FOCUS ON BUSINESS - March 2005

It pays to cater to consuming kids

By Dale Rodebaugh
Herald Staff Writer

Durango businesses that count on the teenage dollar seem to have a common – and successful – marketing approach: offer appealing products that teens will buy.

It’s little wonder.

According to Teenage Research Unlimited, young people, 12 to 19, spent $169 billion nationally last year, only down slightly from the year before. Youngsters spent an average of $91 a week from their own money, allowances and cash.

At the Inferno Snowboard Shop, 2876 Main Ave., high school and college students account for almost three-quarters of its retail trade, manager Chris Meyer said.

"We sell snowboards and trendy brand-name apparel and accessories that appeal especially to high school and college-age customers," Meyer said. "I’d say the high school and college-age students account for 70 percent of the retail business."

Pre-high school youngsters visit, too, Meyer said, but they come loaded with more curiosity than cash. "They like to see what we have," Meyer said. "But they don’t spend a lot of money."

High school-age students, the 14-to-18 crowd, probably make up 35 percent of the patronage at Sam Goody Store in the Durango Mall, said store manager Kristy Howard. The biggest draws are music, video games, DVDs and CDs.

Money is no issue when teens want something, Howard said. "You’d be surprised," she said. "We sell an average of eight video games a day at $50 a pop."

Students younger than high school age don’t frequent the chain store’s local outlet.

"The younger students are probably less than 5 percent of our patronage," Howard said. "They’re into trading cards more than anything else."

Randy Johnson, owner of Snoball Express, a light-lunch spot across the street from Durango High School, has got what students want – pizza, hot dogs and more.

The bestseller: shaved ice, which Johnson has in four sizes and some 50 flavors.

"More than 50 percent of business is lunch, all from the high school," Johnson said. "After 4 o’clock, parents come with younger kids or middle school students come in."

Money is no problem for the lunch bunch, Johnson said. "They whip out wads of cash," he said. "It’s not surprising to see a $100 bill."

Reach Staff Writer Dale Rodebaugh at daler@durangoherald.com