What's In Store

Boyles Furniture is coming back

2012-02-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

Longtime North Carolina furniture company Boyles Furniture is trying to make a comeback, a year after the former company finished liquidation sales.

Conover-based Hendricks Furniture Group, the former owner of Boyles, filed for bankruptcy in 2009, citing the rough economy. The 34-store chain dwindled to five, then finally closed its last location last year.

But a new company, Home Furnishings Delivered, bought the Boyles name and intellectual property in 2011, for an undisclosed sum. Brothers Chad and Alex Hendricks, sons of the former Hendricks Furniture Group owners, are behind Hickory-based Home Furnishings Delivered.

The company is planning to open a new, 45,000 square-foot store in Mooresville in mid-March. The store, which they hope to expand to 60,000 square-feet within a year, will be located in the former Burlington Mills site, being redeveloped by Michael Bay. It will be named Boyles Furniture Direct.

The Hendricks, headquartered in Hickory, hope to use the "manufacturer-direct" retail model to offer low-priced furniture without compromising quality. They say the store will be "low cost, low overhead" and draw on their "experience in big box retailers and relationships their relationships with domestic and international vendors, and their success in large-scale sales events like Boyles’ famous Metro Sales."

"We knew this was a perfect way to re-introduce the brand," said Chad Hendricks, in a statement. "Our goal is to deliver great style at great values—all the best of what people remember about the Boyles name."

The company plans to open several other divisions, both physical retailers and online.

“This is an exciting first step back into the marketplace for the brand,” said Alex Hendricks. “For decades, the Boyles name has meant stylish furniture at the lowest prices in the country. We’re looking forward to building that reputation once again.”

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The company's new location in Mooresville. Here's a link to their Facebook page.

J.C. Penney rolls out new logo, prices

2012-01-31T06:32:00.000-05:00

J.C. Penney has a new look, a new pricing strategy, a new CEO and a new philosophy - and they're not particularly modest about their expectations.

"J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is taking the first steps on its path to reclaiming its birthright and becoming America’s favorite store," read the opening sentence of a press release Monday about the initiative. The changes debut on Wednesday.

The company, coming off a string of lackluster sales results, is revamping its approach under the leadership of Ron Johnson. He's the man who brought Apple stores into being, along with former CEO Steve Jobs.

The new JCP logo

Some of the changes are cosmetic, such as the company's new square logo, meant to go with the chain's new "Fair and Square" approach. Changes to pricing are more substantive. The company is moving away from promotions, coupons and steep, short sales to a simplified, three-color strategy. Red label items will be "everyday" low prices, white labels will indicate month-long discounts, and blue labels will be located on "best price Friday" items.

"Three ways to price our merchandise, and no more," J.C. Penney said, in its press release.

Johnson is also attempting to de-clutter the stores and make them cleaner-looking. There will be no more tables in aisles, and 70 percent fewer signs. Anything will be accepted for return at any store, J.C. Penney said, and stores will change monthly "to make it fun and fulfilling to shop."

Some analysts have hailed the move, while others say it poses a risk to J.C. Penney: If customers accustomed to sharp two-day sales with eye-popping 70 percent off headlines, will they respond to Red, White, and Blue?

There are more than 1,100 J.C. Penney stores nationwide. In the Charlotte region, there are five stores, at Carolina Place mall in Pineville, Eastridge Mall in Gastonia, Carolina Mall in Concord, the Rock Hill Galleria and Monroe Crossing.

So, what do you think? Will bringing in an ex-Apple guru, cleaning up the stores and simplifying the prices lure you to J.C. Penney?

Will 2012 be the year H&M opens in Charlotte?

2012-01-30T05:39:00.001-05:00

H&M, the fast-fashion retailer with a fervent fan base, posted its full-year earnings late last week, and said it plans to open a total of 275 new stores across the world this year.

The company has a total of about 2,500 stores, two of which are in North Carolina. The first is in Raleigh, while a second store in Winston-Salem opened late last year.

