On August 13, 2008 at a Town Council study session, town economic specialist, Amanda Jacob, presented a recommended “Shop Oro Valley Campaign."
• Supporting Oro Valley Businesses
• Retaining Oro Valley Businesses
• Promote increases in the sales taxes for Oro Valley
• Decrease sales tax leakage to surrounding areas
One of the excellent recommendations was having Oro Valley businesses give discounts to shoppers. Another excellent recommendation was monthly or quarterly drawings for cash, gift certificates or other items. Some of the low cost ways suggested to promote local shopping:
•Send postcards to Oro Valley residents with a holiday message in November 2008 (cost $2200)
•Send inserts (similar to postcards) in utility bill mailings (no cost listed)
•Place 17 advertisements in Explorer Newspaper in 2008/2009 for local shopping at a discount cost of $10,200.
One point Ms. Jacob failed to note is this: Anytime any sales tax is collected at the Oro Valley Marketplace, Vestar will pocket almost half of this revenue. Although sales tax revenue also goes back to the developers at Steam Pump Village and Oracle Crossing, it is to a lesser extent. So-----while we support Ms. Jacob's proposal, we would encourage all our bloggers shop where Oro Valley keeps the full 2% of the sales tax.
4 comments:
It is in this area that an Oro Valley focused Chamber of Commerce would be of value to Oro Valley.
Such a chamber could gather local businesses to work in concert with the town of Oro Valley to increase local sales.
Ms. Jacob did not present any agenda with regards to working with local businesses on this endeavor.
Zeeman
Although Amanda Jacob's didn't suggest an Oro Valley focused Chamber of Commerce her presentation did talk about a partnership between the Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce, the Explorer Newspaper, the Town of Oro Valley and local Oro Valley businesses.
She said that "Shop Oro Valley" material would be made available at the chamber office and participating Oro Valley businesses.
Thank You to Amanda Jacob.
The concept of shopping Oro Valley is nothing novel.
Oro Valley 1st was trying to get this
same message across to the community and received no support from the town
and little from the business community.
A great idea but it may be too late to make a big difference.
Once again we need to look at David Malin and Vestar and the failure of both to keep their word!
It now appears that not only did they lie to Oro Valley voters they can't even fill up the store front's
In the meantime, all surrounding
communities are getting stores that are either unique or have
more appeal.
Now it is not just the Wal-Mart, we are getting nothing but the same stores that everybody else has.
to add insult to all of this, David Malin and Vestar are telling
us all "TS" when asked to explain all of the lies .
In theory, promoting a "Shop Oro Valley Campaign" might seem to be a beneficial asset to the Town; in reality, it won't mean much. Which businesses in Oro Valley will or even can give special discounts?For example, Kohls gives a 'lowest ever price' sale just about every week. A store like Target, being a national chain of the magnitude that it is, would most probably have to get special okays from 'headquarters', no simple feat in the retail world. As it is, most retail has very little real price integrity. Promote increases in sales taxes? How can that be advocated when we are trying so hard to keep our taxation in check. While Amanda Jacob truly has her heart in the right place, the bottom line is that, when it comes to shopping in these times, there is NO loyalty like there was in yesteryear. What sells a shopper - product, price, convenience, service! Yes, there are some business types that might benefit from a collective effort i.e. 'coupon' mailers, but very little of that effort will turn around and benefit the Town.
Having an in-depth, 40+ years in retailing, I feel I can speak with a little authority as to what today's buyer is all about. And when it comes down to it, simply stated, they are VERY independant.
This Town has a virtual menage of retail disorientation when it comes down to selectivity. There are many reasons for the excess of empty storefronts here and the OVM
will attract what it will attract. There's very little that's special here productwise and the prospect for improvement looks to me to be fairly dim.
Post a Comment