DEL.ICIO.USNorth DeKalb Mall store specializes in Obama products
President is couple’s economic stimulus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
For a year, Roy and Bell Brown ran two mall kiosks — one devoted to Jesus paraphernalia, the other to all things Barack Obama.
But when the chance came to expand into a storefront at the North DeKalb Mall recently, the couple decided to settle on a single theme.
Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com
Bell Brown and her husband opened the Obama Zone in North DeKalb Mall. Items for sale feature the name or image of the U.S. president.
The devout Christians relied on their customers to help make the choice. Sales of their religious wares were lagging behind those of the Obama merchandise. So, two weeks ago, the Obama Zone was born.
Situated at the edge of the food court in the shopping mall just outside Decatur, the Obama Zone — which replaced a defunct Verizon store — is almost certainly the first mall store of its kind in metro Atlanta, and perhaps beyond.
With walls painted sky blue and red, this commercial shrine to the 44th president caters to serious Obamaniacs. Among its offerings: watches with Obama’s face; dangling earrings with an image of the first family, and a T-shirt featuring Obama as a superhero. Soon to arrive: sneakers with Obama’s image and underwear bearing the legend “Yes We Can!”
While President Obama is doing what he can to get the economy moving again, the Browns have found him to be something of an economic stimulus himself.
“After the election and the inauguration, business [at the kiosk] picked up, actually,” said Bell Brown, who offers her customers homemade chocolate cookies — served on Obama-themed plates, of course. “We couldn’t keep the Bible covers in stock.”
On a recent Sunday after church, Frank Park strolled inside the Zone and eyed the watches. “I am not buying anything today,” said Park, a 69-year-old state school custodian. “It just feels good to be in here.”
Keith Tudor, chairman of the marketing department at Kennesaw State University, said such a store makes sense in DeKalb, which leans heavily Democratic. Almost 80 percent of votes cast there in last fall’s presidential election went to Obama.
“Would we see this in Cobb or Gwinnett?” asked Tudor. “I don’t think so.”
In the current economy, though, can a business based on a president as its product survive?
“He is the first African-American president and, naturally, that is a source of pride. He’s also young and he’s novel and he’s doing well in the polls,” Tudor said.
“How will the store do in two years? If the country turns things around and his plans work, it will be successful. If his plans don’t work, the store may be in for some hard times.”
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