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FREE cable & HBO
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24-hr Computer Lab & Fitness
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WESTERNBEVERAGES
WEDNESDAY MAY 5 th
3203 Freedom Blvd. - Bryan, Texas
3 LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU
3203 Freedom Blvd.
(979) 774-6630
Across from Walmart Supercenter
Bryan
701 University Dr. East
(979) 846-1257
Across from Alberton's
College Station
2205 Longmire
(979) 764-9577
Next to Albertson's
College Station
WESTERN*BEVERAGES
Major Credit Cards Accepted
I'rices (.oori 05/05/04 to 05/ON/04
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 am to 9 pm
In c:i\«' nl printiny ( rim. store pi iec prevails
8A
Friday, May 7, 2004
NATION
THE BATTALION
Cool weather chills out A
retail sales in Northeast st
By Aimed Innocenzio
the associated press
NEW YORK — After a
strong spending pace the first
three months of the year, con
sumers retrenched a little in
April, leaving many retailers
with modest sales gains for the
month. Cool weather, particu
larly in the Northeast, hurt
results at many stores.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Limited
Brands, TJX Cos., Target Corp.,
Talbots Inc. and May
Department Stores Co. were
among the retailers that reported
disappointing sales Thursday.
"It was winterlike weather in
the Northeast, but there were
other factors too," said Michael
P. Niemira, chief economist at
The International Council of
Shopping Centers. "It’s hard to
pin down. There were so many
things going on."
A fairly early Easter prompt
ed consumers to shop in March.
Niemira estimated. He also
believes retailers are beginning
to see the effects of higher gaso
line and food prices.
Niemira’s preliminary tally
for 70 retailers was up 4.4 per
cent, below the 5 percent gain
that he had expected. The
International Council of
Shopping Centers-UBS tally is
based on what the industry calls
same-store sales, or sales at
stores open at least a year, those
sales are considered the best
indicator of a retailer’s health.
Tax refunds and low interest
rates gave consumers extra cash
early in the year, but Niemira
expects a slower pace as those
factors wane. Still, he said 2(X)4
could be retailers’ best year
since 1999.
Wal-Mart announced a gain
of 4.4 percent in April, slightly
below the 4.5 percent estimate
of Wall Street analysts surveyed
by Thomson First Call. Total
sales were up I 1.7 percent.
Target Corp., dragged down
by its Mervyn’s division, had a
disappointing 4.9 percent gain
in same-store sales in April.
That was below the 5.4 percent
Wall Street anticipated. Total
sales were up I l.K percent.
Costco Wholesale Corp.
reported a 10 percent increase in
same-store sales, a bit below the
9.8 percent Wall Street estimate.
Total sales rose 13 percent
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. reported
same-store sales at its department
store business was up 5.3 percent,
higher than the 5 percent forecast.
Total sales were up 4.4 percent.
Federated Department Stores
Inc. reported a 5.4 percent
increase in same-store sales,
above the 5 percent Wall Street
estimated. Total sales were up
5.5 percent.
May and Sears. Roebuck and
Co. had disappointing results.
May had a 7.5 percent
decrease in same-store sales,
much worse than the 0.2 percent
Retail sales
Here is a look at the percent
change in major retailers'sales
from the same month
April 2004
Wal-Mart
4.4%f
J.C. Penney Co. Inc.
B.Wl
TJX Cos.
5.0\f
Limited Brands Inc.
2.0%|
Target Corp.
Gap Inc.
Dillard’s Inc.
Saks Inc.
4.9M
3.0%tp aSl
Federated Department
Stores Inc.
7.6\f
5.4\f
May Department
Stores Co.
-7.5\J
Sears.
Roebuck and Co.
•mi
NOTE: Sales include those from stow
open at least a year. Reporting pencils
vary slightly and not al 'etatershavett
same fiscal year.
SOURCE Associated Press If
decline Wall Street expected
Total sales fell 6.8 percent.
Sears struggled with a |j
percent decline in same-stat
domestic sales; analysts hai
expected a 1.2 percent increase
Total sales fell 2.8 percent.
Limited Brands reported*,
percent increase in same-:
sales for April, below the 41
percent forecast. Total sales rose
I percent.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Two priests defrocked in
Boston sex scandal Thursday
BOSTON (AP) — Paul Shanley. a central figure in
the child-molestation scandal that rocked the
Boston Archdiocese, has been defrocked, along with
another priest imprisoned for raping a 12-year-old
boy, the church announced Thursday.
In a letter dated May 3 and obtained by The
Associated Press, Archbishop Sean O’Malley
informed Shanley that Pope John Paul II decided on
Feb. 19 to remove him from the priesthood.
The archdiocese released a statement later
Thursday confirming Shanley’s dismissal, and
announced that Ronald H. Paquin - who was sen
tenced last year to 12 to 15 years behind bars for
raping an altar boy - also was defrocked.
Shanley is awaiting trial on charges of raping
four boys.
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Storage the Student
can Trust!
• Commercial & Residential
• Fenced, Controlled Access
7 Days a Week
• Security Lighting
• Military Discounts
• Temperature Controlled
Storage
•5x5 - 10x30
• Boat & RV Storage
• Convenient Office Hours
• Moving Supplies
Convenient Locations in
Bryan/College Station
2306 S. College Ave., Bryan 4014 S. Texas Ave., C.S.
1218 Baker St., Bryan 825 Graham, C.S
775-5738
690-6777
Longmire Self Storage
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Mastercard
3400 Longmire Dr., C.S.
3007 Longmire Dr., C.S.
694-2186
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