February 29, 2008Regulating the grocery bagHere’s a new option for cheap, reusable bags if you’re interested in helping to save the environment on your next trip to the grocery store.  And while we’re on the subject of where to find reusable bags, the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op on Grandin Road also sells U.S.-made, cotton canvas versions. Some of you have commented about what you think of efforts by some local grocery stores to encourage customers to use reusable or paper bags, because they are touted as safer for the environment than plastic sacks. A Virginia legislator, Sen. Frederick Quayle of Suffolk, earlier this year introduced a bill to give local governments the freedom to ban grocery stores from using plastic bags unless they are made of durable plastic. This bill did not make it out of committee, though other states and cities, including New York and San Francisco, have banned or limited the use of plastic bags by retailers. Do you think the government should regulate the kinds of grocery bags that consumers use? Leap Year FreebiesIf your birthday's today, it's not only a day of celebration but a day of freebies. Some restaurants and other retailers nationwide are giving away free gifts to people who were born on Feb. 29 or Leap Year. At Papa Johns, Leap Year babies can get a free large one topping pizza. The offer only is good for online orders, so here's the link if you qualify. McDonalds is giving away free McSkillet Burritos, made of scrambled eggs, sausage and potatoes, with the purchase of a medium or large drink. Let me know if you hear of other free offerings. Happy Birthday and Enjoy! February 28, 2008Speeding up airport securityHow much would you pay to get through airport security fast? This news isn’t retail- related, but it’s an interesting consumer topic. For $100 to $200 a year, Verified Identity Pass’s Clear service helps people literally fly through the airport security lines, or at least speed up the process of having your bags scanned and showing your ticket and ID to security agents. It’s authorized by the federal Transportation Security Administration, and it’s offered at select larger airports, such as Washington Dulles International Airport and Orlando International Airport, according to the Wall Street Journal. Roanoke Regional Airport isn’t one of them, but since many of you likely have flown at a larger airport at some point, you might be interested in reading this article about the service. Zaxby's moving into Salem
Tom Noelke, a Zaxby’s franchisee who lives in Charlottesville, brought the first Zaxby’s to the Roanoke Valley in late 2006, landing it off Hershberger Road. He’s also the owner of this new Salem spot, which will measure about 3,000 square feet and have a drive-through. It’s slated to open in May. Noelke told me that he wants to build Zaxby’s brand in the Roanoke Valley. The Roanoke location was the chain’s first Virginia restaurant. Headquartered in Athens, Ga., Zaxby’s has more than 410 locations in 10 states. It’s popular for its chicken fingers and buffalo wings. It’s also characterized by the restaurant industry as a quick-casual concept, which is a cross between fast food and sit-down dining. The success of the Roanoke Zaxby’s “kind of caught us off guard,” Noelke said. “Even considering being in a recession right now, the price point is right.” Noelke is considering expanding Zaxby's to three Roanoke County locations in the future. February 27, 2008Starbucks trainingTo find out about the "Espresso Excellence" that baristas learned during their training at Starbucks stores yesterday evening, check out this article in the New York Times. For those of you who didn't know, Starbucks stores closed nationwide yesterday for three hours for employee training. In the Roanoke Valley, many closed for the entire evening, starting at 5:30 p.m. Original jewelryOn March 9 to 11, when the Jewelers of America hosts its annual gem and jewelry trade show in New York City, a local jeweler will be in the running for a unique honor. A necklace designed by Robert Mills, a staff jeweler at Amrhein’s Brides, Formals & Fine Jewelry for the last 18 years, is one of three finalists in a competition for original jewelry designs. The finalists were chosen from 13 states. 
This is the first competition of this caliber for which Amrhein's has been a finalist, said Chad Amrhein, general manager. The retailer was founded in the Roanoke Valley in 1921. February 26, 2008Starbucks taking a break this eveningIf you want a java fix at five Roanoke Valley Starbucks locations, don’t wait until this evening. 
