Kiosk evicted from NC mall for political views

[CoryKS]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/72492.html

This is a followup story to one I read the other day. Seems that a business selling political merchandise in a mall kiosk is losing its lease. The owner maintains that it is due to the conservative theme of the wares, which include t-shirts with anti-abortion slogans and "Impeach Obama" bumper stickers. Now it appears that protesters have shown up to lend support to the business.

What I find interesting in this is that the owner of a business called "Free Market Warrior" is making a public racket because the mall has decided not to renew his lease. Even if they were removing him because of his political beliefs, wouldn't that be acceptable behavior in a free market?

 

[celtic_crippler]

I suppose they can choose to renew or not renew anyone's lease...

I wonder if that mall has a Spencers? ...

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Spencers...the dildo shop that's ok in any family mall?

probably.

 

[CanuckMA]

There is no free speech issue here. The mall is well within it's rights to renowe or not any lease.

Of course it may have nothing to do with the kiosk not meeting sales targets...

 

[terryl965]

They maybe in there rights but what about free enterprise? I mean we can have stuff about how great Obama is but please do not say anything that might be true. Here we have Spencer the indoor family porn shop so many sex games and T-shirt that say **** you or suck my Dick, they are perfect for the family enviroment I eman I use those words everyday teaching young childern :erg:. I would bet he will get a new lease because the mall is not going to like getting bad press.

 

[CanuckMA]

I'd say the mall is exercising free enterprise. Unless we ar privy to the kiosks financials and the content of the lease agreement, we can't judge the situation either way.

I used to work for a retail organization. We'va had malls not renew, and somestimes early terminate the lease of profitable stores because our gross sales did not meet the sales per sq feet for our type of business in the mall.

The amount of rent per sq foot a mall can charge is directly related to the expected $ sales per sq foot generated by like-businesses. under performers will drag that average down and are routinely tossed out.

 

[celtic_crippler]

While, if in the event they are being tossed due to what they sell, I feel it's hypocritical I also uphold the malls right to do so.

The kiosk owner is free to open up somewhere else just as the mall is free to suffer any economic losses as a result of evicting them. That's free enterprise. Like it or not.

Oddly enough, what do you think the case would be if the Kiosk just happened to sell...African American oriented merchandise?

What about if they sold Middle Eastern oriented merchandise?

How about...what if they sold merchandise favorable to the Liberal/Obama camps?

What if they competed with Spencers and sold "adult" oriented merchandise...(which is wierd 'cause I mostly see kids in there...but anyway...)

...Religeous merchandise? ...Christian or Islamic? Maybe Jewish? Or all?

Do you think the story would be plastered all over CNN and Fox News in any of these other cases?...regardless of economics?

Is it about the money? Enquiring minds want to know!

 

[CanuckMA]

Likely it would not have made the news. Maybe the local news if the owner brought it to the media.

 

[JDenver]

I'll add that malls are INSANE.

I worked in an office situation in a mall, not even the retail section. If our customers spent an hour standing beside a kiosk, we got in trouble. If we put up any sort of advertisement...trouble. If we made noise during our legitimate business that our neighbours didn't like.....trouble. Can't get into our business after hours unless we pay for security.

I'm not surprised. Malls are the closest thing we have in North America to fully sanitized, fanatically tyranical operations.

 

[Grenadier]

I don't like this situation at all. However, the mall is someone's private property, and it's the owner's choice whether or not he refuses to allow someone to renew a lease. Furthermore, if the terms of the lease were completed to both parties' satisfaction, then there's really nothing the kiosk merchant can do, except go elsewhere.

 

[still learning]

Hello, From a business side to look at? ...is the mall needs 'idendity"

If a business does NOT fit according to the property managers/owners...they have the right to NOT to renew.... or renew...

America is a free country...Private property owners have there rights too...

What is fair? .....owners rights first....

Can we put a polical sign on your CAR? .....freedom of speech!

Aloha, ( Save the coconuts on the trees) ....many sidewalks requires removing the nuts...."um" from the trees....so the NUTS on the ground do not get hit....

 

[Carol]

I don't get the hubbub.

Lets assume an insulting scenario. The landlords of the mall are Yellow Dog Democrats, that can't stand anything that goes against their partisan views. They feel strongly enough where they would take the financial hit just to prove a point, even if the guy was just selling T-shirts of tame stuff such as President Reagan's face or the old Barry Goldwater slogan "AuH20".

They still have a right to say "we don't want that here". Partisanship is not a protected civil rights characteristic.

 

[5-0 Kenpo]

Even as you say the owner's have the right to not renew his lease, the kiosk owner also has the right to protest the decision.

Ain't America grand...!!!