Charlotte has yet to have an H&M opening, however. The Stockholm-based store has reportedly inquired about a local location in the past, but hasn't found the right fit.

In its earnings report, H&M said it plans to open the greatest number of new stores this year in China, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. H&M will also open its first stores in Bulgaria, Latvia, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico (no word about Charlotte in the list of new markets).

The Facebook group "Bring H&M to Charlotte" is still drawing fresh posts, proving that hope never dies. Charlotte had to wait years for its first Whole Foods, as they spread across the state, but that store will open in the SouthPark area this year. So with 275 new H&M stores being built this year, do you think one of them will be in Charlotte?

New boutique opening in Metropolitan

2012-01-27T06:00:00.003-05:00

Lipp Boutique will open Sunday afternoon at the Metropolitan in midtown Charlotte, offering a selection of designer apparel and accessories for women.

The store is the creation of Shital Vaghasiya, who moved to Charlotte from Chicago about three years ago with her husband.

"The boutique will carry women’s clothing and accessories by a variety of designers. I wanted to bring fabulous, cutting-edge fashion to Charlotte," said Vaghasiya, in a statement. "I hand-picked what I think is a great mix of up-and-coming designers as well as more established designer lines."

Lipp will carry clothing, jewelry, makeup, purses and shoes. Labels will include Paige, Hudson, Cotton Citizen, BCBG Max Azria, French Connection, Michael Kors, Young, Fabulous & Broke, among others. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The store is opening at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29.

The store isn't Vaghasiya's first foray into business. She previously owned a string of Jimmy Johns restaurants in Chicago, which she sold when she moved to Charlotte. Vaghasiya said she plans to open a second Charlotte location for Lipp in the future.

Lipp's Twitter account is here, and Facebook is here.

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Blockbuster on East Boulevard closing

2012-01-26T05:32:00.000-05:00

So, the signs have been up for a little while now, but I finally have time to post a quick note about this: The Blockbuster store at East Boulevard and Kenilworth Avenue is closing in a few weeks.

The store is selling off its inventory, and an employee says its last day of business will be Feb. 19th. Blockbuster is chopping hundreds of locations, since the chain declared bankruptcy and was bought for $320 million by satellite TV provider Dish Network.

The chain is trying to promote its Redbox-like rentals, a Netflix-like mail rental system, and on-demand streaming video to compensate for the decline in rentals from retail locations.

Blockbuster's closing is just one of several local retail changes underway on that stretch of East Boulevard. The Harris Teeter in Kenilworth Commons is in the midst of a major renovation and addition. And two new stores on East Boulevard across from the Blockbuster are now open as well: Modern Lighting and men's salon Shear Excellence.

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Wal-Mart on Independence Blvd. opens today

2012-01-25T04:50:00.003-05:00

The new Wal-Mart on East Independence Boulevard opened today with a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony that caps years of construction and brings a big retailer back to a largely empty stretch of expressway.

The 148,500 square-foot store is newly built, on the site of the former Amity Gardens Shopping Center, and will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily. The store will have a Subway restaurant, a portrait studio and Walmart Money Center, in addition to the merchandise and grocery departments.

Wal-Mart says it will employ about 300 associates, and about 85 of those are filling new positions (the remainder are presumably transfers from the old Eastway Drive store). The average wage for a Wal-Mart associate in North Carolina is $12.39 an hour, Wal-Mart says.

The new store has a number of green features, Wal-Mart says, such as recycled cement in the flooring and skylights and LED bulbs to cut down on lighting energy.

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said store manager Rodney Hatley, in a statement.

And though the store will bring some life back to a largely-vacated portion of Independence Boulevard, the store move will leave another empty box in east Charlotte, at the retailer's former location on Eastway Drive, near Central Avenue. That's just a little bit more than 1 1/2 miles from shuttered Eastland Mall. No word yet on what's going in that space.

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New vintage shop pays tribute to the performing arts

2012-01-24T05:09:00.000-05:00

The musical career of Judith Beverly-Craycraft (J.B. to those who know her) took her many places. But along the way, as she played principal viola in Richmond's symphony and played in Broadway productions, she accumulated a lot of cool, vintage clothes and accessories.

"When we moved from Richmond to Charlotte in the summer of 2000, we moved with like a dozen wardrobe boxes full of costumes and vintage clothing I'd been collecting for years," said J.B. "It had to go somewhere."

Many of those goods - an eclectic mix of 1950s prom dresses, Vietnam-era officers' military uniforms, Victorian-era "mustache cups" (specially designed cups for men with handlebar mustaches), antique straight razors and cigarette cases, 1920s flapper dresses, top hats, jewelry - are on sale now at J.B.'s new store, Backstage, at 2005 Central Ave.

"It's kind of a tribute to all performing arts - music, theater, dance," she said.

J.B. started selling some of her wares at A Hidden Treasure, a store in Monroe selling collectibles and antiques. Her music room and garage were still full of stuff, however. When she started playing with the Asheville Symphony about 3 1/2 years ago, her husband had a suggestion. "You go to Asheville two or three times a month, load up the car and get some of this stuff out of here," he told her.

So J.B. started selling wholesale to vintage shops in Asheville, and eventually met a shop owner and became her business partner. The store was doing well, J.B. said, until the owner sold the building to a developer and asked the tenants to leave in 30 days.

"I was very upset, needless to say," said J.B. But driving on Central Avenue the day after Thanksgiving, she saw a for lease sign in a storefront, and decided to take a plunge. "I called that number, and that very day he let us move right in," said J.B. She spent time redoing the floors, repainting the concrete outside and sprucing up the shop, and had Backstage's grand opening on New Year's day.

In addition to running the shop, J.B. is a "regular extra" in four orchestras, including the Charlotte Symphony. She loves music, but the schedule of a full-time performer - rehearsals daily at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., loading up the bus at 7 a.m. and driving to performances all the time - got to be taxing, J.B. said. Now, she plays in big symphony productions and fills in for musicians who call in sick.

Backstage is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 or 6ish ("If somebody's in there, we won't kick them out," she said).

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FROCK Shop lounge to open in Plaza-Midwood

2012-01-23T04:29:00.001-05:00

A new boutique space featuring a mix of vintage and re-sale apparel and accessories is set to open Saturday, Feb. 4, in the Plaza-Midwood area.

The FROCK Shop plans to open a STYLE Lounge at 1200 Central Avenue, with a grand opening celebration planned from noon to 8 p.m. FROCK Shop, which launched in 2010, will still do trunk shows around the area.

The STYLE lounge location is in MoNA, the Museum of Neighborhood Art. The new shop will have a rooftop patio in the spring, along with wine and chocolate. The FROCK Shop also refurbishes and re-sells vintage goods under its own "Revival" label.

Second Roosters men's salon to open in Charlotte

2012-01-20T05:19:00.002-05:00

A second Roosters Men's Grooming Center is set to open Monday, Jan. 30, on Providence Road in the Rea Village Shopping Center.

The franchise store is owned by Charlotte residents Ed and Stacey Sedlacek. There are some 40 Roosters nationwide, and the other Charlotte location is in Ballantyne.

"When we were looking for a franchise opportunity, Roosters’ model of providing upscale hair care services for men really appealed to us,” said Ed Sedlacek, in a statement. “It’s a population that has been underserved in the hair industry.”

Roosters features upscale barbershop and salon options for men, such as a 7-step shave with hot steam towels, deep cleansing facial massage and hand and foot detailing.

Grand opening for Savory Spice in South End

2012-01-19T10:45:00.001-05:00

Savory Spice, a store featuring hundreds of fresh-ground spices, herbs and extracts, has its official grand opening scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21.

