Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 20

Index 8B (Mortgage rates mixed Interest on fixed-rate mortgages rose this week to 7.53. ARMs averaged 4.75, the same as last week. LOCAL STOCKS NASDAQ AM EX 6B 5B 4B MUTUALS 7B CURRENCY 7B NYSE 6B ROCHESTER, NEW YORK Democrat anD (Chronicle SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1993 Local stocks CompUSA dascoynfier here in June software retailer that sold to busi Stock High Low CkM Chng. Bautch 55 53 53 -1H CWwwA 16'4 15 15'i V4 ChaM 34 33 't 33H -1 Citicorp 29 Vi 27 28 -Vt Curtice 14 14 Vk 14 Vk DuPont 49 47H 48H E. Kodak 54 52 52't -2 Fay's 7 6 7 Vk Vk FitEmpire u153 152 152 Vk Flaet 35 Vk 35 35 Vk Gannett 52'4 51 Vk 51H GM 37 36 37 'A Vk GenlSig 64 63 64 Vk Gleason 13 13 13 Graham 13 12 12 Harris 37 36 36 Vi Hartmarx 6 6 6 IBM 53 51 52 May 77 75 75 -1 3M 110 108 109 Mobil 69 67 68 Paychex 41 40 41 PSC 7 7 7 BCSB 12 12 12 27 27 27 RochTel 38 38 38 SdtLoan 17 16 16 Sybron 22 22 22 Xarox 82 80 81 -1 size.

Borders Book Shop, for example, is nearly doubling the size of its Henrietta store. "The difference in computer retailing is that, because of the complexity of their merchandise, the large stores have to offer some semblance of service. Some is free and some is offered for a fee. Smaller stores say they offer better service. The question is whether the superstores can duplicate the service of smaller stores and still maintain adequate profits." Each CompUSA store has "full-service technical departments and classroom training facilities," said spokeswoman Robbie Rhodes.

CompUSA, which claims to sell items for up to 80 percent less than standard retail prices, began in 1984 as Soft Warehouse, a deep-discount 1992, a fundamental shift began away from the full-service, higher-priced stores, such as ComputerLand, which has since closed its retail business in Cohoes Commons. Smaller local firms, which are being squeezed on price, are specializing in a particular market niche and emphasizing service. Eugene Fram, Rochester Institute of Technology's J. Warren Mc-Clure professor of marketing, said this area has been "understored" in computer superstores "compared to other metropolitan areas, where you usually see several of these." He said the arrival of computer superstores is an extension of a general retailing trend. For example, in books, where profit margins were 40 percent and higher, discounters reduced their margins and grew in Elek-Tek Inc.

In full-page newspaper ads, CompUSA called itself "the vaccine to overpricing," then added, "Goodbye Elek-Tek!" But Elek-Tek still survives with four stores. CompUSA will occupy 27,000 square feet of a former Kmart store just west of West Henrietta Road and across from Southtown Plaza. Other occupants will be a Raymour-Flanigan furniture store with 52,500 square feet and a Pet Stuff store with 20,636 square feet. The building which has been empty since Kmart opened a new store in November 1991 about a mile away on Jay Scutti Boulevard will receive a complete interior and exterior renovation. When Fort Worth-based Tandy Corp.

opened a store in Southtown Plaza in March Store challenges Computer City By Cliff Smith Staff writer CompUSA the nation's largest computer superstore retailer, will open a store in June on Henrietta's Jefferson Road, almost directly across the street from Computer City, its closest competitor. The Dallas-based chain operator of 43 superstores in 28 metropolitan areas sells more than 5,000 microcomputer hardware, software and related products at what it calls "deep-discount prices." When CompUSA moved into the Chicago market in 1991, it threw down the gauntlet to the largest homegrown computer retailer, Trying to ness customers over the phone and through the mail. It opened its first store in Dallas in 1986 and its first superstore warehouse in Atlanta two years later. New stores were opened last month in Baltimore; Dayton, Ohio, and Marietta, Ga. CompUSA sells Apple, Qell, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Packard Bell, Panasonic, Seagate Technology, Sony, Texas Instruments, Toshiba and the company's own private label, Compudyne Direct.

Sales for the third quarter ended March 27 increased 68.2 percent to $365 million from $217 million for the previous comparable period. For the first nine months of fiscal 1993, net sales were up 63.2 percent to $952.9 million. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Marlboro goes on 52 week high; 52 week low; ex-dividend save better way of life 1 J' Key indicators Dow 30 industrials 3370.81 68.63 points Federal funds rate, at close 3.125 percent 0.125 point Prime interest rate 6 percent 4 unchanged Gold, Comex $340.90 $2.20 Silver, New York Mandy $3,950, Comex $3,957 Dollar vs. yen, New York 1 13.85 yen 0.39 yen Oil, light, sweet crude $20.65 barrel N.Y.

