect to have more business whenever KU plays."
As the demand for a March Madness beer can fluctuate, so can the demand for pizza or submarine sandwiches to accompany it.
Gerrie Bitsui at Domino's Pizza, 832 Iowa St., said the tournament had a great effect on business.
"We had a lot more deliveries," she said. "Friday we just got blown away with calls. Our business basically doubled."
She said that calls slowed after the loss on Sunday but that business would return to normal.
Jeff Morris, manager at Pizza Shuttle, 1601 W. 23rd St., said he was prepared for March Madness this year.
"After last year we were ready for it," he said. "Friday is normally our busiest day, but this Friday was tremendously busy. We definitely know why they call it March Madness. It makes huge impact in business."
Morris said Pizza Shuttle usually had a lot of business, but that the number of deliveries would drop slightly because Kansas' season was over.
Donny Keen, manager of Yello Sub,
624 W. 12th St., said that whenever Kansas basketball was on television, he was prepared for good business.
"As the weather gets warmer and warmer, we will have more business," he said. "So March brings good business if the weather is good not whether or not it has to do with the tournament."
"During the school year, if there's a game in the afternoon, we're busy early, and then a lot of times at night it's extra busy," he said. "If there's a night game, I schedule extra delivery drivers, because people want to have something to eat while they're watching the game at home. So the tournament definitely influenced business."
Keen said the end of the 1992 KU basketball season did not mean Yellow Sub
Many stores like Sports Fan-Attic Outlet, 942 Massachusetts St., are having sales to move KU merchandise after the Jayhawks NCAA tournament loss to UTEP on Sunday. Jeff Jackson, owner of the store, said he expected sales to continue to be strong for another week because shops are aware of price cuts.
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