April 30, 2008Giving to tornado victimsStarting Sunday, Kroger stores in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Roanoke Valley locations, will accept donations for victims of the tornados this week in Eastern Virginia. You can contribute money through the coin boxes in each Kroger check-out lane and at the grocer's self-checkout kiosks. The donations will go to the American Red Cross for the tornado victims. Early morning crowd forms at Chick-fil-A
Here are some pictures from the scene so far this morning at Chick-fil-A. About 40 people already were camped out in the parking lot of the new fast food eatery on Southern Hills Drive by 8 a.m. this morning. Chick-fil-A's new standalone restaurant opens in Roanoke on Thursday, but people were invited to wait in line as early as 6 a.m. this morning to be the first 100 in line by opening time. The first 100 there by the time the restaurant opens its doors will receive 52 free coupons for combo meals. There also will be food giveaways throughout the day and evening. 
At 8:20 a.m., a group of eight James Madison University students piled out of a mini van, carrying tents and sleeping bags. They drove from Harrisonburg this morning. "We all had an opening in our schedules, and it's exam week," said Lilam Smith, a JMU student from Philadelphia. April 29, 2008Krystal appears to have shut its doors in Salem
The reason for its abrupt closing is unknown, and hopefully, more details will emerge. Rich Pappas of Radford owns this Krystal franchise. It took him several years to bring the concept to this area after he announced its opening in 2005. He told me then that he had run into some financial roadblocks with securing the property on which to build the restaurant. Krystal Co. is known for its square hamburgers, and it is based in Chattanooga, Tenn. April 28, 2008Steve's slides out, AJ's moves in
Cari and Joe Roragen bought the business, and this Thursday, they’ll open its doors with a similar menu. Just don’t expect to order Steve’s well-known chili. The Roragens purchased the business, but they don’t have the rights to everything, including the Steve’s name and its chili recipe. Cari Roragen told me today that they’ll serve Steve’s menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and fish sandwiches and other lunch and dinner fare. By this summer, they hope to incorporate some new tastes with a to-go breakfast menu, appealing largely to customers who use the drive-through. They’ll also add some lighter foods for lunch and dinner, such as wraps and salads. Joe Roragen, who will be in the charge of the daily operation, brings some restaurant management experience to AJ’s, which the couple named after their two children, Annaliese and Jacob. He’s most recently been a manager at Texas Roadhouse in Christiansburg, and he also has worked at Outback Steakhouse. Cari Roragen said it was time to put her husband’s skills “ into something that was ours.” April 25, 2008NTelos plans to open new storesI have a news tidbit about Keagy Village, a retail center under construction in Southwest Roanoke County that’s far behind schedule. In addition to Bonefish Grill and Scottrade, the center is getting an nTelos store. A spokesman for nTelos, a wireless service provider, told me this week that the Waynesboro-based company is landing a store at this retail center at the corner of Keagy and Electric roads. There's still no word on an anchor store for Keagy Village. Also, I've reported that Starbucks has axed its plans to land at the center. NTelos is coming to another retail center that’s in the works in the Bonsack area of Roanoke County. Kroger is landing its largest area store at this center, named Kroger Square at Bonsack. Some other shops will be headed there as well. Find out which ones are coming in my retail column in this Sunday’s Business section. More on check spending incentivesHappy Friday! This story in USA Today gives more examples of retailers that are luring consumers with incentives to spend their federal tax rebate checks. I've blogged about a few of these examples, but some others in this story are Home Depot and Staples. Also, another story discusses how the travel industry is rolling out different promotions in time for the mailing of the rebate checks on May 2. With many people planning summer vacations right now, using tax rebate money for extra funding sure is tempting! April 24, 2008Steve's Famous Hot Dogs is closingHot dog lovers won’t like this news. Steve’s Famous Hot Dogs will close at the end of this month. Owner Andrew Eunice, 84, is retiring from this well-known hot dog business on Brandon Avenue in Roanoke. Recently he sold it, according to his nephew and founder of the hot dog chain, Steve Mullins. Steve’s has been a local fixture since 1973, when Mullins opened the first location in Salem with his father, Harold Mullins. At one time, it had 17 locations. Eunice bought the eatery in 1987. “We have sold 10 million hot dogs over the years,” Steve Mullins said. “That’s the least we’ve sold.” A local couple has purchased the business but not its name and other signatures, such as its chili recipe. They’ll take over on May 1, Steve Mullins said. Once I catch up with the new owners, I'll let you know about their plans. April 23, 2008The call for your checkYou better watch out. Now is when retailers are beginning to entice you to spend your federal stimulus checks. Planning to spend all of your check on groceries? Kroger is encouraging consumers to shift their stimulus checks onto its gift cards. Beginning on May 2, when the first checks are sent, if you load your money onto a Kroger gift card, the grocer says it will add some value to it. For example, loading a $300 check will total $330 on a Kroger card. Putting $1,200 on the card will give you four $330 cards for a total of $1,320, according to Kroger. This will last until July 31. The push isn’t only happening at retailers. This morning, a radio station that was raising money for its operation encouraged people to pledge a certain portion of their stimulus checks to the cause. Have you heard of other promotions like this? April 22, 2008Eco-friendly bags and organic food savingsJust in time for Earth Day today, one of the last major grocery chains in the Roanoke Valley to sell reusable bags has rolled out its own versions in stores. 
