Some Downtown Denver Businesses Add 1% 'Crime Spike Fee' To Sports Merchandise
(CBS4) -- The Colorado Avalanche swept the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final, and they are going to compete for the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001. One of the best parts of winning any championship is getting some new gear.
For those shopping in some downtown Denver areas, the cost of crime will be added to your bill when you get some new Avs swag or any other sports apparel at businesses.
For sports fans at 16th Street Mall, rising crime and increased shoplifting forced them to do something to try to stay afloat.
We first reported about this added surcharge in February when store owner Derek Friedman instituted aa 1% fee on purchases at his downtown location. Friedman says the "crime spike fee" is to help recoup some of the revenue from the lost merchandise.
We spoke to Friedman again amid the Avs Stanley Cup playoff quest, and he said they've also taken extra precautions to make sure its customers and workers are safe.
According to Denver's online crime tracking portal, the central business district has had more than 1,000 criminal offenses this year. Union Station, Central Park and Five Points were among the most in the city. Despite those numbers, Sportsfan is confident its emphasis on safety will help its store be a positive shopping experience.
"We try to do a really good job here of keeping our store safe," said Andrew Solsbery, the regional manager of Sportsfan. "Making sure we have great shopping environment for our customers. Making sure that our employees are able to feel comfortable coming to work. So it's something as an organization we work really hard to do."
Sportsfan stores across the metro area are expected to have the Western Conference Championship hats and T-shirts at all its stores by noon Tuesday. Hats will be around $35 and T-shirts will be $40.
