May 09, 2009

AZ Republic: If Coyotes move, people will shop at different stores!!!

The ink is still wet on the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy filing, and already we have the first newspaper article (in the Arizona Republic) warning that the loss of the team would cost the local economy:

The loss of the Phoenix Coyotes would hit hardest in the city the team has called home since 2003, but the loss would ripple to shops and restaurants along the Loop 101 corridor in Peoria and Phoenix...

Those with the biggest stake are Glendale taxpayers and the shop and restaurant owners at Westgate and elsewhere that benefit from fans trekking to west Glendale.

And what do those shop and restaurant owners have to say about this dire situation? Here's a sampling of those quoted by the Republic:

• "We're going to continue to follow it like the rest of the Valley," said Nicole Traynor, a spokeswoman at Westgate City Center, the commercial development just outside the arena's door.
• "It would affect our business so it's definitely not a good sign for us," said Kevin Lee, general manager at Kabuki Japanese restaurant.
• Amanda Martin, general manager at Coffee Plantation, said that burly hockey fans still come in to get their "non-fat, sugar-free vanilla latte or a cappuccino." But Martin said the coffee shop's biggest crowd comes from the nearby movie theater.
• "We've got a lot of the players' wives and families that shop in our store . . . a lot of them are Canadian and have family and friends that come down to visit and come into our store. A lot of them are very large spenders. (That loss) will definitely be felt around town," owner Steven Koeppel said.

Okay, so not exactly panic in the streets, but still concern — which makes sense, as there can be a bit of spillover from sporting events to local stores. Of course, there's another unstated factor here as well: If Phoenix-area residents are no longer spending their money in and around hockey games, they'll be spending it somewhere else. But "Loss of Coyotes Would Be Boon To Scottsdale" doesn't quite trip off the printing presses the same way.