The purpose for the closings, which are the first in the coffee retailer’s history, is to train store employees on espresso standards, so that “baristas will be better prepared to share their passion and knowledge with customers,” according to a company news release. This appears to be a Starbucks initiative to lift sluggish sales at its stores. The company already has announced that it’s scaling back its store openings this year. It has about 7,100 stores nationwide. But these closing won’t impact stores that are inside grocery locations. Locally those include the Starbucks inside Kroger on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke County and the one inside Ukrop’s Super Market on Franklin Road Click here to read more about the Starbucks’ closings. Online auctions may sell tainted health and beauty productsI can’t recall purchasing many health and beauty items from online auction sites, but if you have, heed a recent warning from the National Retail Federation. The industry group says that some common household items sold on online auction sites have been stolen and tainted. Retail crime rings often steal these items to resell for a profit. But they may not keep them in temperature-controlled environments, so the merchandise is in danger of spoiling. This warning comes after a bust of an organized retail crime ring in Florida. The ring stole more than $100 million in health and beauty supplies over five years. To keep from encountering these products, buy health and beauty items from legitimate retailers, inside stores or on a company’s Website, the NRF says. Read on to see a list of some of the top health and beauty products stolen and resold by criminals. Continue reading "Online auctions may sell tainted health and beauty products" » February 25, 2008Bojangles' at the LakeNew fast food will land at Smith Mountain Lake in late April. 
The company is hiring about 50 employees to work at the new Bojangles'. Arrington Enterprises owns two other locations for the restaurant in Franklin County. It also owns three Dairy Queen restaurants in Franklin County and one in Danville. Other businesses at LakeWatch Plantation will include a YMCA, a funeral home and some retailers.
February 22, 2008To be or not to be smoke-freeSmoke-free dining may become the rule for at least one more restaurant in the Roanoke Valley. Though the Virginia General Assembly has not passed a number of bills to ban or limit smoking at eateries, one Roanoke restaurant may join others to regulate smoking at its own establishment. Metro, a restaurant in downtown Roanoke, recently sent out a survey to patrons on its email list, asking what they think about smoking in the upscale eatery “to determine if we should implement a no-smoking policy,” it states. I couldn’t reach Metro’s chef and owner, Andy Schlosser, for comment about what he’s learned from the survey so far. I realize there are wide opinions on this issue, but not matter what you think, let me know if you’ve noticed other Roanoke area restaurants checking in with patrons about how they feel about smoking while dining. Also, what local eateries recently have banned smoking? February 21, 2008Downtown jeweler keeps 80-year niche
This jewelry store and Davidson’s, a men’s clothing store on Jefferson Street, are some of the few long-time downtown retailers. Through the years, retail has moved to mega enclosed malls and suburban strip centers. Downtowns across the country haven’t attracted the groups of shoppers, nor the retailers, that they once did. My grandmother, who lives in Augusta County, often talks of her shopping trips in downtown Staunton, where department stores once lined some streets. They've all moved to the mall. More recently in downtown Roanoke, some retailers have complained about a lack of parking for customers. They’re also concerned that parking will be further squeezed if city officials turn more streets into two-way thoroughfares. Retailers like Frank L. Moose are survivors. The store was founded in 1928 by Frank L. Moose himself. Moose is the grandfather of the current owner, Geoff Jennings, who got started in the business in 1972. Next week, if you’re in the mood for celebrating, Frank L. Moose is having some 80th anniversary festivities. On Feb. 28, there will be food, door prizes and designer jewelry for sale. I'm a fan of downtowns, because most seem to have their own personalities. I also like to stroll the streets and take in the sounds of people and commerce all around. What are your thoughts on downtown shopping? February 20, 2008Mystery surrounds Keagy VillageYou’ve probably seen the construction rising on Electric Road in Southwest Roanoke County at Keagy Road, but it’s still a mystery about what kinds of retailers are going to show up at this future retail center called Keagy Village. I’ve reported that Bonefish Grill, a chain restaurant, and Starbucks are supposed to open there. Kahn Development Co., the South Carolina company that owns the center, does not appear to have an anchor store slated for Keagy Village, though this center has been in the works since 2004. The company has said that it's seeking a grocery store tenant. But a Kahn spokesman has not returned my recent call for updates on this center. Take a look at the company’s site plan for Keagy Village here. This will show you how Kahn plans to situate the retailers and how large the spaces would measure. There are some interesting demographic figures that Kahn has compiled about this portion of Roanoke County here. Greg Caldwell, a Roanoke area franchisee for Baja Bistro Fresh Mex Grille, told me yesterday that he’s in discussions with Kahn about opening an eatery at Keagy Village, but nothing is final. He said he also wants to open other Baja Fresh restaurants in the Roanoke Valley. I've never eaten at a Baja Bistro restaurant. It has locations across a host of other states, including North Carolina and South Carolina. February 19, 2008Do you care what store employees wear?Over the weekend, I filled out an online survey that was sent to me by one of the stores where I shop often. If I complete the survey, according to the retailer, I will receive a $15 gift certificate in the mail. So, I figured it was worth about 10 minutes to answer the questions. The questionnaire had a list of inquiries about my experiences at various stores, mainly those that sell women’s clothing. I had to answer on a scale of 1 to 5 which kinds of store “experiences” were most important to me. One question that I thought was interesting was whether or not I care that an employee wears the clothes sold at that store. I don’t usually think of that when I walk into a store to shop. A friend worked at a mall retailer one year and told me that she was required to either wear the clothes sold there or to wear apparel that reflected the same styles. It’s not all that important to me that employees wear the clothes that are sold at that store. But if they wore something completely varied from the styles on display, I probably would take notice. I'm not sure if that would impact what I purchased or whether I shopped at that particular retailer. What about you? How important is it that store employees model the retailer’s clothing and accessory offerings? February 18, 2008Coffee EtiquetteHappy Monday! On this sunny morning, let’s discuss take-out coffee etiquette. This is an interesting article in the Chicago Tribune about how some restaurateurs have become irritated with customers who come in carrying coffee cups from other establishments. 
