ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995             TAG: 9512100003
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON STAFF WRITER 

WILL STORMS KEEP SHOPPING AT BAY?

THERE'S MORE BAD WEATHER on the way, but with just three weekends left before Christmas, the malls say they can handle the storm, if shoppers can.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, some retailers are hoping that bad weather won't trap would-be shoppers at home.

Wednesday night's snow hurt business the next day at New River Valley Mall. "It affected us dramatically," general manager Mike Poldiak said. "The mall was pretty much empty. A lot of people didn't venture out, I guess."

Snow and ice worry mall managers not just because they keep shoppers home. It's also expensive to keep their parking lots clear. It costs about $85 to hire a heavy grader to push the snow off a lot, Poldiak said. "Obviously, it plays havoc with your budget if you get a few bad storms in December."

Still, the mall opened on time - 10 a.m. - Thursday and was ready Friday to respond if the weather turned nasty again: Some snow removal equipment already was parked in the lot.

At Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County, property manager Judy Tullius said the weather didn't hurt sales on Thursday, even though the mall opened late because of the snow. "We had a very good day yesterday afternoon and evening," Tullius said Friday. It might have helped that a lot of people got off work - then found out that the roads were clear by afternoon.

In fact, Tullius said, a bit of snow might help business, as long as it's not so much that roads are hazardous. "I believe it's putting people in the Christmas spirit."

LENGTH: Short :   37 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  Chart: Friday's cold spots. color.