Merc, May delivery, 13 cents C-l W- By Katherine Karlson 4 Bmghamton Press Sun Bulletin CORTLAND The layoffs at Smith Corona aren't about jobs, in sists Joseph Feliciano, but about dreams. "My dad used to say if you didn't have dreams, you'd have nightmares," said the 53-year-old former defensive .6. By Skip Wollenberg The Associated Press NEW YORK The nation's big-j gest cigarette maker conceded yes- terday it's having a hard time keeping pace with lower-priced competitors, so it's mounting an "expensive campaign to keep its Marlboro brand as the industry's ijjest seller. Philip Morris USA said it pns to lower the price smokers must pay for Marlboros and beef up its promotion of the brand, which usually costs $1 a pack more than discount cigarettes. The moves stunned investors, who unloaded tobacco stocks in heavy trading.

The plan also threat-i ened to plunge the cigarette indus-j try into a price war. The announcement comes a day I after federal health officials report-i ed that more blacks and women IN BRIEF Sony replies to Kodak suit advertising artist from New York City who refuses to abandon the better life he's found for his family Sony Corp. attacked the validity Ml of the patent that Eastman Kodak Co. claims it infringed upon, and said it will "vigorously defend itself' against Kodak's patent infringe 1 llllli ment suit, filed Feb. 1.

The patent, issued to Kodak in 1981 by the U.S. Patent Office, is for a recording head, used camcorders and VCRs, that operates only 15 millionths of an inch from the magnetic tape or disc. The tech nology allows recording of higher- have started smoking, a development attributed to the growing popularity and availability of the discount brands. quality sound and pictures. Sony and other companies suc The Associated Press cessfully opposed granting of a pat ent in Japan and Europe because in Cortland.

"Right now, it tough because this community is having nightmares while it's awake." Feliciano has spent the past two years at SCM which owns Smith Corona, testing the steps for typewriter repair. Now, he wants everyone in Cortland to rally together, not only those 875 production workers whose job cuts were announced last August. Smith Corona plans to close its Cortland factory by this fall and move production operations to a new factory near Tijuana, Mexico. Feliciano realizes those layoffs, which began in March, will cut wide and deep through the area's economic and social fabric. "I love it out here.

All my life I lived among concrete," Feliciano said with fervor. "Everyone deserves what I found: a better chance. It's not mine, it's ours, and everyone will have to work together." A cooperative effort is guiding Smith Corona workers to plan for lives after layoffs. The Smith Corona Employee Career and Transition Center started in November. By March's end, it had served 238 workers, center coordinator Richard W.

Latham said. The company pays for the space and utilities, and various state and federal labor agencies contribute their expertise to help employees Employee Joseph Feliciano, getting help from transition center, worries about life after Smith Corona. similar technology had been in the public domain through published literature, Sony Corp. of America said in a statement. Kodak pat ent merely followed an existing trend in the video recorder field.

It also comes as the industry girds to fight an anticipated move to boost taxes on cigarettes and as smoking opponents call for curbs on tobacco advertising because of health reasons and because of the ads' suspected impact on youngsters. Philip Morris described its campaign to defend Marlboro's market share as part of a major shift in business strategy that focuses on pursuing market share and long-term profitability rather than immediate profits. MARLBORO on page 4B Bazaar postponed Buyers Bazaar a "state-of-the- understand the realities of searching for a job in the 1990s. A three-time veteran of corporate layoffs, Latham hopes Smith Corona workers will start exploring the center's possibilities and mapping out a game plan before the final timecard is punched. "Basically, there's a sense of confusion because these people have been insulated for 20-some-odd years, and never had any intention of working anywhere else in their lives," Latham said.

"We don't try to run them into training courses or the job market right away. We're not providing a handout, but a hand in helping them make informed decisions." The bottom line for the transition center is to find new employment for everyone who doesn't choose retirement. It develops job-search strategies that clarify individuals' interests and abilities. "Once we get to that point, maybe retraining is needed," he said. "Or, perhaps we have to find a way to polish those skills for the job market." For some workers, such as Henry Kohlage of Geneva, the first step to a new job is a resume.

"Once I learn how to write them, I can get them out," said the 30-year SCM Corp. veteran, who operates plating machinery. "I'd like to get out of plating, because things aren't plated anymore; they're made of stainless steel. And I've been around chemicals too long." Others, such as Feliciano, already are hitting the books as part of their personal and career metamorphoses. Feliciano, 53, is taking his first college course in English writing, headed toward an associate's degree.

