Shorter school break hurting profit margins, retailers say

For weeks, grocery store lines have been shorter, the mall hasn't been as crowded and people have been able to get into and out of their favorite department stores in record time.

Sound like a shopper's utopia? Well, not to the businesses.

As if the lethargic economy weren't bad enough, now some area retailers are saying business this summer is slower than in years past because -- of all things -- the Cape Girardeau School District has a shorter summer break.

"The window of summer vacation is real short this year," said Schnucks grocery store manager Dennis Marchi. "So everyone is trying to squeeze in vacations in a shorter period of time. A lot of people are gone, and you can see it in the stores."

This year's summer vacation lasts just 64 days, down from 104 days last year. That happened because the 2002-2003 school year began after Labor Day to accommodate construction of the new Central High School. Because of that, plus snow-related cancellations, the district's last day was June 9.

'The traffic just isn't there'

There was already an early start date -- Aug. 13 -- for the next school year so schools could end the first semester before Christmas break.

That has had an impact on the economy, Marchi said.

"You can see it in other retailers, too," he said. "The traffic just isn't there."

Dr. Bruce Domazlicky, a Southeast Missouri State University economist who directs the Center for Economic and Business Research, said the theory makes sense.

"My impression is the town does seem less crowded when I go out to eat or to Wal-Mart," Domazlicky said. "I suspect the shorter break is part of it."

Domazlicky also pointed out that there are more Internet summer courses for university students than ever.

"So there might even be fewer students in town than before, too," he said. "They might be taking classes, but taking them from their home in St. Louis."

Joyce Hunter, the senior marketing director of Westfield Shoppingtown West Park, said some of the stores at the mall have seen atypical June sales.

"Everything's out of whack," she said. "The pattern over the past five years has been broken. People just aren't shopping. It's going to take more time to adjust. It's crazy how one weather event keeps snowballing. No pun intended."

J.C. Penney senior merchandising manager Donna Miller said she thought school starting earlier will eat into their back-to-school sales.

"Last year we had a longer back-to-school season because they started school later," she said. "Now back-to-school will be shorter. We'll feel that."

Maybe the heat

Rick Done, the store manager at Target, isn't buying that theory. He said the summer heat is keeping people out of his store.

"When it's in the hottest part of the day, that's when it slows down," Done said. "But in the evening, it picks up."

Whatever the reason, some shoppers have noticed a difference this summer.

"The stores really aren't as crowded," said Cape Girardeau resident Kaye Stallings. "Most people I know are over at the lake. I wish I were."

Emmett Bounds of Cape Girardeau said the town seems less populated to him, too.

"Kids are gone, at summer camp or whatever," he said. "It seems like a lot of stores are less busy. Except Wal-Mart."

Wal-Mart might be one of the few exceptions, according to Tommy Watkins, Wal-Mart's district supervisor, which includes the Cape Girardeau store.

"Our sales have stayed steady with an increase," Watkins said. "Our back-to-school products are already selling extremely well. We're bucking the trend."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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