The Colorado-based franchise has been open in its Atherton Mill location since late November. Owners Amy and Scott MacCabe have scheduled a variety of events to mark the grand opening.

Starting at 9 a.m., the first 100 customers will receive a goodie bag of free spices. There will be a demonstration of cooking with curry from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and spice cabinet organization tips and tricks from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be a chili bar, jalapeno cornbread, iced chai and desserts (corrected, although iced chai would be nice in the desert) and pastries.

The store will also be offering an exchange program, where customers can bring in a competitor's containers of spice and exchange them for the Savory Spice brand for $1.

Hickory Lowes reopens with expanded assortment

2012-01-18T06:00:00.004-05:00

A Lowes Foods grocery store in Hickory is reopening Wednesday, Jan. 18, as a Lowes FreshSmart store, with a greater emphasis on upscale groceries.

The 45,543-square-foot renovated store will feature more beers, wines, cheeses and other types of gourmet selections, Lowes Foods says. There will also be more types of organic produce, and pre-cut, packaged vegetables at the store on 29th Street, NE. The deli will now feature a salad bar, and the seafood department has been expanded as well.

There will be grand opening events Wednesday morning, including a prize wheel and product samples.

Lowes Foods is owned by Alex Lee, Inc. The privately-held company is based in Hickory, and operates 108 Lowes Foods supermarkets in the Carolinas and Virginia. The company also operates Merchants Distributors, Inc., a wholesale grocery distributor, and Institution Food House, Inc., a food service distributor.

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New Cato store opening in Charlotte

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

A new Cato store is set to open Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the University City area.

The discount women's apparel store is in the University Pointe Shopping Center, at 5700 University Pointe Boulevard. The store will carry sizes 6 to 26 and girls' sizes 7 to 16, with new styles delivered weekly, Cato says.

Charlotte-based Cato Corp. chain operates more than 1,200 stores, under its main Cato brand, It's Fashion, and Versona, a new line of accessory stores recently launched at the Arboretum shopping center in south Charlotte. The company has four Cato stores in Charlotte, and 102 throughout North Carolina.

Cato has been struggling to find its footing lately, suffering from a bit of a recession hangover. In November, the company reported sales through Oct. 29, 2011 were up slightly, from $689 million in 2010 last year to $699 in 2011. But sales at stores open a year or more fell 1 percent, a trend that picked up speed in the third quarter, as they fell 3 percent.

Independence Wal-Mart opening end of month

2012-01-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

The new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Independence Boulevard is set to open either January 25 or 26. Either way, it will be a day after the older, nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter on Eastway Drive closes.

Wal-Mart hasn't officially posted the opening date for the new store on their store openings page, but an employee at the store confirmed those dates to a colleague of mine. The store on Independence Boulevard, located just before Albemarle Road, is nearly complete, as you can see if you drive past.

The old Supercenter on Eastway Drive is about a mile and a half from the Independence Boulevard location. I'll let you know when Wal-Mart corporate officially confirms the store's opening date.

Fun fact: If you go to Wal-Mart's store locator page and look for the store on Eastway Drive, you'll notice that while it still lists the address as 3304 Eastway Drive, the map marker is already on the store's new location, at East Independence Boulevard and Pierson Drive.

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Food Lion to close 113 stores

2012-01-11T22:45:00.002-05:00

Delhaize, the Belgian supermarket transnational that owns Food Lion, Bottom Dollar, Bloom and other brands, said late Wednesday that it plans to close 113 underperforming Food Lion stores in the U.S.

No Food Lions in Charlotte are on the chopping block, but a Food Lion at 825 Crossroad Plaza in Fort Mill will be closed. In all, the Food Lion closures represent about 10 percent of the Salisbury-based chain's total store count.

Also, six Bottom Dollar grocery stores, including the one in Mooresville, will be closed. Another 22 Bottom Dollars in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina will be converted to Food Lions. The company did say it plans to add hundreds of Bottom Dollar stores in the coming years, as consumers look to deep discount store formats for savings.

The 42 remaining Bloom stores will be converted into Food Lions and seven will be closed, ending an experiment with a new supermarket brand that began in North Carolina. The company already converted local Blooms into Food Lion stores months ago. At the time, Delhaize said it wanted to focus on growing the Bloom banner around Washington, D.C.

Delhaize America is closing a total of 126 stores across all of its brands, and 4,900 workers will lose their jobs. The store closures will be complete within 30 days, the company said.

"Today’s actions will continue to solidify our U.S. operations and enable our company to focus on our successful brand strategy repositioning at Food Lion and the expansion of Bottom Dollar Food in new markets,” said Delhaize America CEO Ron Hodge, in a statement. “While these were difficult decisions given the impact on our associates, customers and communities, we believe these actions will enable us to better serve our customers in our markets with high density, while positioning the company for future growth.”

The move represents a complete pull-out from Florida for Salisbury-based Food Lion; the retailer will no longer operate any stores in the state. Delhaize is also closing a distribution center in Tennessee.

There will be 1,127 Food Lions once the closings and store conversions are complete. Food Lion said the move will allow the company to focus one areas where Food Lion already has a lot of stores or a large share of the market.

A complete list of stores affected is available here. You can read the company's press release here.

Delhaize also reported its 2011 earnings. Revenue from all U.S. stores was up a modest 2.2 percent, reaching $19.2 billion. Sales at stores open a year or more, an important measure of a retailer's health, grew only 0.7 percent in the U.S. for the full year. In the fourth quarter, however, sales at stores in the U.S. open a year or more fell by 0.4 percent.

The store closings will reduce Delhaize's total number of stores by 4.3 percent. Interestingly, Delhaize said it expects the closings will cost it $650 million in revenues, but increase operating profit by 35 to 40 million euros (the Belgian company records its profits in the European currency).

Statesville to get new PetSmart and Michaels

2012-01-11T05:13:00.000-05:00

Two new shops, PetSmart and Michaels Stores, are set for a new shopping center being built in Statesville, according to local media.

The stores, each about 14,000 square feet, will be in the Turnersburg Highway Statesville Retail Center. The retail development will also feature an apparel store, an office supply store, and other retailers.

Read the full story at the Statesville Record & Landmark here. Thanks to my colleague Steve Byers for the heads-up.

Perry's at SouthPark jewelry shop will relocate in February

2012-01-10T11:42:00.001-05:00

Perry's at SouthPark is moving from its mall location into a new store across the street.

According a flier given to customers, Perry's new location will be in the Gold Building, which is across Morrison Boulevard from SouthPark mall.

The new store will feature appraisals and selling of gold jewelry and other estate pieces, as well as shopping. Perry's will be out of its SouthPark store soon, and the new store will open in February.

There's no word yet from the mall on what will replace Perry's. Thanks to my colleague June Lancaster for the heads up.

Here's a map of Perry's new digs, at 6525 Morrison Boulevard.

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Publix is coming...

2012-01-09T12:06:00.001-05:00

This probably isn't news if you live nearby, and there have been rumblings about it for some time, but it will still probably raise some eyebrows in Charlotte: Publix is opening two supermarkets later this year near Charlotte.

They're not listed with opening dates on the chain's website. But the signage is up, and "late 2012" is being publicly proclaimed as Publix's time frame.

Both stores will be in South Carolina, one in York County and one in Lancaster County. As the Charlotte Business Journal previously reported, the Lancaster County store is set for the new Cross Creek shopping center.

Here's a picture from the York County site, at Gold Hill and Pleasant roads. (Thanks to my colleague Mark Price for the photo and the heads-up).

The stores will be Publix's furthest foray north. As you can see in this store locator, their closest stores to Charlotte and North Carolina previously were in Columbia, S.C. and Greenville, S.C. Publix hasn't said yet whether it will actually push into N.C., where it currently has no stores.

Compared to Harris Teeter, the locally-owned higher-end general grocery store, Publix is a behemoth. Harris Teeter operates 204 stores, while Publix has more than 1,000.

Publix stock isn't publicly traded, being held by employees, directors and other company insiders, but Publix reports its financial results regularly. For the first nine months of its fiscal 2011, Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix reported sales of $19.7 billion and profits of $1.1 billion. Harris Teeter, for its full fiscal 2011, reported sales of $4.3 billion and profits of $91. million.

Do you think Publix will cross the state line and jump directly on to Teeter's home turf? And do you think the Charlotte region's upscale grocery market can sustain Publix, other new entrant Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Earthfare and more?

UPDATE - for more information on the Cross Creek Publix store in Lancaster County, check out the developer's website.

New boutique in Cornelius has a higher purpose

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Linda Williams took a leap of faith moving from New York to Cornelius to pursue her dream of opening a boutique, and she's taking another with her plans to donate 10 percent of revenue to charity.

Her new shop, Lemuel, is set to open Monday, Jan. 9, at 19826 North Cove Road, Suite A, in Cornelius. Williams said she's spent the past three months repainting and refurbishing the store with her fiance's help, doing everything themselves except installing a light fixture.

"No contractors," said Williams, a former special education teacher in Yonkers. "A real labor of love."

Williams said she always loved clothes, and as a young girl in the Bronx she would take the subway to visit stores in Manhattan. "I would take the train to Saks and Fifth Avenue," she said. She never had much desire to make clothes herself, however. "I sewed up my finger one time when I was 12, and that was it," she says with a laugh.

She became a teacher and worked with at-risk kids in drug prevention programs, Williams said. People would sometimes encourage her to pursue her dream of opening a boutique, but after her mom died in 1995, "I put it off again."

But over the past few years, several people close to Williams died. "Cancer just took them all out of here," she said. Some weren't even old. She had a realization: "It really became very paramount to do this now."

Her sister had lived in Durham, and often encouraged Williams to join her there. But the Charlotte region kept coming up in conversations, Williams said, and she decided that was where she was meant to go.

"I came down here at the end of March," Williams said. Her car was "loaded up like the Beverly Hillbillies," and she was intent on opening a boutique.

After searching at various different shopping centers, she decided on one in Cornelius. Following her renovations, Williams was almost ready to open, displaying her inventory of products from Fendi and Valentino. She just had to decide how much of her revenue she was going to give away: 10 percent.

"That's how God put it in my heart," Williams said. "Originally, I though 5 percent. Then, I went, 10 percent? Yeah, 10 percent. This is my relationship with God, to trust and serve him. The way to serve him is to help others."

Williams said her donations will go the Red Cross, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and the Baptist Children's Homes of NC.

Is she nervous about making such a big, revenue-walloping commitment, especially in this economy? "I had to block that out, had to pray," she says. "God has brought me this far."

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XXI Forever expanding its Concord Mills store

2012-01-05T06:15:00.003-05:00

Forever 21 is opening a larger XXI Forever store in Concord Mills this summer.

The 30,000-square-foot store will be four times larger than the current Forever 21 location, mall officials said. It will be located near the AMC movie theater in the mall.

The retailer will sell lines including 21Men, HTG81, Twelve by Twelve and a line targeted at kids ages six to 14.

“The newly expanded XXI Forever will enhance our broad value retail mix and appeal to our contemporary, fashion-forward shoppers looking for the latest trends,” said Ray Soporowski, general manager of Concord Mills, in a statement. An exact date for the opening hasn't been set.

And if you were confused about whether or not they are the same store (as I was at first), here is a pre-entered Google search for you.

Dollar General to open 625 new stores in 2012

2012-01-04T05:00:00.003-05:00

Dollar General, rival to Matthews-based Family Dollar, said Tuesday that it plans to open 625 new stores and add 6,000 jobs this year.