Also related to Earth Day, click here to find out which local grocery stores are participating in a Go Organic campaign. At these stores and online, you can receive coupon books for about $18 in savings on organic foods. The coupons are good until August. The local stores participating are Kroger and Ukrop’s. Perhaps these coupons will provide a little relief in your budget for buying organic foods, because generally these items are pricier. Fresh Market pondering changeSome news about The Fresh Market came across my desk recently. The Greensboro, N.C. based specialty grocer may open the company up to outside investors. That means the privately held Fresh Market could go public or be sold entirely. Here’s a recent story about the decision. April 21, 2008Chick-fil-A's rolling in next weekHappy Monday. I hope your week is getting off to a good start. 
If you’ve never been to an opening for this fast food chicken chain’s stand alone restaurants, you may be in for a surprise. The chain allows customers to camp outside of its restaurants a day before they open. For us, that period will begin at 6 a.m. on April 30. Throughout the day and night, campers can get oodles of free Chick-fil-A foods, from chicken nuggets to sweet tea. If you stay put, without leaving the camp-out spot, the reward is 52 of Chick-fil-A’s “be our guest” cards, which will be handed out the morning of May 1. It sounds like quite an event if people show up. Check out this story about a Chick-fil-A opening and frenzy in Chesapeake earlier this month. April 18, 2008Gander Mountain opens next weekGander Mountain will open its new Roanoke County store on Tuesday, in case you missed a blurb about it in today’s Business section. This will be the outdoor retailer's fourth Virginia location. It already has stores in Winchester, Richmond and Fredericksburg. The local store is landing off the Interstate 81 exit near Hollins. May 2 will be its grand opening day, when there will be give-aways and appearances from outdoors celebrities. Stay tuned to Gander Mountain's Web site for details about those events.
Botetourt restaurant newsThe Fried Pickle in Daleville has reopened under new ownership, and Teaberry's, a restaurant on U.S. 220 alternate, is moving to a new location on Roanoke Road, near Botetourt Commons. Roanoke Times Community reporter, Cathy Benson, reports on changes at these two Botetourt County restaurants on her blog, The Botetourt View. Check out the Teaberry's news here, and the Fried Pickle news here. April 17, 2008Buy a piece of the Hotel RoanokeLike the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center’s look? You can bring part of it to your own home, for a price of course. 
