Magazine Street retailers rebound from rocky restart

People like Rudy Rasmussen keep Magazine Street retailers

in business, shop owners say.I'm not ever going to shop anywhere else, said Rasmussen, a Mid-City resident. My entire apartment is decorated from Neophobia. I love that store and Turncoats. I love Magazine Street.Six months after Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans, many Magazine Street shop owners are sure they will be able to survive and many are even thriving.We're fortunate to be able to have a business where people still have and love their pets, said Shayla Sanders, sales associate at Petcetera, 3205 Magazine St., which sells food, clothing and other pet paraphernalia. It seems people have become closer to their pets after Katrina.While many Magazine Street stores reopened in November, Petcetera reopened in December. Business is steady but mail delivery is not.We definitely have a problem with shipping, Sanders said. We can't keep stuff in stock.Despite staffing issues, Perlis Clothing at 6055 Magazine St., continues to see an increase in business since the storm, said president David Perlis.He said the company made $8 million in sales revenues in 2005, a 10 percent increase over the $7.2 million earned in 2004.Perlis said many displaced New Orleanians returned to his store to shop for the holidays as well as buy Louisiana-pride clothing and other items.Sales have been very, very good, Perlis said. We're extremely pleased. We wonder if this will continue for a year or two or is this just a temporary thing.Dawn Johnson, president of the Louisiana Retailers Association, said she's worried about the future of Orleans Parish because about one-fourth of its population is missing. Sales tax revenues decreased 33.6 percent in fourth quarter 2005 compared with the same period in 2004.University of New Orleans Chancellor and economist Tim Ryan predicts consumers will spend a lot of money over the next four years as New Orleans becomes an economic boom town.He said people are already spending a lot of their money on replacement retail items such as clothing, furniture and appliances.There's been lots of money flowing and there will continue to be lots of money flowing, Ryan said. Many relief workers are spending cash made in the city, he said.This should work in favor of Magazine Street shop owners as they attract locals and the working community, retail experts say.Dianne Butler opened the Bon Marche Antique Mall Feb. 1 at 2014 Magazine Street.Because so many people lost their belongings, we thought they would buy more - especially antiques, Butler said.She said business has been pretty good and she has sold some furniture. She hopes for more store traffic once conventions resume.I thought we'd sell a lot of furniture and rugs but we're also selling small decorative items, too, Butler said.Van Staub, owner of The Art of Fishing, 5519 Magazine St., said business is three times better than he thought it would be since reopening in November. But he declined to give exact dollar amounts. He plans to open a furniture store in June in the old India Stewart location at 5419 Magazine St.Because the business was so good, it propelled the desire for me to open a second store, Staub said. It's going to be called Magasin and we'll sell furniture and some of India Stewart's pieces.Despite the retail boom, Staub said support from politicians and community leaders is needed or people will leave and stop the expected business boom before it really starts.You play that mind game of what's next, Staub said. But what the last couple of months have told us is you can't think it to death. You can't worry about the sales dropping off. The biggest thing right now is the political climate. Small businesses are carrying the city right now. We are putting our money and effort into moving this city forward and we're optimistic that it will be a good thing for New Orleans.