Also, while we’re on the subject of coffee, my retail column in yesterday’s Business section offered more details about the closing of Coda, a coffee and food shop in the Grandin Village. I also wrote about Bob and Mary Buckley’s plans to open another Java the Hutt coffee drive-through on Orange Avenue this spring. The Buckley’s own Coda and other local Java the Hutts. February 14, 2008Check the date on Valentine's chocolateSince last week, we’ve discussed Valentine’s Day spending and chocolate. Many of you mentioned a local chocolate shop, Chocolatepaper, as your favorite place for unique candy finds. But you might want to check the expiration date on any box of chocolates that you plan to give to your sweetie tonight. There have been reports of stale chocolate on some retailer’s shelves in New York. Apparently these stores were recycling boxes of chocolates from last year. Here’s an article about it with the gross details. Tell me what Valentine gift choices that you have made--if you’ve already made your purchase. You might be among the many who will make a mad dash for the grocery store tonight to snag a last minute gift for your sweetie. Don't worry, I don’t expect you to divulge large detail about your Valentine's gift in case the recipient happens to read this blog! Gander Mountain sets its arrival for MayI received word this week that Gander Mountain, a big box outdoors retailer, will open on May 2 in Roanoke County, off Interstate 81 near Hollins. This store will be large, measuring 65,000 square feet. I’m sure you’ve noticed the construction going on at this site if you’ve driven by this section of the interstate. Gander Mountain stores house an assortment of hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor clothing and footwear, and other related merchandise. This Minnesota based retailer’s new location also will have an archery lane and archery shop and an on-site gunsmith. I’ve also reported that two other outdoors stores, Camping World and Tractor Supply, will go up near Gander Mountain. Gander Mountain’s arrival comes on the heels of Sportsman’s Warehouse’s Roanoke debut in November. Tell me what you think of Gander Mountain if you've shopped there before. February 13, 2008Save-A-Lot will debut on Thursday
If you stop by the store in the next few days, let me know what you think of it. Your views on Roanoke retailSeveral of you have had a lot to say about www.myretailroanoke.com, a Web site created by Roanoke City last year that encourages feedback on the stores and restaurants you’d like to see come to the area. Thanks for sharing with us your retail wish list. Most of your choices are the ones that currently rank in the top votes on the Web site. Kohl’s still has the most votes, edging IKEA, which is in second, and the Cheesecake Factory in third. Here's what some of you said: Grant added: “Ditto Jeff... those stores would catapult Roanoke's retail scene into the legitimate shopping hub for this entire area. I think all of those stores would do very well here too and, as larger metropolitan areas face an economic downturn, the stores should consider Roanoke a prime region for expansion.” Amanda added a few others to the list. She wrote: 
He did point out that IKEA still plans to open a manufacturing facility in Danville this year, as The Roanoke Times reported in 2006. But that plant will not be a retail location. Photo courtesy of IKEA February 12, 2008No more Healthy Treats in downtown RoanokeSpeaking of downtown Roanoke, an eatery on Market Street has closed after only six months in business. Dean Kapsalakis, owner of Healthy Treats Bakery & Café, said he closed the restaurant last week because of an unreliable employee. Apparently, one of his employees did not show up to work several times. Kapsalakis said if he could not rely on employees to run the eatery, he would end up working 60 or 70 hours a week. “I didn’t have the motive,” he said. For now, he’s trying to sublease the space. The café served turkey hot dogs, quiche, pizza and desserts. It's cold but think ice creamI know it's a little cold outside to be thinking about ice cream, but to prepare you for spring and summer’s warm days, a new option for this chilly treat is planned for downtown Roanoke.  