CityView Magazine

Salon 360 Sales of everything from houses, vehicles, appliances, electronics and furniture to smaller items such as tools, toys, clothing and any and everything hobby-related have been keeping Fayetteville's cash registers chiming. Some military personnel are gliding through the city with new rides ��� cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles. ���It���s helped us since they came off deployment,��� said Trent Taylor, a sales manager at Crown Ford. ���Two months ago we saw a bigger increase than we have in a while. F-150s, Explor- Dax's Deals ers, Fusions and Mustangs have been moving. Sometimes when they���re on R-and-R a lot of things happen.��� The movement is also happening at Powers Swain Chevrolet on Bragg Boulevard. ���We���ve seen a big increase in traffic the past couple months,��� said Gary Brown, general manager of Power Swain. ���We got less civilian traffic before the elections because people were just feeling unsure of what was going to happen. Having a military push then more than evened us out.��� Tom Costello, the general manager of Rick Hendrick Toyota on Skibo Road, had this to say: ���Business is consistently good at Rick Hendrick Toyota; however we always have a spike in business upon the return of our troops to Fort Bragg.��� Many retailers offer discounts and rebates on goods and services to the military. ���It pays off in more ways than one,��� Brown said. ���It���s our way of showing our gratitude for the job they do and it is also a good business practice to develop loyalty and stay connected. I���m just thankful they���re home.��� So is Eddie Miller, store manager of H.H. Gregg on Skibo Road. ���Washers, dryers and big-screen TVs are walking out,��� Miller said. ���This is better than any time troops have returned. It���s a definite stimulant for the economy.��� Miller said that while customers were concerned about the nation���s economy and were cautious, many did research on their big-ticket purchases. ���The public is more consumer-conscious than ever, and particularly the soldiers,��� he said. ���And I���m guessing about 40 percent of our customers in the past three months have been military. They���re catching up on their lives, and actually stay very-well informed about things such as the latest gadget or technology.��� Officials at Home Depot and Lowe's reported an influx of military, as did Harbor Freight on Clifton Road. ���For some reason our weekdays in the middle of the month are now swamped,��� said Charles Kershaw, manager of Harbor CityViewNC.com | 25

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