Sun-News from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina • C4

E-reader boom kindles new options When most people think of electronic book readers, thin, white Kindle probably springs to mind. But that could be about to change. A cas- cade of e-readers will hit the market this year, taking the devices far beyond gray-scale screens with features like touch navigation and video chatting and probably lowering prices, too. happening as other gadgets, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, give people even more choices for div- ing into their favorite books. Read more at TheSunNews.com.

NETWORKING business news on the web: AP The Skiff Reader, the first e-reader optimized for newspaper and magazine content. 4C THE SUN NEWS MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2010 THESUNNEWS.COM Money Business news, personal stocks AVX 12.90, 27.65, Beach First: 0.48, Bluegreen: 2.44, First Financial: 13.32, Honeywell: 41.21, International Paper: 26.76, McClatchy: 4.93, Restaurants: 20.03, Marriott: 27.98, SCBT Financial 28.84, Scana: 36.77, Sonoco: 30.48, South Financial: 0.65, Synovus Financial: 2.45, Terex Corp: 22.59, DOW NASDAQ 500 AMEX RUSSELL 2000 30-YR BOND CRUDE OIL GOLD 10,606.86 2,300.05 1,141.69 1,868.02 11,887.51 4.69% 82.66 $1,133.10 641.97 RETAIL GRAND STRAND Shade Shutter moves, expands Shade Shutter Expo has moved its Myrtle Beach showroom and opened another store in Murrells Inlet. The Hunter Douglas Gallery Showroom is now at 3233 U.S. 17 Bypass S.

across from the Room- Store. Shade Shutter Expo has opened in Mur- rells Inlet at 12082 U.S. 17 Bypass across from Inlet Square mall. Both locations have Hunt- er Douglas items and other brands of products such as window coverings, outdoor awnings, custom closets and porch enclosures. Both showrooms are open 9 a.m.

to 4 p.m. Mon- day through Friday. The Myrtle Beach showroom also is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

GRAND STRAND Horry sales rise after summer Retail sales in Horry County rebounded prior to the busy holiday shop- ping season, according to the latest report released last week. Sales for September and October were down 1.5 percent still a drop from the same period last year but better than sales statewide, which fell 6.6 percent, according to an analysis by Don Schunk, a research economist at Coastal Carolina University. Horry sales bottomed out in the sum- mer, Schunk said. Septem- sales ticked up 0.6 percent the only monthly increase in 2009 but sales fell 3.9 percent in October. That decrease as drastic as the monthly double-digit drops between January and August.

Georgetown County sales faring as well. been down every month this year except for May, when sales ticked up 1.9 percent. September and October sales were off 12.4 percent from the same period a year ago. Dawn Bryant, The Sun News staff Here is a look at the pulse of Horry lodging industry for Dec. 27-Jan.

2: ROOMS FILLED 41.6% from same week last year Weekend TOTAL REVENUE FORECAST Source: Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism at Coastal Carolina University 16.1% from same week last year Midweek 10.9% from same period last year 6-week average (Nov. 22-Jan. 2) Revenue per available unit change from last year Based on the continued strength of vacation rental property reservations occupancy is expected to be above 25 percent, which is higher the equivalent period last year. 25-40 percent occupancy for week of Dec.

26-Jan. 1 41.5% 20.2% 25.9% An attorney for FPI MB En- tertainment, which owns Freestyle Music Park, has asked a Delaware judge to give the park more time to pay off the $570,000 in debt that be- longed to the former owners of Hard Rock Park. The response, filed Thurs- day, came less than a month after Alfred Giuliano, a trustee for Hard Rock Park, filed a motion with the U.S. Bank- ruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, stating that the FPI MBE officials agreed to pay the amounts when they a a i February. Thursday was the deadline for FPI MBE officials to re- spond before the motion is considered at a hearing sched- uled for Jan.

14 in the bank- ruptcy court in Wilmington, Del. In the response, FPI MBE attorney Tobey Daluz wrote that the company intends to comply with the payment pro- visions, but that the dif- ficult operating conditions caused in part by our weak lo- cal, state and national econo- my, FPI has been unable to make the cure payments as according to court documents. The response goes on to say that the park was open for less than four months in 2009 and that the park reopens or until such time that additional funds are made available, FPI has no funds or income source to satisfy the cure Daluz states that FPI MBE is in negotiations with new in- vestors and that reasonable possibility exists for the infu- sion of capital at some point in Park asks for extension Freestyle says funds are low now BY MONIQUE NEWTON See PARK Page 6C MURRELLS INLET Regal Inlet Square 12, the movie theater attached to Inlet Square mall, will close Sunday, because the stalled renovation has hurt its business, a company spokesman said. regret that our land- announced improve- ments to the mall have not come to said Russ Nunley, vice president of mar- keting and communications fo Re ga a i Group. has terminated the lease due to the negative impact on our business from the stalled renovation project for the Inlet Square mall has been under construction since late 2007, when a $4.5 million reno- vation stopped abruptly.

Theater employees were no- tified of the closure at a meet- ing last Sunday, Nunley said. Wo rke rs at Re ga In Square 12 and Inlet Square mall manager Heather Gray declined comment. Inlet Square staff have been offered jobs at another Regal movie theater, the Swamp Fox 14 in Florence, Nunley said. He said some of the theater man- agers have accepted the offer and will transfer. The Grand 14 at The Market i ow Inlet Square theater closing Strife between Regal, mall BY MONIQUE NEWTON See THEATRE Page 6C GRAND STRAND BUDWEISER BOAT SHOW PHOTOS BY CHARLES SLATE Above: David Perry, of Marine Service Center in Murrells Inlet, carries a potted plant through his display of inshore fishing boats as final touches are added to the display.

The 26th annual Grand Strand Budweiser Boat Show opens today from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Hours on Saturday are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children 6-12 and free for children under 6. This boat show, which has always been owned by local boat dealers, is put on by Marine Service Center in Murrells Inlet and Coastal Marine in Myrtle Beach. In addition to the boats, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Tow Boat U.S.

will discuss boating safety. Local fishermen and captains from the south end of the beach all the way to Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., will give instructions and demonstrations about inshore and offshore fishing. Above: John Jackson of Master Shine Detailing shines a 210XSF Scout that is displayed at the Island Marine exhibit. Left: Boston Whaler, shown by Marine Max of Wilmington, offers boat buyers the chance to go online and create a custom boat with accessories. Exhibition docks along Strand Inside Outdoors column: Boat industry veteran cautiously optimistic about this event Page 4B From staff reports NEW YORK A firm stand on prices and a surge of last-min- ute holiday shoppers gave re- tailers a big present: modest December sales gains and healthy profits, a big improve- ment from last Christ- mas catastrophe.

Many retailers raised their fo a Thursday. A big reason why: Stores never had to resort to drastic price-cutting after keeping inventories lean. The solid finish capped a rough year that saw the biggest sales decline in at least four de- cades, according to the Inter- national Council of Shopping Centers. December sales rose 2.8 per- cent compared with a year ago, according to the ICSC sales in- dex; sales for the year fell 2 per- cent from all of 2008. For No- vember and December com- bined, the index rose 1.8 per- cent, better than the estimate for a 1 percent gain.

Last year, holiday sales fell 5.8 percent, the biggest sales decline for the key period in at least four decades. As merchants reported results Thursday, a diverse December retail sales show signs of life The Associated Press file photo A shopper looks through items on sale at a Sears store in Chicago. The retailers are reporting signs of life in December sales figures that show modest holiday gains. BY ANNE The Associated Press See RETAIL Page 6C.