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View Full Version : Adult Store Causes Unhappiness


Brown
30th June 2003, 10:10 PM
From KCCI-TV (CBS affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa): (http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/2303571/detail.html)The new Lion's Den Adult Superstore opened Sunday along Interstate 80 between Colfax and Newton [in Iowa]. The building at exit 159 used to be an antique shop, but now sells adult videos, DVDs, books, lingerie and more.

Residents in the area said they were surprised to see the sign ["ADULT SUPERSTORE"] to go up.

"I know they have a right to do it like they say they do. But I just wish it wasn't in my backyard," neighbor Bill Brown said.Newton, by the way, is the home of the Maytag Corporation.

The folks in this area of Iowa tend to hold conservative values, but they are generally not interested in foisting those values on others.

On the one hand, one can understand why residents are upset about this store, especially the covert operations surrounding its opening. It is like a slap in the face to them.

On the other hand, one wonders if the proprietor might not have picked a very poor location. Most of the locals would not be caught dead in such a place, and (apart from the city of Newton) there are no cities within thirty miles. The nearest major city is Des Moines, and it has several competing establishments... so I'm told.

My prediction is that, after the novelty wears off, this store won't do enough business to stay open. If the locals continue to give it free publicity, the longer it will remain open.

Yahweh
30th June 2003, 11:32 PM
I tried to find exact numbers on Adult Book Stores and McDonalds... good luck finding relevant results yourself... but I heard there are more Adult Book Stores in the country than McDonalds.

American
1st July 2003, 07:32 AM
Adult stores could do well to make their signs more tasteful. That alone would silence much of their opposition.

zakur
1st July 2003, 10:06 AM
Originally posted by Yahweh
I tried to find exact numbers on Adult Book Stores and McDonalds... good luck finding relevant results yourself... but I heard there are more Adult Book Stores in the country than McDonalds. According to ReferenceUSA (http://www.referenceusa.com), a subscription database listing more than 12 million U.S. business:

McDonald's: 12,455
Adult Bookstores: 451

Landis
1st July 2003, 10:56 AM
I grew up in a rural area which was part of the "Bible Belt" and very conservative. In almost every video store, there was an adult section featuring hard core videos. I predict the Adult Superstore will thrive. The good,honorable, moral citizens will be chomping at the bit to get their hands on this stuff.

Checkmite
1st July 2003, 11:07 AM
About 5 years ago, in Vermilion (a town a couple miles west of me along Lake Erie), an adult entertainment establishment called "Fantasy Land" or something like that opened up. It was full-nude dancing, so of course alcohol could not be served. However, the city of Vermilion fought hard against it. In the end, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the strip club.

Within a year and a half it was closed down - no business. Sure, at the beginning the novelty brought a few customers in the door (from surrounding areas outside Vermilion, mostly); but within a couple of months, the controversy died, along with the number of customers.

Ladewig
1st July 2003, 11:08 AM
If it is located on an expressway exit, they proabably aren't aiming for locals. They need a really big sign to attract the impluse buyers from the expressway.