The hotel's $6.5 million renovation is the first guest room overhaul since it reopened in 1995. Last May, when the first phase of its makeover began, the hotel held a similar public sale of its furnishings. If you’re thinking of heading out to the sale this Saturday, here’s what you need to know: It will be held at 844 Union Street in Salem from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets to get in will be handed out starting at 6 a.m. The furniture is sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and you must make your own arrangements for transporting your purchases. April 16, 2008Hokie retailToday marks the one-year anniversary of the shootings of 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech. Last year, people flocked to local sports stores to snatch Virginia Tech t-shirts, ties, hats and anything else that they could find to memorialize the tragedy. Many stores sold out of Tech merchandise by the end of that week. A year later, merchandise that reflects the tragedy still is moving off shelves, but it's a different mix. Bryan Daniel, a manager at B&C Sports Collectibles in Lynchburg, told me today that New York Yankee hats with the Virginia Tech logo lately have been selling faster than most other Hokie merchandise. The hats have been popular since the Yankees traveled to Blacksburg for a March exhibition game with the Virginia Tech baseball team, he said. The Yankees scheduled the game to support and lift the spirits of the Virginia Tech community. Likely because of the anniversary of the shootings, there has been a slight up-tick in sales of general Virginia Tech items at B&C stores in Roanoke and Lynchburg in the last week, Daniel said. Some inexpensive options are $5 t-shirts that B&C stores have been selling since Christmas. The store ordered the maroon shirts with only the VT logo in the middle “purposely to sell at a low price,” Daniel said. Cheap gasCorrection: A colleague pointed out that the link to the cheap gas Web site doesn't take us to same page as it did when I blogged about it. Here's a better suggestion for finding local gas prices: GasBuddy.com 
Now through Saturday at the Daleville fuel center, you can receive 10 cents off the gallon price of gasoline or diesel if you use a Kroger plus card. And with the purchase of $100 in groceries at Kroger, customers can receive a 15 cent discount off the per gallon price of gas or diesel through Saturday. There also are free giveaways all week if you’re one of the first 300 customers to fuel up each day. There’s more. Next week, beginning April 21, you can receive a 5 cent discount off gasoline by using a Kroger plus card at this same Daleville fuel station. The 15 cents off promotion with a $100 grocery purchase also continues next week. Kroger estimates that consumers can save 3 cents per gallon of gasoline on a regular basis by using a plus card at the grocer's fuel centers. Several people have told me that they regularly consult www.cheapgas.com, a Web site that reveals which gas stations in an area sell the cheapest gas. It compares prices for regular unleaded gasoline after you search by zip code. April 15, 2008Is Tax Day happy?It’s Tax Day. You’ve either filed your federal tax returns ahead of time, or you’re like some of the hurried people I saw this morning waiting in line at the post office. 
Also, some greeting card companies have gotten into the April 15 celebration (if you can call it a day to celebrate). At online sites for Hallmark and American Greetings, you can send free tax day cards, which include a picture of an I.R.S man and one encouraging the recipient to hope for a “groovy tax return.” In my story, a marketing professor speculates about whether retailers really can turn April 15 into a happy day with sales and special offers, like with other holidays, such as President’s Day and Labor Day. What do you think?
April 14, 2008Best times to shop with kids and save moneyMost moms and dads would agree that shopping isn’t easy with children in tow. Best time to eat out with infants, toddlers and preschoolers: Best time to grocery shop with kids: Right after breakfast or lunch on weekdays. It’s when the aisles are not as crowded with after-work and weekend shoppers. Best time to find baby products on sale: Best time to find good deals on grocery items: The day after the supermarket’s ads come out, when there are plenty of items left in stock. Feel free to comment on some of your own strategies as well. April 11, 2008More news about a Salem Zaxby'sUPDATE: The Salem Zaxby's should open around the middle of May, potentially on May 12 or May 19. Franchisee Tom Noelke said he's awaiting a certificate of occupancy for the new eatery. Also, it takes about a week to train new employees, though Noelke is using the Roanoke Zaxby's as a training location. 
