SELLING LUXURIES EASES HIS CONCERN

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993                   TAG: 9301260291
SECTION: ECONOMY                    PAGE: EC-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JESSICA MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
SELLING LUXURIES EASES HIS CONCERN
Chris Ellis makes his living in the clothing business, a fact he hopes won't end up putting him in a financial straitjacket.
Ellis, 22, said he constantly watches what he spends. Working for the past three months as a clerk at Beau Brummel - an upscale clothing store for men - has eased his concern about the economy.
Personally, "I live from paycheck to paycheck to pay bills," he said. Luxuries are being put off indefinitely, even though he's working in a shop that specializes in selling luxury goods, presumably to customers who are more affluent.
Before moving to the new store, Ellis worked for two years for Davidsons, a long-established Roanoke-based menswear chain. He didn't consider it risky to move to a shop without an established base of customers. In addition to his regular paycheck, Ellis also makes an 8 percent commission on what he sells.
Beau Brummel, which has tapped Lynchburg as a potential site for a new store, could be recession-proof because it appeals to an affluent clientele.
"Specialty shops work in Roanoke and Lynchburg because the wealth is spread out and people who enjoy the luxury of clothing and of being taken care of would prefer to shop in a specialty shop rather than elsewhere," Ellis said.
The men's clothing chain, which has six shops in New York City and Los Angeles, opened in Roanoke in November.
The 1,600-square-foot store is in Grand Pavilion Mall, opposite Frances Kahn, an upscale women's apparel shop that has some of the same owners. It offers a variety of designer labels, including its own.
After being open a few months, customers are coming into the store more frequently to buy rather than simply to browse. That makes Ellis think that consumer confidence is on the rebound.
"As people begin to feel more comfortable about spending their money, they are coming in," he said.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB