Plaza-Midwood residents are slated to get a vintage clothing store next month, and a new, independent grocery store is scheduled to open this weekend near the Starmount area of southwest Charlotte.
Buffalo Exchange, a Tucson, Arizona-based chain of vintage stores, is opening its first North Carolina shop in mid-April. The store will be at 1521 Central Avenue, on the strip near other hip businesses and eateries such as The Penguin.
Founded in 1974, Buffalo Exchange is now a chain of more than 40 stores in 14 states. The company says that about 80 percent of its merchandise in each market is bought locally, from area residents.
Buffalo Exchange encourages people to swing by and sell their unwanted vintage or designer clothing at a buy counter in the store. You can also swap clothing you bring in for items on sale - no cash involved. The privately-held company says it generated more than $64 million in revenue last year.
Turning to southwest Charlotte, Galaxy Food Center is set to open Sunday, April 3, in a shopping center at the corner of West Arrowood and Nations Ford Road. The store will have a grand opening with giveaways - including 90-second shopping sprees, televisions, videogame systems and grills - and appearances by radio DJs "No Limit Larry" of Power 98 FM and "Chirl Girl" of V-101.9 FM.
The Galaxy Food Center will carry a full line of groceries, household goods, fresh meats and produce and a prepared foods and deli section. Its owners, who weren't immediately available for comment beyond a press release, say they have completely renovated the location and the store will create 60 new jobs in a disadvantaged neighborhood.
The store is one of about 150 independently-owned supermarkets that combine their buying power under the Galaxy banner to get lower prices from distributors. Galaxy will be open between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and on Sunday between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
I like the buffalo exchange here in Denver, Co.
ReplyDeleteBut a chain? And there's already Hong Kong across the street.
ReplyDeleteSounds like another Plaza-Central battle akin to that between Diamond and Penguin.
Is the Penguin all that "hip" now? Long Live the Diamond.
ReplyDeleteWho gives a damn if it's hip. The Diamond is just trying to play school kid bully. We'll wait and see what happens when Jack's opens this mega-grill beside it. They just tore down half the Steeple. Guess the Diamond will have to build a parking deck!
ReplyDeleteVintage = used.
ReplyDeleteI ain't that poor.
Ugh...hipsters.
ReplyDeleteRe-title the piece, "When hipsters slib into dumpsters and start jamming".
ReplyDeleteJust to clear things up a bit, Buffalo Exchange is a buy, sell, trade store. Unlike Hong Kong that selects vintage pieces and then prices them considerably high; Buffalo Exchange buys designer and trendy clothing from the community then prices them remarkably low for resale. The rest of the clothing Buffalo Exchange does not put in the store is given to local charities. It's a great concept that is not only green but is extremely generous.
ReplyDeleteBefore criticizing and brushing it off like it's just one more over priced thrift store that Charlotte doesn't need, you might actually want to check it out and see that there's a lot more behind it than just pretentious hipster shit.