2009.07.24
Closings and openings at Valley View
Here's the latest news on store moves, openings and closings at Valley View Mall.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on the mall's upper level has closed. I don't know the specific reason for the Roanoke store's closing, but this Colorado-based candy retailer reported in its first quarter earnings that many of its franchises are struggling. Sales at Rocky Mountain's stores open for a year or longer declined 6.7 percent in the first quarter ended May 31.
According to a company news release, this drop in same store sales is related to the national recession that is impacting all retailers and mall traffic in particular.
I tried to reach a spokesman for Rocky Mountain to comment on franchise closings, but I did not receive a call back.
Elsewhere at Valley View, Body Central, a trendy women's clothing store, has opened beside Express on the mall's lower level.
Also, it appears that Bella Beauty, a new store planned for the mall, will be moving to a retail space beside Puppy Love and near Macy's on Valley View's upper level. There's a sign at this space announcing that Bella Beauty is coming soon.
Finally, LensCrafters has made its move from inside Valley View to the District at Valley View, which is adjacent to the mall. This eye glasses retailer now is located beside Panera Bread.
I like the chocolate with nuts.
Comment by johnnyquest — July 24, 2009 @ 9:33 am
I don't know if your website actually pertains to my comment or not but I think VVM needs to clean up their act. The birds that are allowed to walk around & crap everywhere make me very hesitant to eat at any location in the mall. I see them on the tables in the food court & wonder how clean they are to eat from.
Comment by Valerie — July 24, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
I'm surprised Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory lasted this long, their items were overpriced for what you would get, a caramel coated apple with some cookie or candy bits was $5-7, for that money one could get a full meal at Subway or Chick-Fil-A.
From my experience it was rare to see a customer in the store, there was a generic version of the same store in the New River Valley mall that lasted only a few months, I never saw any customers there, just a bored employee behind the counter.
I think this might be another chain that may not last the next year or so.
Comment by Doug Pirahna — July 24, 2009 @ 7:58 pm
+1 to Pirahna on his comments. Jenny may not know "officially" why Rocky Mtn. closed but anyone with half a brain can tell you why "off the record" ... Take a small volume store that requires high foot traffic and fills more of a "tourist" niche, put it in a small market location with declining occupancy and traffic, combine that with a product the average consumer in the location will be feel is overpriced and then add a downturn in the economy and you will yield another failed business. Watch as Build-A-Bear and others follow suit. I am not even blaming the Roanoke market for this, these stores shouldn't have been here in the first place and their failure is simple retail Darwinism. Shame on the franchisers (if this is a franchise which I assume) for allowing them to open and shame on the franchisees for not doing proper research and for risking their assets on a risky (at best) venture and shame on the banks (if involved) for loaning out money on businesses with a failure probability. And for all of the storefront readers/bloggers whining about why we don't have a Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, Insert your Favorite Store/Eatery here - I suggest that instead of worrying about what we don't have simply patronize those establishments that you do value so that you can do your part to make certain they don't end up on next week's list of businesses that are closing.
Comment by Jeffro — July 27, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
@ Jeffro, who in the world is asking for a cheesecake factory or PF Changs? Did I miss something? Ok Roanokers calling for Chipotle, is one thing, but Roanoke doesnt have the median income for a CF or PFC. Laughable.
Comment by ndoublel — July 30, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
I have read people complaining about lack of eateries such as Ruth's Chris, Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's etc. on a number of occasions on this very same message board - I kid you not. I am not going to try to search for them but there are number of Roanokers who just don't get it. My real point is that major retailers/restaurants/franchises are really looking before they leap these days and we are going to see more existing locations go by the wayside as well as a reduction in the number of new offerings available to us. I was at a Cheesecake Factory in Norfolk on Tuesday night and our waitress has said it has been slow there for 6 months with little to no wait even on Friday/Saturday and that they are even sending staff to Short Pump location to avoid cutting personnel. I see this everywhere I travel but it is going to hit Roanoke faster than many because of our small size and restaurant saturation.
Comment by Jeffro — July 30, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
I've eaten at a few of the high-end places, but usually stick to an appetizer and go because one look at the entree price is enough for me. Trust me, we don't need a Ruth's Chris here. A dinner for 2 on special is about $90. Are you kidding me? I can buy more than a week's worth of food for that, or better yet, if I do want to eat out, I can go to a nice local place like The Summitt and get a very nice meal for 2 for around $60 or so. As for Cheesecake Factory, if paying $6-8 for a small sliver of a cheesecake is your thing, then go right ahead. Me, I'll go to the store and buy a whole one for the same price, and honestly, you can't tell much of a difference in the flavor. The fancy places are really nothing more than super high-priced versions of what we already have, with a few fresh coats of paint and some fancy, expensive decor. Save your money and support the folks we have, your wallet will thank you and so will your neighbor.
Comment by Other John — July 30, 2009 @ 8:40 pm