Hattiesburg merchants… where is the support?

January 2010

by Robert J. Thompson '82, Founder of GoldenEagles.net

Hattiesburg is the home of Southern Miss!  The University's economic impact to the area is estimated at over $50 million annually.  Why would some local merchants elect to promote Ole Miss and Mississippi State paraphernalia over Southern Miss?  I understand that Southern Miss merchandise must be purchased through the University which makes carrying these items more tedious for retailers; however, they have a choice of what items to carry in their stores.  Also, as a consumer and Southern Miss Alumnus, I have a choice of where to spend my money.  In lieu of the current economic situation and projections for another grim year, you would presume that retailers would be clamoring for customers and their discretionary spending. Their decision to carry merchandise from schools other than the “home” university has been interpreted as a “slap in the face” not only to me but to fellow alumni, friends, family and business associates.  In one imprudent move, these merchants have alienated a significant segment of their customer base who now feel their business would be much more appreciated elsewhere.

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