Gardner will offer 16 flavors of ice cream and some other desserts, including milkshakes and hot fudge sundaes. Orange Dog currently serves eight flavors of ice cream, but its expanded flavors will include chocolate, vanilla, butter pecan and pistachio. Gardner would not disclose the specific brand of ice cream that he's serving. He said the closest area where people can find it is Charlotte, N.C. But don't expect healthful treats. This ice cream has a "high butter fat content," he said. Orange Dog take-out orders also will be served in the new space. Gardner also owns Orange Dog at Towers Shopping Center. February 11, 2008Power outages impact local retailersI’ve been busy today with coverage of the windstorm and power outages that swept into the Roanoke Valley yesterday. If you’ve been out and about you may have noticed that several retailers have been closed for all or parts of today because of no electricity. The outages likely will impact the opening of a new grocery store. Save-A-Lot on Melrose Avenue was slated to open its doors on Wednesday, but the store manager said it won’t be ready. The retailer at the Roanoke Salem Business Center was out of power on Monday, and it had to cancel a shipment of produce and meats. It also put its frozen foods on dry ice to keep them cold. Manager Steve Harris said the store could be ready for opening later this week. I’ll keep you updated when I find out the date. Let me know how the power outages have impacted you. February 8, 2008Mixing gold and silverSince we were on the subject of Valentine’s Day spending yesterday, here’s an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about buying jewelry for your Valentine. With the high cost of gold, more jewelers are marketing pieces that mix gold and silver or diamond and silver jewelry at Tiffany & Co. for example. These pieces are more affordable, and retailers hope they will draw customers to keep spending. Though the National Retail Federation’s spending survey predicts that people are buying less traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, such as jewelry, the period surrounding this Feb. 14 holiday still is the second-busiest of time of the year for jewelers, according to the article. Fashion Bug's local stores will stay put for nowA district manager for Fashion Bug, a women’s apparel chain, called me Thursday because she said some store customers were in a panic. They’ve been calling Fashion Bugs locally, worried that the stores were closing. It’s because Charming Shoppes, the Pennsylvania company that owns several retail brands, including Fashion Bug and Lane Bryant, announced Wednesday that it will close some of its underperforming stores. That includes about 100 Fashion Bugs, though the specific stores have not yet been announced, according to the company. We published a short bit of information about this in The Roanoke Times Business section on Wednesday, but obviously there was some confusion. There is one Fashion Bug store in Roanoke at Towne Square Shopping Center, and there is a store in Wytheville. But it is unclear whether these stores will close, because Charming Shoppes has not identified the final list. Also Charming Shoppes will close its Petite Sophisticate stores, though not its outlet locations. February 7, 2008Is chocolate still in for Valentine's?We’re a week away from the holiday where boxes of heart-shaped chocolates, roses and other pink and red presents are exchanged as tokens of love. I glanced randomly at some prices for boxes of chocolate at a local Kroger recently and found that a heart-shaped box of Dove chocolates had the highest price tag at $12.99. Other brands, from Russell Stover to Hershey’s, were priced in the $7 to $9 range. The National Retail Federation predicts that the average person will spend $122.98 on Valentine’s Day purchases this year, which is about the same as last year at $119.67. That spending amount seems high to me, unless you’re planning a weekend getaway. Back to the chocolates, tell me, where have you noticed the highest prices for chocolates locally? And is the traditional box of chocolates still a preferred Valentine’s gift? February 6, 2008Luring retailers to RoanokeYou may remember when Roanoke City last February launched a new Web site to entice retailers and solicit local feedback. At www.myretailroanoke.com, you can vote for the stores or restaurants that you’d like to see land in the Roanoke Valley. I’m working on a story to update this city effort and determine whether or not it is working to attract these coveted retailers. Right now, Kohl’s, IKEA and the Cheesecake Factory top the list. I’m interested in your thoughts. If you have visited this Web site, tell us the retailers for which you voted and what you think of this effort and its chance for success. Build-A-Bear may be headed for RoanokeA retailer that typically draws throngs of children to create furry stuffed animals, from bears to bunnies, appears to making plans to open at Valley View Mall. 
