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He recalls that recently a Polish student and his parents came into his store. The student wanted his parents to buy him a Bruce Lee tee-shirt for $12, but the parents refused.

“They couldn’t afford it. They came all the way from Poland for commencement and did not have any extra money.”

Parsh also notes that registration for college reunions is down because alumni are not spending the money to travel.

RUBBER SOLE

On a positive note, Parsh continues to enjoy successful footwear sales of Vans and Chuck Taylor All Stars by Converse. The latter is a particularly hot fashion item.

“The Chuck Taylors are still strong with students and still keep their counter culture appeal. They are the most likely item that we sell across the board,” Parsh said.

He notes that there has been a crossover between oversized hip hop clothing and tight fitting skateboarders styles.

“The kids will wear a combination of oversized pants and tight fitting, full graphic tee-shirts,” he said.
Parsh continues to struggle in a tough economy.

“We have been forced to tighten our belts and to be sure that we are making our best effort. The top 20 percent of our merchandise continues to sell 80 percent of the time.”

SURPLUS STILL A PLUS

At Army Barracks in Boston, used surplus remains strong with the youth market. Although manager Richard McMaster reports that his business is just breaking even, the recession has not cut as deeply sales as it might have.

“In a sluggish economy people turn to surplus because of the price points and selection,” he said.

“Last year was the beginning of the recession and this year we are knee deep in it,” he added. “Every sale is a struggle and you have to make sure that your selection is what people want.”