Here are a few more details about this fast food chicken chain’s new location. The Salem restaurant will measure about 2,375 square feet, and it will seat 56 patrons, according to a news release about the eatery. Tom Noelke, the franchisee, last said the restaurant would open in May. I've asked about a specific opening date, and I'll update you when I find out. The Salem Zaxby’s will employ 40 to 50 people, primarily cooks and cashiers, and Jeff Loving will be the general manager. This will be the second location for Zaxby’s in the Roanoke Valley and in all of Virginia. Noelke, who lives in Charlottesville, opened the first area Zaxby’s on Ordway Drive in Roanoke in 2006. Noelke apparently is no stranger to the restaurant business. A native of Texas, he used to manage a string of eateries that his parents owned. Noelke has a degree in restaurant management from Texas Tech University, and he studied finance at the University of Georgia. That’s where he learned about Zaxby’s, which is based in Athens, Ga. There are more than 420 Zaxby’s in 11 states. April 10, 2008Economic impact mixed among local retailersRetailers reported dismal sales results for the month of March nationally, according to this story. In the Roanoke Valley, the results are mixed. Stores like the Herb Cellar, a gift and clothing shop at Townside Festival Center in Roanoke, told me last month that its sales have been noticeably slower. It was holding some close-out sales for winter merchandise, but the store did not have any other major promotions planned to attract customers to spring merchandise. “We’re just trying to hold our own,” said store manager Pete Brooks. Herb Cellar has been in business for 12 years. Other store owners have said that sales are steady or better than ever. It’s difficult to establish a clear trend in the Roanoke Valley, but I’ve been keeping my eye on special promotions and incentives offered at area stores, including restaurants. Likely, much of these efforts are happening to drive up sales. One such event is going on at Valley View Mall this weekend. Starting on Friday through Sunday, if you spend at least $100 at mall stores, excluding department stores, you will receive a $10 American Express gift card. The catch is that you have to be one of the first 500 shoppers to present your same-day sales receipts for this amount. It’s not unusual to see sales and promotions at Valley View from time to time. But this one seems different than others, because it requires customers to spend a certain amount before they’re eligible for the prize. Let me know what new promotions you've noticed lately at local stores and restaurants. April 9, 2008A strategy for free samplesMcDonald’s appears to be timing an upcoming freebie with the mailing of federal economic stimulus checks in May. Check out this article about the fast food chain’s plans to match free samples of its Southern style chicken sandwiches with the release of the checks ranging from $600 to $1,200. This may be another way to stimulate the economy, since McDonald’s likely figures that people who come to its restaurants for free food will be tempted to buy, too. I wonder if we will see other free offers roll out in May, tied to the release of the federal checks. Also, notice that the article mentions other restaurant freebies, including Dunkin Donuts’ plan to give free doughnuts to customers who buy coffee on April 15, the federal tax return filing deadline. Stuffed animals and teeth whitening at Valley View
You'll likely see work soon to prepare for Build-A-Bear. Recently a building permit for the space was filed with Roanoke City. Also, Valley View is becoming a one stop shop for many services other than shopping, including bleaching your teeth. BleachBright, a company that offers teeth whitening services, has landed permanently in an area at the mall’s Marble Court, near Abercrombie & Fitch, states Valley View’s Web site. I don't know who would want to have their teeth whitened while sitting in the middle of the mall, but there must be some strategy for this business to be there. BleachBright has locations at other shopping centers, according to its Web site. A Valley View spokeswoman wasn’t available to comment. April 8, 2008What's in store near Gander MountainSome questions have come up about what else is planned near the site of a Gander Mountain store that’s supposed to open this month in Roanoke County. Below is an excerpt from one of my previous Sunday columns in The Roanoke Times about other stores that we can expect to see at this outdoors themed retail area off I-81, near Hollins University. Hopefully, there will be more news soon about what restaurants will land there. Retail Roundup: April 7, 2008Saving the environment while you shopI blogged about some Earth Day initiatives about a week and a half ago, and here are more to add to your calendar this month. More than ever before, it seems that retailers are using Earth Day on April 22 and much of this month as an opportunity to push environmental causes. Willow Grove at The Forum in Roanoke County: 
The bags will sell at Macy's stores for $3.95, and $1 of that purchase benefits the foundation. Also, for discounts on spending, you can buy a $5 ticket beginning on April 20 for a shopping event that will take place on April 26 and 27. On those days in stores and online, men’s, women’s and children’s merchandise and accessories will be 20 percent off. Home items will be discounted 19 percent. Ticket proceeds also will benefit the foundation. April 4, 2008Fink's gets into bloggingThis is a blog entry about a blog. Actually, it’s about the world of retail blogging. More retailers and other kinds of companies (including Roanoke’s Carilion Clinic) have created their own blogs in recent years, as a way to communicate with consumers who troll the Internet. Blogs are interactive online logs featuring everything from commentary and news to personal information. Many online retailers are cultivating blog audiences, but I recently discovered one created by a Roanoke-based retailer, Fink’s Jewelers. 
