Work stoppage affects some in Valley, but wide effect absent

Jonathan J. Higuera
The Arizona Republic
May. 2, 2006 12:00 AM

The economic impact of Monday's consumer boycott and work stoppage didn't appear to have the dramatic, widespread effect on the Valley's economy that organizers sought.

But it did produce a mixed bag of business shutdowns, construction slowdowns and restaurant closings.

Some construction sites saw production levels slow to a crawl while many restaurants and hotels reported business as usual, with little impact. Major retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Costco Wholesale, reported no evidence of weak sales, other than the normal Monday lull. One grocery chain, Phoenix Ranch Markets with four Valley locations, did shut down for the day while its competitor, Food City, kept its 41 Valley stores open.

In a twist, the uneven impact may have been felt more keenly in heavily Latino neighborhoods where slews of mom-and-pop businesses closed down as a show of support for immigrants.