2C . THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.

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RETAIL
TULSA Jackie Cooper Imports is hitting the
fast lane with an acquisition, major expansion,
remodeling and sale coming in quick order.
The Tulsa automotive dealership announced
several major moves Wednesday. Those include
buying a Maserati new car franchise, expanding of
its existing Mercedes-Benz operation and a $2
million remodeling of its multishowroom building
at 9393 S Memorial Drive.
Jackie Cooper also is selling its Volvo franchise
to Bill Knight Volvo of Tulsa.
When we opened in 1991 on 11th Street, we
had Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Volvo in one
showroom, managing partner Greg Kach said.
Our Mercedes and Nissan sales volumes are four
and 10 times what they were then, and weve
added Porsche, Infiniti and Smart.
The dealership is adding Maserati and the Mer-
cedes-Benz Sprinter, the German luxury carmak-
ers commercial van division.
Adding Maserati and the Mercedes Sprinter
fits perfectly with our long-term goal of constant-
ly expanding the product choices to meet the
long-term and diverse needs of our growing cus-
tomer base, Kach added.
Jackie Cooper hopes to begin taking Maserati
deliveries in September.
ROB WALTON, TULSA WORLD
A 2014 Maserati Quattroporte Preview is seen.
PHOTO PROVIDED
CAR DEALERSHIP IN STATE
BUYS MASERATI FRANCHISE
WINDOW SHOPPING
CHOCOLATIER ADDS COFFEE FLAVORS
DAVIS Oklahoma-based Bedre Fine Chocolate is
introducing a new line of chocolate-flavored cof-
fee. A blend of Arabica coffee, Bedre Coffee is
available in dark chocolate and milk chocolate
flavors. Bedre Coffee is available at Chickasaw
Travel Stops, the new Exhibit C gallery in Oklaho-
ma Citys Bricktown District, the Bedre Cafe in
Sulphur, Sovereign Medical locations, WinStar
World Casino, Riverwind Casino and other casino
gift shops. For more information, go to bedre
chocolates.com.
GOLDS GYM EXPANDS TO YUKON
YUKON Texas-based Golds Gym will open its
fifth Oklahoma City metro area club in Yukon. The
new gym will open Monday at 12701 NW 10 in
Yukon. The gym has amenities including free-
weights, a full cardio selection, Cardio Cinema,
GGX, an indoor pool, cycle studio certified personal
trainers, free group exercise, locker rooms and a
kids club.
COMPANY LAUNCHES APPAREL LINE
EDMOND Counterclock Custom T-shirts has
launched its own apparel line through an new
e-store. Brian Downs, owner of Edmond-based
Counterclub has produced 11,000 pieces of custom
apparel in the past eight months. Counterclock
has also entered into licensing agreements that
allow the company to produce apparel for The
University of Central Oklahoma and campus Greek
organizations. More information is available at
www.CounterclockTees.com.
DAIRY QUEEN TO MAKE DONATION
MOORE The Dairy Queen at 2301 Telephone
Road will donate $1 from every blizzard sale
Thursday to the Childrens Miracle Network Hospi-
tals.
BURGER KING DROPS HEALTHY FRIES
Burger King is pulling its more-healthful crinkle-cut
French fries, known as Satisfries, from most of its
North American restaurants as customer interest
in low-fat options went cold. The Miami, Fla.-
based fast-food king said Wednesday that fran-
chisees were given the option to keep them on
the menu, but two-thirds of the chains decided to
discontinue Satisfries. The low-fat, reduced-calorie
fries debuted less than a year ago in an effort to
attract more-healthful eaters. Customers will be
able to purchase the more-healthful fries at only
2,500 outlets across North America. The fries
were made with a different batter that enabled
them to absorb less oil when frying.
APPLE BANS TWO CHEMICALS
SAN FRANCISCO Apple is banning the use of two
potentially hazardous chemicals during the final
assembly of iPhones and iPads as part of the compa-
nys latest commitment to protect the factory work-
ers who build its trendy devices. The decision an-
nounced Wednesday comes five months after the
activist groups China Labor Watch and Green Amer-
ica launched a petition drive calling on Apple Inc. to
abandon the use of benzene and n-hexane in the
production of iPhones. A four-month investigation at
22 factories found no evidence that benzene and
n-hexane endangered the roughly 500,000 people
who work at the plants, according to Apple. No trac-
es of the chemicals were detected at 18 of the facto-
ries and the amounts found at the other four facto-
ries fell within acceptable safety levels, the Cuperti-
no, Calif., company said. Nevertheless, Apple decided
to order its suppliers to stop using benzene and
n-hexane during the final assembly of iPhones, iPads,
iPods, Mac computers and various accessories.
Whats more, Apple is requiring all its factories to
test all substances to ensure that they dont contain
benzene or n-hexane, even if the chemicals arent
listed in the ingredients. Benzene is a carcinogen that
can cause leukemia if not handled properly and n-
hexane has been linked to nerve damage. The sub-
stances are often found in solvents used to clean
machinery and electronics.
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Nestled between farm-
land and wooded areas
across the rural areas of the
state is the familiar site of
bumblebee yellow-and-
black signs luring custom-
ers who would otherwise
have to travel more than 30
miles to the nearest gro-
cery store.
The yellow Dollar
General store sign is a pop-
ular symbol of value, said
Crystal Ghassemi, Dollar
General spokeswoman.
Dollar General is the na-
tions largest small-box
discount retailer, and op-
erates hundreds of stores
in Oklahoma most in
small communities, she
said.
