GLENWOOD SPRINGS – The war in Iraq so far is apparently having less impact on Glenwood Springs shoppers than did the recent closure of I-70.

“We’ve been more affected by the closure of the pass and roadway,” Los Desperados manager Rudy Lallier said.

As far as the effects of the war, Lallier said he hasn’t heard many customers mention it.

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“I’m sort of anxious to see what the psyche of the people are come the weekend here,” he said.

At Anderson’s Clothing in downtown Glenwood Springs, co-owner Monica Miller said the Interstate 70 closure actually gave business a boost, but nobody’s talking about the war.

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“We had good business because of the snowstorm,” Miller said. People couldn’t leave and they didn’t want to stand outside on the sidewalks.”

And while many spoke about traffic snarls and deep snows to the east, nobody’s been talking about the military action in Iraq.

“Nobody says a peep about the war,” she said. “It’s like something they watch on TV but don’t want to talk about.”

The Glenwood Springs Mall has been busier lately, but mall manager Michelle Misurelli said she’s not sure if it’s the “captive audience” of truckers and travelers who parked at the mall or the onrush of spring breakers.

“We had people pulled in and hunkered down,” Misurelli said.

Misurelli said her decision to allow people to park at the mall until the interstate reopened was just the right thing to do.

“I had a home to go to, so I figured I’d make it as comfortable as possible for them,” she said. “They were very respectful.”

Even though the Interstate was closed for two days, shops in the mall were able to stave off any scarcities.

“We didn’t have any product problems,” Misurelli said, guessing that this was because none of the mall’s stores sell perishable items.

Trends across the United States are different, however. An article by Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group – a company that conducts surveys on market trends – based on a poll of 1,000 U.S. shoppers says 16.2 percent reported they would postpone purchasing products costing $500 or more. Normally that percentage is around 4 to 6 percent, it said.

“When asked specifically if they had delayed purchases because of anxiety about the war, 6.1 percent reported they had done so,” it said. “Airline travel, automobiles and boats took the biggest hits from American shoppers concerned about the conflict.”

Contact Greg Masse: 945-8515, ext. 511

gmasse@postindependent.com