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Tough economy: Gas prices prompt shoppers to stay closer to home

By COURTENAY EDELHART, Californian staff writer
e-mail: cedelhart@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Aug 7 2008 11:25 AM

Last Updated: Thursday, Aug 7 2008 11:33 AM

When Nick Thomasy lived in Fresno with his parents, he’d drive anywhere from the Bay Area to Los Angeles to shop.

Even, once, as far as Las Vegas.

But now that gas prices are hovering above $4 a gallon and he’s about to start school at Cal State Bakersfield, Thomasy, 18, doesn’t shop out of town.

“I don’t really need to,” he said. “You can find just about everything here and save the gas.”

It’s a common refrain.

A May survey of 8,347 consumers by the National Retail Federation found 43.7 percent of respondents are shopping closer to home due to high gas prices.

Another 47.9 percent say they’re taking fewer shopping trips.

“Many people who typically travel long distances for shopping and entertainment are cutting back on driving,” said federation spokeswoman Ellen Davis.

“We’re also finding more people shopping online, or at least going online to compare prices and research products before going to the store.”

Fourteen percent of the survey’s respondents reported they were shopping more online.

The energy crisis could be an opportunity for local businesses, said Debra Moreno, president and chief executive of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce.

“Thanks to the city’s growth, there are more and more offerings for people to shop locally, and that bodes really well for the future,” she said. “I think gas prices are forcing people to look at businesses nearby.

“Relationships are an important component of all business transactions. If you go into an establishment and you like the product and the customer service, you will keep coming even if the economy changes and gas prices go down.”

There is still cultural resistance to overcome, however.

Strolling through Valley Plaza on Tuesday, Shanice Varnado, 20, said she’s reduced clothes-buying trips to Los Angeles because of gas prices, but even though she hasn’t had trouble finding the latest fashions in Bakersfield, she’ll resume driving south to shop if fuel costs fall.

“L.A. has better stores with more selection and better prices,” she said.

Evelyn Campen, 66, used to drive to Los Angeles at least once a month.

“Now I don’t go at all,” she said.

Campen could hardly contain her disgust as she sat smoking a cigarette outside Valley Plaza.

“We’ve been here shopping for school clothes and shoes for my granddaughter all day and haven’t found anything,” she said.

“They’re out of her sizes in just about everything.

“We need another mall, desperately.”

College student Thomasy, though, is a convert.

“All the stores I like are here,” he said.