Desert Local News - Index

Desert Local News - Desert Local News Print and Virtual Edition April 17 2008 - Index

14 PALM SPRINGS
PALM SPRINGS health
food story is closing...
Palm Springs, CA: A local health food story is
closing… shut down because they can no longer
compete against multi-national chains.
By sTaFF
a local health food story is closing…
shut down because they can no
longer compete against multi-national
chains.
spenser ensign and wife Lisa
spent 16 years of dedication and
creativity building up their business,
natures rx, the palm springs health
foods store and café on sunrise south
of ramon only to see it fall victim
to more powerful business interests.
When asked what his plans are ensign
answered, “i’ve no idea.”
“its simple economics,” ensign
said, “Our profit margin has
to be from 30-40% to pay our bills.
you don’t get rich in this business.
now, there’s no way we can compete
against Walmart, Costco, Clarks and
others at 5-10% margin. That’s impossible”
natures rx has occupied the
same location since 1989 and has16
employees; but once had a high of 19
workers during the best of times. in
a few days most of these employees
will join the ranks of the unemployed
in a nationwide economy that’s sinking
fast.
The well-liked health food store
sported a self-sustaining café with
many tasty delights. Celebrities visiting
palm springs shopped
the isles and enjoyed the
natural foods café, the only
one of its kind in the city.
such names as mary Bono,
reese Witherspoon, rue
mcClanahan, gavin macLeod
and suzanne somers
are but a few of the names
who crossed the threshold.
“The decline began
when the new ralphs
market opened up across
the street,” said ensign.
“They copied every single
brand and product we had.”
Equally troubling was the Super
Walmart and the giant Clark’s nutrition
in rancho mirage. even Costco
stole vitamin customers away as low
prices became the signature of sales
due to bulk purchasing power.
easy internet sales of supple-
ments and nutritional products, not
requiring the expense of bricks and
mortar storefronts or inventory contributed
to the competition pool.
Desert 'LAND WARS'
By dean gray
Will palm springs rob desert
hot springs of a major economic
prize? Land north of the interstate
10 freeway is up for grabs. it represents
desert hot springs’ last
remaining access to big money
freeway dollars and palm springs
wants it.
palm springs’ general plan
now labels the area north of the
i-10 between palm drive and indian
avenue as “possible Future
Sphere of Influence.” That land is
now officially in the Desert Hot
Springs sphere of influence.
Sphere of influence identifies
what land a city can count on for
its future annexation plans.
Ken Lyon, City planner for
palm springs, explained the desert
hot springs’ loss as “not a dras-
Palm Springs Moves In
By sTaFF
palm springs, Ca: developer
doug Jones is taking a big-money
risk during an economic downturn.
he’s optimistic his $1.2 million investment
– the first on the south side
of the interstate 10 freeway at gene
autry Trail – will pay off.
“everything is going well …
we’ll have tenants in soon,” said
Jones about the 14-acre warehouse
“We had a family of staff. you
have to understand that it takes years
to learn what these products can do.
you go to these other stores and
you’re lucky if someone can point
you to what isle to find things. In our
store we’d walk you to the product
and have the answers you were looking
for. We built our reputation on
customer service,” said ensign.
employees were paid better than
mere clerks and employment was
highly coveted as both a learning
experience and a means to provide
help to those seeking aid. “people
working here knew how the products
were manufactured, and how things
worked. You won’t find that at Walmart.
Everyone is quite sad it’s come
to an end,” ensign said.
tic and dire circumstance by any
stretch of the imagination.”
desert hot springs Councilman
russell Betts disagrees saying
the land is vital.
“if palm springs wants to take
away our retail frontage of the
north side of the freeway then they
might as well march all the way to
the hills and take all of desert hot
springs,” said Betts.
desert hot springs Councilman
scott matas agrees, saying
“I’ll fight to keep it. There is no
way they’ll win.”
desert hot springs City Councilman
al schmidt said, “it would
kill the city… we won’t let it go.”
It would not be the first loss of
sphere for desert hot springs. a
and industrial complex. Lots of
money drives by the location every
minute.
it took the builder less than 6
months to navigate the building
and planning departments of palm
springs. JC Construction, indio
pushes ahead to finish the project by
mid June.
Jones credits palm springs for
The inventory of nature’s rx
had a value of $340,000; making it
an expensive enterprise. “We’ve got
about a month to clear the shelves,”
said the owner. everything is marked
down 30% enabling customers to
still take advantage of their excellent
customer service and product assistance.
natures rx is located at 555
south sunrise Way (760-323-9487)
“i want to make it clear that
there is no truth to the rumor that
this has anything to do with a rent
dispute,” said ensign. “Wessman
has been very kind to us and i’ve got
nothing but appreciation for the way
they’ve treated us all these years.
John [Wessman] ate lunch here almost
every day. his company treated
us very, very well.”
year ago Cathedral City grabbed
40 acres of valuable freeway retail
on the east side of palm drive.
ironically, that grab was approved
by a past desert hot springs city
council that included then Council
member yvonne parks who now
serves as mayor.
Lost was the retail dollars from
a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant and a
Chevron gas station and any future
retail expansion.
“palm springs can do all the
high jinx they want, but in the end
we all lose something, said desert
hot springs Councilman Karl
Baker. “They been turned down
once and are spending manpower
on something that they will lose
again.”
the fast pace of the project.
“They were all so really, really
helpful,” Jones said.
a soon to be re-built gene autry
off ramp newly widened four lanes
add to the prospects for project success.
gene autry Trail also leads
to a nearby major airport and “The
spring” shopping a few miles away.
Three years ago, natures rx
suspended a tradition of hosting a
health foods expo under tents featuring
vendors and demonstrations.
“it got out of hand,” said ensign. “it
became just a way for the ‘Costco
people’ to grab up a lot of freebies.”
good times are remembered by
many for the thousands of free meals
provided by the café and the introduction
to new products and services
the health fair generated.
“We’re recommending our customers
support ‘health nuts’ in
palm desert,” ensign said. “it’s
got a similar style like nature’s rx.
They’re friendly and know what
they’re doing.” health nutz is located
at 74121 highway 111 west of
portola. (760-346-5535)