"It's one very small step, and somewhere along the line, things will clarify for me," he said. art flea market" with new merchandise and a food court will open April 24 at 2613 West Henrietta Road, Brighton, across from JavS' Diner. Owner Phil "Red" Fedele said the opening was postponed from today because renovations weren complete. About 175 ven TAX TIPS dors will be in business Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Earning big bucks The number of managers pulling FCC's cable order is causing consternation down at least $70,000 at Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. nearly tripled last year, thanks to nearly $20 million in bonuses. Chairman and CEO Interpretations William J. Donlon, the utility's highest-paid executive, saw his 1992 salary increase almost $200,000 to took effect February, raising rates for expanded basic service from $21.15 to $22.23. Chiaino said the company won't know for sure how it will be affected until it sees the FCC's written rules.

of decision vary $525,450. Compiled from staff reports and wire services By Janet Lively Staff writer that prices would be frozen at current levels during this period. The regulations affect about $16 billion of the cable industry's $20 billion in flflhle indiistrv officials and iour- nalists vesterdav continued their at FOR 11TH-HOUR FILERS Here's how to buy some time Gannett News Service If you need some extra time to file your tax return, all you have to do is send in Form 4868 by April 15 and the Internal Revenue Service will automatically give you until Aug. 16 to file your return. No explanation is required on Form 4868 Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S.

Individual Income Tax Return. Form 4868 only gives you more time to file your return, not to pay your taxes. To avoid penalties and interest charges, you must estimate how much you owe and send in the payment with Form 4868 by the April 15 deadline. If you can't find a Form 4868, check your local library. tempts to interpret the Federal Communications Commission order cutting cable television prices.

Because the FCC hasn't released for most services by 10 percent, according to the Times. In addition, the agency ordered cable firms to reverse any price increases they imposed since Congress passed a law last fall to regulate the industry. The recent increases are estimated to average about 5 percent, and so the combined rollbacks would add up to price cuts of 15 percent or more, said the Times. They would affect the vast majority of cable television offerings from Cable News Network and Discovery Channel to Nickelodeon and the Arts Entertainment networks. The only services that would be entirely free of regulatory oversight would be premium channels such as HBO that are sold individually rather than as part of packages, the Times reported.

The FCC gave consumer groups, local governments and the cable industry 120 days to respond, and said written rules, the preliminary reports on the decision have varied. The New York Times reported "Our understanding is now that it's not as much a question of rolling the rates back as it is of using (the old rates) as the basis for a formula to come to some sort of a benchmark," Chiaino said. Cable companies that charge more than the benchmark level could be forced to lower their rates, he said, but GRC's rates are not out of line. "From our standpoint at GRC, as far as basic service, our rate is one of the lowest," Chiaino said. He said he is concerned that early reports raised consumer hopes about seeing large rate cuts that may not materialize.

vesterdav that the ruline could cut annual reve- nues.FCCoffi- Frank Ch.aino rials estimated that the 10 percent rollback would add up to about $1.2 billion a year nationwide. Beyond that, the industry will have to cancel rate increases adopted since last fall, which would have totaled about $400 million, the Times said. But Frank Chiaino, president and chief executive officer of Greater Rochester Cablevision, said he's not convinced that GRC will have to roll back the 5 percent rate hike that total cable service prices by well over $1 billion a year nationwide. The lower prices could show up in customer bills by this summer. The cuts, whoee depth stunned some industry analysts, would force about two-thirds of the nation's ca ble systems to reduce their prices WORKPLACE ASK THE EXPERTS From 6 to 8 p.m.

Monday you can call the newspaper and ask questions about a variety of workplace-related issues. For questions on managing stress call Jeanne B. Leonardi at 258-2434. She is the owner of Futurenergy, a consulting firm specializing in helping people with stress management. For questions on time management and motivation, call Jane Munt at 258-2661.

She is assistant professor in the Learning Development Center at RIT. For questions about getting a Job and presenting the right image, call Marcia Glatt at 258-2507. She is the owner of a career consulting firm. For questions about the work-life balancing act from a corporate point of view can Jacqe'ineCadat 2-3-2413 is director cf co'po'a'e compensation for dent on modifying or detuning the engine with a lower compression ratio, retarded timing, mild and retarded camshaft timing, and lean carburation. Today, you can rebuild that same basic 350 CID Chevrolet (or any contemporary American automobile or light truck engine) to take advantage of the new products that are available.

The aftermarket parts catalogs are loaded with information and the company hotlines are ready to help you build a high-tech engine. A Target engine from GM is a compromise at best Bob Hagin answers readers' questions about automobile care. Send your questions to Pacheco Automotive News Service, P.O. Box 6691, Concord, Calif. 94524.

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