18
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2004
Import shops find untapped market
By Jon Raiston
editors@kansan.com
Special to the Kansan
Lawrence residents have more opportunities than ever to indulge their taste buds and decorative palettes with products from around the world.
With more than 10 import stores in Lawrence, the market has yet to be cornered.
The Cost Plus World Market, 3106 South Iowa St., is the newest import store to open in Lawrence. It is one of eight new stores opened by the San Francisco chain in the past year. The company's net income of $3.3 million in this year's first quarter, almost a 30 percent increase from one year ago, according to the company's Web site.
Local import stores aren't worried that a larger chain store will drive them out of business, and so far, local import stores haven't noticed a difference.
"Downtown is a whole different world than 31st and Iowa," Melissa Padgett, store manager of Third Planet, 846 Massachusetts St., said. "It's like it's two different cities."
She said she thought the acceptance of a diverse number of religions was another reason for good business, and specifically pointed out the popularity of Buddhism.
"I think that this town is such a cultural
crossroads. More people are decorating in a more diverse way." Padgett said. "Nothing says Christmas like a little, red Buddha."
The World Market and the local stores represent two types of import stores: the larger store that carries a variety of goods from multiple continents around the world and the smaller store that carries specific imports from one region of the world.
"I think those two models can coexist. People can benefit from the bulk model and also the specialization model," said David Wiley, program coordinator in the University of Kansas's Office of Study Abroad.
Wiley said one explanation of why import stores had become more popular was because the city had reached a critical mass of people.
Another example Wiley offered, was in media. The Food Network and cookbooks provide culturally-specific recipes. Stores such as the Mediterranean Market and Cafe, 3300 W. 15th St., offer regional food supplies and ingredients that are hard to come by anywhere else.
"People have these recipes and need a particular ingredient that they can only get at these stores." Wiley said.
Students participating in study abroad programs also contribute to the business.
Wiley said foreign students shopping at
"I think that this town is such a cultural crossroads.More people are decorating in a more diverse way.Nothing says Christmas like a little, red Buddha."
Melissa Padgett
Store manager of Third Planet
import stores to find products they couldn't get anywhere else.
Brits, 732 Massachusetts St., carries a drink popular in Scotland called Irn-Bru, described as having a mild, citrus-vanilla flavor, that is not popular in the United States.
"In the first two or three days the exchange students from Scotland are here, they are in Brits lining up to buy Irn-Bru," Wiley said.
Internet sales have been increasing along with in-store sales for stores such as Au Marche, 931 Massachusetts St., that have a Web site where customers from all over the country can order its products.
Lora Wiley,managing owner of Au Marche and wife of David, said that business in her store had increased each year in
Photo illustration by Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
the six years it had been open.
She and Trish Jess, director of operations for Third Planet, have visited the World Market and are not worried about the new store hurting their businesses.
— Edited by Joe Burke
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