1.   Merchants say sales have not been affected by the road repairs.

2.   And electrical generators were not available at all, most merchants said.

3.   And the merchants say newcomers must ask them for permission to join the market.

4.   As more Chinese -- particularly in undeveloped inland regions -- gain access to electricity and running water, retail should get jump-started again, merchants say.

5.   As the month inched toward gremlin and goblin season, sales picked up, many merchants said.

6.   But in other parts of the crammed old city, merchants say they do not want anything to interfere with their outdoor stalls.

7.   But many West Side merchants say the price he is willing to pay is their destruction.

8.   But other merchants said they would be willing to alter the way they do business to avoid a forced relocation.

9.   But many merchants say crime still remains a constant threat in tougher neighborhoods, and their past run-ins with armed robbers have left them on guard.

10.   But merchants here say it will be months before life and business are back to normal.