Earlier this week, Valley View's general manager, Louise Dudley, would not confirm whether Build-A-Bear was a potential new mall tenant. A spokeswoman for Build-A-Bear said she would contact me soon with more details about the new store. Build-A-Bear Workshops are designed as interactive toy wonderlands. The stores are divided into stations. At different stations, customers can choose their desired stuffed animal, stuff the furry toys, dress them up in clothing, shoes and hats and even insert a small heart inside them. There’s also the option of naming the stuffed animals and creating birth certificates. Build-A-Bear is based in St. Louis, and it has more than 370 locations worldwide. There are eight Build-A-Bears in Virginia. February 5, 2008Coffee shop leaving Grandin VillageThe Grandin Village is losing a coffee shop. A letter from the owners of Coda, posted to the business' window, states that Feb. 28 will be its last day. The coffee and food shop is located on Grandin Road in Roanoke. Bob and Mary Buckley, who also own several local Java the Hutt coffee drive-throughs, state in the letter that the demands of running all of their enterprises have been too much. 
To the left is a picture of Bob Buckley at the Java the Hutt at Towers Shopping Center. The letter asks for “interested runners” to step up to the plate, which perhaps means that they’d like to sell Coda. I’m hoping to find out more details soon about Coda’s closing. Coda opened in 2006, and it quickly expanded into more than a coffee shop. It became a neighborhood gathering place, serving breakfast and lunch foods, beer and wine and hosting live music several nights a week. The Buckleys opened their first Java the Hutt drive-through in 1994. Another local food business has shut its doors, though it’s unclear why. Chicken Rules at Towers Shopping Center in Roanoke has closed. It opened there in 2005. Photo by Kyle Green, Roanoke Times photographer. February 4, 2008Abercrombie updateVirginia Beach officials said this afternoon that they planned to drop charges of obscenity against a store manager at an Abercrombie & Fitch store there. Here's the story for more detail. It appears that the promotional photos of scantily clad male and female models may stay up at Abercrombie stores in Roanoke and nationwide, though the standards for what is deemed obscene varies depending on the locality. As of this afternoon in Roanoke, police had not received any complaints about the racy photos, according to Aisha Johnson, police spokeswoman. Risky photos at Roanoke's Abercrombie & FitchLast weekend, police seized several black and white promotional posters at an Abercrombie & Fitch store in Virginia Beach, and cited the store manager on obscenity charges. It’s because one photo showed several shirtless males running through a field. One of the male's jeans slides down his backside, revealing his buttocks. Another photo shows a topless female, with a hand covering her chest. Well, these same photos are up at Abercrombie & Fitch at Valley View Mall. The photo of the males running stretches wide and tall across the entire front entrance of the teenage apparel store. Two photos of shirtless females are hanging in a clothing section. Check out the images of these posters with a news article about the Virginia Beach charges here. I asked Valley View Mall’s general manager, Louise Dudley, if she had received any complaints about what police had deemed as obscene photos, and she would not comment. Instead, she said she was aware of the Virginia Beach situation and had contacted the mall’s owners, CBL & Associates Properties. What do you think about these kinds of promotional posters hanging in stores that appeal to teens? February 1, 2008Still time for A&N dealsThere’s still some time to check out the clearance items at some local A&N stores. Several weeks ago, I wrote that all A&N stores were closing statewide, because the retailer selling casual and athletic wear was going out of business. When the Richmond-based company made this announcement earlier this month, it said that its stores would have going-out-of-business sales, though their closing dates were not announced. Since then, A&N has posted a list on its Web site of all of the Virginia stores that still are open. In the Roanoke and New River Valleys, it only mentions that a Salem and a Roanoke County A&N location remain open. But another still remains. The A&N at Towne Square Shopping Center in Roanoke still is open. But it appears that the Christiansburg A&N store on Market Street has closed. No one answers its phone, and an article in Everything NRV.com mentions that the retailer shut its doors in mid January. Once merchandise clears out, these stores will shut down, but when that will happen stilll is unknown. A spokeswoman at A&N has not returned several calls for comment about a closing time frame. If you've found any good deals at these stores, send a comment and let us know what you bought. |
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