Downtown Alliance conducts survey after WTC disaster.

The Downtown Alliance conducted a survey of Downtown's small retail stores and restaurants to determine how these businesses were affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. This survey was conducted between Sept. 24 and Oct. 5 of more than 400 retail stores and restaurants which had re-opened in Lower Manhattan south of Chambers Street in the area most directly affected by the terrorist attacks.

Businesses in the so-called "frozen zone" surrounding the disaster site were not accessible to the public and therefore were not surveyed. Moreover, because this survey was conducted immediately following the events of September 11th, it does not account for ongoing losses sustained by these businesses in the present economic climate. As Lower Manhattan continues to recover, the Downtown Alliance will continue to monitor the economic impact of the terrorist attacks on the area's small retail stores and restaurants.

The survey found that:

* Businesses were re closed an average of 8 days following the terrorist attacks. For the 51 percent of respondents who reported a sales loss dollar figure for the period during which their businesses were closed, the average sales loss was $3,075 per day, with an average total of $25,123.

* Eighty-four percent of respondents have experienced decreases in sales activity since reopening; less than 10 percent reported that sales activity remained constant and only 6 percent said that sales activity had increased since they had reopened. The retailers who reported decreased sales activity said that business is down between 20 and 80 percent since they have reopened.

* Fifty-seven percent of respondents experienced inventory loss. Of those, nearly 68 percent reported loss due to spoilage and 40 percent reported loss of inventory due to damage caused by debris. Other sources of inventory loss included water damage, which affected approximately 7 percent of companies. The average value of lost inventory was $11,160.

* Geography played an important role in the kinds of losses sustained by retailers in-the area:

* Stores and restaurants in the area south of the frozen zone's border on Rector Street and west of Broadway were closed the longest, and also experienced physical damage.

The survey found that stores in this area were closed an average of 11 days, and lost an average of $6,049 in daily sales and an average of $69,696 in total sales. nearly 57 percent of these stores sustained physical damage, and of these, 73 percent reported interior damage in the form of dust and debris.

* Stores and restaurants in the area north of Liberty Street and east of Broadway experienced lower sales losses, but greater physical damage. Retailers were closed an average of 9 days, and lost an average of $2,518 in daily sales and an average of $23,633 in total sales. Nearly 68 percent of these stores sustained physical damage and 87 percent of these reported interior damage related to dust and debris.

* Stores and restaurants in the area south of Liberty Street and east of Broadway were open sooner and experienced less physical damage, but were still affected economic economically.

They reported average closures of 6 days, average daily sales losses of $2,859 and average total losses of $18,314.