Denver Diaries: How retail ramps up

Posted at 3:01 PM on August 27, 2008 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)
Filed under: The political conventions, The political conventions

The following dispatch comes from my colleague Nikki Tundel

The Denver Police Department isn't the only organization bringing in back-up from around the state. Walgreen's is also supplementing its staff with muscle from beyond the capital city.

I stopped in one of the chain's downtown stores and was promptly greeted by seven employees, all in matching blue shirts. There were at total of 27 employees working the floor. Given that workers outnumbered customers, most of the staff members were busy straightening the packages of toilet paper and rearranging the rows of air fresheners. (I will admit that the place looked great.)

Not only did Walgreen's recruit additional staff, it also decided to hawk some political merchandise, right along side the bags of beef jerky and boxes of hair dye. The store was offering convention T-shirts, shot glasses, water bottles and Pez dispensers. Plus, it was selling electronic dolls of Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama. All three sing and wiggle around when you squeeze their hands.

That's all well and good. But, according to one manager, the biggest seller this week has been tobacco.

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