I've still trying to reach Fink's to ask about the purpose of its blog, so I'll let you know once I find out more information. Also, here’s the blog by Carilion Clinic that I mentioned above. This also is a public relations tool for the company. A Wal-Mart blog, called checkoutblog.com, is an unusual example of how retailers put information out in the blogosphere. It has largely unedited entrees written by store managers and buyers for the retail giant. They often give insight about certain products sold at Wal-Mart, but not all of their reviews are positive. Here’s a recent New York Times story about Wal-Mart’s blog. April 3, 2008Breakfast habits revealedI came across a survey about consumers' breakfast habits, conducted by Braun Research, for Panera Bread. We’ve talked about the rising importance of the breakfast business for restaurants, and Panera Bread clearly has used this survey data to justify its recent launch of a series of breakfast sandwiches that are already in its Roanoke area locations. Here are a few results from the survey. I think the most interesting is the response that Mondays are the most popular days for breakfast cravings. 2) Nearly half of Americans classify themselves as “early birds” (46%) rather than night 3) When Americans know their day will be tough, they look to a hot breakfast to help them 4) Americans also fess up that Mondays are when they crave a hot breakfast the most – Relief in the high definition warThe high definition movie format war finally is over. You may be one of the many who is trying to figure out what to do with your Toshiba HD DVD player now that Sony’s Blu-ray machine has won out. Toshiba players no longer will play new movies. Even if you didn’t buy your HD DVD player from Best Buy, the retailer is marketing its trade in center as a way for consumers to receive an estimated value of their HD DVD players and movies. Keep in mind that you still can play existing HD DVD movie titles on these players. Also, for much of the month of March, Circuit City extended its return period for HD DVD players to 90 days, rather than 30 days. For returns, customers can receive a refund for the purchase price in the form of a Circuit City store credit. Let me know if you plan to return your HD DVD player or if you're on the hunt for a new Blu-ray machine. April 2, 2008$4 prescriptions at KrogerKroger now is charging $4 for 30-day supplies of some prescription generic drugs at its stores across the Mid-Atlantic region, including its Roanoke Valley locations. The new price applies to more than 300 generic drugs. Some of these generic medications treat conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Click here for the full list of medications and pharmacies. These prices, following similar initiatives by big box retailers to provide discounts on generic drugs, are available at Kroger’s 126 stores in the Mid-Atlantic. Kroger also said Wednesday that its pharmacies are offering generic versions of family planning drugs, including Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Tri Cyclen and a fertility drug. April 1, 2008O'Reilly moves in on Advance AutoRoanoke’s Advance Auto Parts could face some competition for its spot as the second largest auto parts retailer in the country. O’Reilly Automotive, which is the No. 3 player, said today that it will purchase CSK Auto, an auto parts chain with a strong West Coast presence, particularly in California. The O’Reilly acquisition of CSK will give the chain about 3,200 stores nationwide. That’s not far from Advance’s 3,261 stores. AutoZone still remains the No. 1 auto parts retailer with 4,000 U.S. stores. Several months ago, some analysts questioned whether Advance would try to buy CSK instead of O’Reilly. Now that the deal is complete, Advance may have lost out on a chance to expand its footprint. “From a competitive standpoint, we believe the O’Reilly/CSK Auto merger would keep Advance Auto Parts out of the West Coast market or at least the next 10-15 years,” said analyst Cid Wilson, in a research report. Check out this story for more details about the merger. Fishing for franchiseesIt looks like a fast food seafood restaurant chain wants to expand in the Roanoke Valley. I noticed an advertisement recently that sought local franchisees for Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen locations. A representative with this chain hasn’t yet returned a call for comment about its plans. More than half of Captain D’s restaurants are company-owned. Potential franchisees should expect to invest up to $1.1 million per restaurant, according to the company’s Web site. Also, franchisees pay royalty fees to Captain D’s that equal 4.5 percent of net sales Captain D's joins Dunkin Donuts, which several weeks ago announced its plans to find franchisees to open more stores across Virginia, including in the Roanoke Valley. |
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