Bergman Luggage opens Spokane store
A luggage and travel accessory store that has served Portland and Seattle since 1927 opened a nearly 2,900-square-foot store in downtown Spokane on Thursday.
Bergman Luggage was last in Spokane about a decade ago, when the company was under different ownership, Spokane store Manager Carol Hayne said.
Company General Manager Paul Brusaschetti said suitcase prices range from $80 to $700 at the store.
The Spokane location, in Crescent Court at 707 W. Main Ave., is one of the larger stores in the company, he said. In Seattle, the company has a 4,000-square-foot store.
Four to six local employees will work at the location, depending on the season, he said.
GuestHouse opens Spokane inn
GuestHouse International Inns, Hotels & Suites has opened its first franchise in the Spokane area.
GuestHouse International moved into the former site of a Days Inn at 4212 W. Sunset Blvd. and is owned by Pacific Motel Development Corp., a company news release said.
The two-story hotel has 125 rooms. Guest rooms recently underwent renovations that added new furniture, granite vanities and other amenities.
According the GuestHouse International’s Web site, the chain has hotels in 23 states, including eight in Washington state.
Washington
Unemployment rate down in August
A hiring revival pulled the nation’s unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent in August and flashed a Labor Day weekend message that the slowing economy isn’t in danger of fizzling out.
The latest snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, was a bit brighter than expected and eased some fears that the economy – weighed down by a housing slump – might tip into recession.
“This provides some peace of mind,” said Oscar Gonzalez, economist at John Hancock Financial Services.
Employers boosted payrolls by 128,000 in August, an improvement over the 121,000 jobs created in July.
Detroit
Toyota, G.M. sales up in August
Toyota on Friday said its U.S. vehicle sales rose 17 percent in August and General Motors’ sales increased 3.9 percent as the companies said buyers looked to more fuel-efficient offerings. But Ford sales dropped 11.6 percent, and DaimlerChrysler’s fell 3.2 percent.
Ford outsold Toyota last month. The Japanese automaker had outsold Ford in the U.S. in July for the first month ever.
Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. said gas-conscious consumers made last month the company’s best-ever August selling period. Overall, it sold 240,178 vehicles in August, up from 205,362 in the same month a year ago.
General Motors Corp. said in its sales release that it expects about a 12 percent decrease in North American production during the fourth quarter.
Compiled from staff and wire reports