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The Storefront

Top NFL jersey sales

With the majority of the National Football League's games kicking off today, check out this run down below of the NFL's latest top selling jerseys, based on sales at NFLshop.com.

I mention NFL shop's top 10 jersey sales in my story in today's Business section about stores selling Michael Vick's Philadelphia Eagles jersey and his other #7 merchandise.

Here's the entire top 25 list.

Top selling NFL jerseys (April 1 to Aug. 28) at NFLshop.com:

1. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings

2. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

3. Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

6. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

7. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

8. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

9. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

10. Eli Manning, New York Giants

11. Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills

12. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

13. Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers

14. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

15. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

16. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

17. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

18. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

19. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

20. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers.

21. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles

22. Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys

23. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants

24. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals

25. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears

Top online shopping sites

The national recession may have forced us to spend less, but we're still shopping. And a recent survey by Stores Magazine and BIGresearch, ranking consumers' favorite online retailers, seems to prove this point. Many of the retailers who made this list last year are back, landing in roughly the same positions.

Amazon.com was No. 1, WalMart.com No. 2, and eBay.com No. 3.

But looking closely, a newcomer on this list is a reflection of thrifty times. It's Craigslist, which made the #25 spot. Craigslist is an online sales community of mostly used and cheap items, from furniture to apparel. Its debut shows that more than ever, price and savings count for many people.

Click here to read an analysis of this online retailing survey in Stores Magazine.

Below are the top 10 online retailers, based on the survey. Read the full top 50 list here.

1. Amazon.com

2. WalMart.com

3. eBay.com

4. BestBuy.com

5. JCPenney.com

6. Target.com

7. Kohls.com

8. Google.com

9. Overstock.com

10. Sears.com

Fink's expands its jewelry enterprise online

A Roanoke-based jewelry retailer is selling its merchandise online.

Fink’s Jewelers launched an online shopping Web site last month. The jeweler decided that it was time to make much of its selection available on the Internet, following the ever growing trends in online commerce, said Lindsey Kirby, a spokeswoman for Fink’s.

“If we didn’t go ahead and do it, we would be left behind,” she told me today.

Still, the online move by Fink’s isn’t typical for all independent jewelers. Some jewelry manufacturers put restrictions on whether merchandise can be sold via the Internet, Kirby said.

For that reason, Fink’s is not making everything in its stores available on its Web site, including watches, she said.  But the selection still is sizable, from colored gem earrings to diamond engagement rings.

To shop, you must create a username and password on the company's Web site. Online orders can be shipped to your home or picked up in Fink's stores. And Fink’s offers free shipping for standard deliveries. 

That's not only a holiday special. It will be available all of the time, Kirby said.

Processing for online orders takes place at Fink's Roanoke headquarters, where Denise Stanley, the jeweler's e-commerce manager, runs the operation.

Fink’s has 14 stores in Virginia and North Carolina.

New Web site at Gander Mountain

UPDATE: Gander Mountain spokesman David Ewald said the new Web site marks the outdoor retailer's entrance into Internet sales. Gander Mountain started in 1960 as a catalog company.

On the heels of Gander Mountain’s spring arrival in Roanoke County, this outdoors retailer now has a new Web site.

Gander Mountain has launched this site with 10,000 best selling and seasonal items, including brands sold in the store and its signature company brand. I’m not sure how “new” everything on this site is, though. The company spokesman hasn’t returned calls for more details.

But on this supposedly revamped Web site, you can write product reviews and sign up for information on seminars and special events at the stores.

In a news release, Gander Mountain stated that its fiscal 2007 sales were about $970 million. The market for the outdoor lifestyle industry is more than $50 billion in annual sales, according to the release.

Also, as some of you have noted, Camping World now is open near Gander Mountain, located off Interstate 81 in the Hollins area of Roanoke County. Camping World opened on July 25, selling new and used RVs and related accessories. Also, Tractor Supply Co. opened in June, further shaping this outdoors-themed retail center.

Christy's debuts online

More news on Internet shopping…a local retailer recently made its online debut.
Christy’s Apparel & Accessories, a women’s clothing boutique in downtown Roanoke, has launched its own Web site at www.christysapparel.com.

So far, there is a limited assortment of clothing for purchase on the site, such as some jacket styles and pants. Early next year, Rosa Weeks, who owns Christy’s, said she’ll add more accessories and other products.

She said a friend helped her to design the Web site and launch it last weekend.

“I’ve had a lot people ask me if I was going to have a web site,” Weeks said. “I thought I could get people who maybe can’t come downtown.”

Slowly, more locally-owned retailers in the Roanoke Valley are launching their own Web sites, though it’s not unusual to find stores that still do not have an online presence. Time and money required to maintain a site and deal with online orders often is too much for some mom and pop stores that have be to so focused on the day-to-day retail operation.

Still, those who do venture into the online commerce world have seen a significant return. They include retailers like Claire V., which sells silk handbags, and Dandelion Feet, a shoe store in downtown Roanoke. Both are locally-based stores that regularly rely on online sales.

Rainy day shopping

Today's drenching rain is not great motivation to get out and about.

But if you do end up heading out to shop or run errands, you might want to make sure the desired stores have what you want. Here’s where a local Web site comes in handy.

VVmall%20logo.JPG

More than a year ago, Valley View Mall redesigned its Web site, and one new feature allows you to enter the item that you’re looking for and the stores that sell it will pop up. This information is pretty detailed.

For example, if you search for coats, all of the stores that sell winter coats will appear with pictures and details about which ones are on sale.

You also can check which styles are currently available at the stores. If you enter your email address, the site supposedly will update you about an item’s availability in 10 minutes. You also can indicate whether you’d like the store to hold it for you until you can purchase it.

Check out Valley View’s site here.

And while we’re on the subject of online searching, I recently learned about www.stylepath.com. On this site, visitors can create a profile detailing their preferred styles for a variety of products. The Web site suggests items to buy that fit your taste in home décor, shoes, handbags, watches, jewelry, lighting and more.

If you visit any of these shopping sites, let me know what you think of them.

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    The Storefront blog covers news on the retail, shopping and real estate industries in Southwest Virginia, as reported by Jenny Boone. Read more about her.

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