We are considered to-
day what the old-fashion
general store was to our
great-grandparents,
Ghassemi said.
The average 7,300-
square-foot store is much
smaller than a typical
chain grocery or depart-
ment store. The design of
the neighborhood store is
to make shopping simpler
and save the customer
time, Ghassemi said.
Milk, eggs, bread, toilet
paper, diapers, or a tube of
lipstick are just some of
the items found at a Dollar
General store.
The premise of Dollar
General is for the customer
to complete his or her
shopping trip in less than
10 minutes. Dollar General
doesnt carry every brand
and size, just the most
popular ones, she said.
The company has more
than 11,000 stores across
the country and each one
is stocked with generic and
name brand items such as
Procter and Gamble,
Kimberly-Clark, Kel-
loggs, General Mills, Na-
bisco, Hanes, PepsiCo and
Coca-Cola.
The companys mis-
sion is serving others,
Ghassemi said.
One of those serving
avenues is focused on
literacy.
Any school or educa-
tional-related program
within 20 miles of where a
Dollar General store is lo-
cated can apply for grants
to aid in a literacy program,
she said.
The concept
The Tennessee-based
company pioneered the
dollar store concept,
Ghassemi said.
A quick run to town
from the family farm for a
loaf of bread or a gallon of
milk has become easier
with more than 364 Dollar
General stores in Oklaho-
ma, Ghassemi said. Of
those stores across the
state more than 82 percent
are in a small city, small
town or an unknown
venue, she said.
Nationwide 70 percent
of the companys stores
serve communities with a
population of 20,000 or
less, Ghassemi said.
The forerunner to the
Dollar General venture was
the J.L Turner and Son
Wholesale store that
opened in Oct. 1939.
Turner already had three
failed attempts at retailing,
when he and his son, Cal
Turner Sr. each invested
$5,000 in the startupbusi-
nesses.
The first Dollar General
store opened in Spring-
field, Ky., on June 1, 1955.
The store was founded
on the marketing idea that
no item in the store would
cost more than one dollar,
Ghassemi said. Almost 75
years later about one-
fourth of the Dollar Gener-
als merchandise still sells
for a dollar or less, she
said.
By 1957, annual sales of
Dollar Generals 29 stores
were $5 million. In 2013,
sales topped $17.5 billion,
Ghassemi said.
We have a store in 40
states, Ghassemi said.
Plans are to expand into
Maine, Rhode Island and
Oregon by 2015, she said.
STORES ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE SHOPPING SIMPLER, COMPANY SAYS
The Dollar General store at 6343 N MacArthur in Warr Acres is seen.
PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN
Small-box retailer continues
to serve states small towns
BY SHEILA STOGSDILL
For The Oklahoman
ONLINE
To see a related
video, scan the QR
code or go to News
OK.com.
WASHINGTON U.S. retail sales
were essentially flat in July, provid-
ing evidence that consumers have
yet to shed their doubts about the
economy despite recent job gains.
The Commerce Department said
Wednesday that seasonally adjusted
retail sales were unchanged in July
compared with the prior month. To-
tal sales rose a statistically insignif-
icant $161million from $439.6 billion
in June.
Spending dipped at auto dealers
and department stores last month.
The losses were offset by gains at
grocery stores, gasoline stations,
restaurants, clothiers and building
material stores.
The figures suggest that Ameri-
cans are hesitant to spend, which
could limit growth for the economy.
Retail sales are closely watched
because consumer spending ac-
counts for 70 percent of economic
activity.
Retail sales have flat-lined even
though employers have added more
than 200,000 jobs a month for the
past six months. Payrolls increased
by 209,000 in July and 298,000 in
June.
But those gains have yet to mea-
ningfully boost wage growth above
inflation, causing spending to be
more restrained.
Retail sales have increased 3.7 per-
cent over the past 12 months, but
economists doubt that spending can
grow much faster unless incomes in-
crease.
Consumers just dont have the
cash flow to finance sustained gains
above 4 percent, said Ian Shepherd-
son, chief economist at Pantheon
Macroeconomics.
The weak sales in July mean that
consumer spending is off to a slow
start in the third quarter.
Consumer spending did pick up in
the April-June quarter after a slug-
gish showing in the first three
months of the year.
It grew at a 2.5 percent annual
pace, after increasing just 1.2 percent
in the first quarter, which was the
weakest reading in nearly three
years. In a healthy economy, spend-
ing growth is typically 3 percent or
higher.
Americans are sending mixed sig-
nals about their willingness to
spend. Consumer confidence jump-
ed to its highest level in nearly seven
years in July, according to the Con-
ference Board. That suggests Amer-
icans may be more willing to open
their wallets.
And auto sales grew 9 percent in
July from a year earlier to 1.4 million,
the best showing for July since 2006.
But purchases of large items like
autos may be leaving many Ameri-
cans with less money to spend on
discretionary items like clothing and
electronics. Rising grocery prices
may have squeezed household bud-
gets as well.
A separate measure of consumer
sentiment by the University of Mi-
chigan, released last week, showed
that confidence slipped last month.
U.S. RETAIL SALES UNCHANGED IN JULY
Conquisia Tyler, right, gives change to a customer at a Sams Club in
Bentonville, Ark.
AP FILE PHOTO
BY JOSH BOAK
Associated Press
Retail sales have
flat-lined even though
employers have added
more than 200,000
jobs a month for the
past six months.
Payrolls increased by
209,000 in July and
298,000 in June.