The Tennessee-based Dollar General chain totals 9,800 stores. Both discount chains have been in expansion overdrive since the recession, when more shoppers started flocking to them in order to save money.

Family Dollar and Dollar General are both expanding at a torrid rate, fueled by plenty of cash flowing into their coffers. In fiscal 2011, Family Dollar's sales rose 8.7 percent, to $8.5 billion, with $388 million in profit. In December, Dollar General reported sales were up 11 percent, to $10.6 billion, with $474 million in profit.

Even with both companies repurchasing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of their stock, that's a lot of cash to put to work.

Family Dollar is set to report its first quarter earnings on Thursday afternoon. CEO Howard Levine will likely reveal more details about the company's expansion plans this year during Friday morning's phone call with analysts. The company has previously said it plans to open 450-500 new stores in fiscal 2012.

The company opened its 7,000th store this year, pushed into the California market for the first time and has announced plans to open hundreds of stores each year. And Family Dollar is also in the middle of a plan to renovate all of the existing stores in its chain to improve sales.

In 2012, Dollar General will also be opening stores in California for the first time, as well as a new distribution center in the state. Both Dollar General and Family Dollar are muscling in to 99 Cents Only store territory in the Golden State.

Compare Foods, T.J. Maxx closing on Independence

2012-01-03T11:21:00.001-05:00

Two local retailers are closing up shop on Independence Boulevard, as the Compare Foods supermarket and the T.J. Maxx locations are shutting down soon or already shuttered.

Both stores are located in the shopping center at Independence Blvd. and Idlewild Road, on the right if you're driving out of the city on Independence. The area has struggled since Independence became a hybrid expressway, limiting options for motorists to turn off and head into the shopping centers.

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The Compare Foods store at the shopping center is already closed. A Compare Food employee at the supermarket's office said shoppers should go to the retailer's new location at 3600 North Sharon Amity Road instead.

T.J. Maxx will be open until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14. There is currently a sale underway to clear out the store's inventory, so head over for the final pickings.

In a spot of positive news for the area, the Walmart SuperCenter on Independence looks very nearly ready to open. Fixtures inside the store are visible from the outside, and the building, parking lot and landscaping look finished. No word yet today from Walmart on when it will open, but I'll let you know when I hear from them.

A bigger question than the Walmart's opening date, however, is whether or not the mega-store will help revive this struggling retail corridor.

Interiors Marketplace closing after 19 years

2011-12-27T09:52:00.002-05:00

The owners of Interiors Marketplace say the multi-merchant home furnishing store will close its doors for the last time on Friday, Jan. 6, as the Harris Teeter at Providence Road and Queens Road will soon demolish the building.

John Vieregg, co-owner of Interiors Marketplace, said he and his wife Kelley will now focus on their second store, Post & Gray. They had originally searched for a new site to relocate Interiors Marketplace.

"We really weren't able to find another location that was suitable," said Vieregg. "That doesn't mean Interiors Marketplace is going away." He said that eight merchants currently featured at Interiors Marketplace will move to Post & Gray, and that the newer store will offer many of the same goods.

The Viereggs opened Interiors Marketplace in Atherton Mills in 19 years ago. At first, they sold lots of antiques, and Vieregg said they were one of the first stores to help revitalize the South End.

Three years ago, the Viereggs moved from their 16,000 square-foot space in Atherton Mills to their current 4,500 square-foot space at Providence and Queens. At the same time, they opened Post & Gray, which is about 7,000 square feet, as a secondary location for overflow inventory.

They also opened Post & Gray to shoppers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Vieregg said. Since then, they've started opening the store on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well, and starting in January, they're adding Sunday.

When Harris Teeter announced they would tear down Interior Marketplace's building to expand the Harris Teeter Express in Myers Park, Interiors Marketplace temporarily extended its lease and prepared to move.

But Vieregg said they couldn't find the right place. The closest they came, he said, was the Mecklenburg Furniture building on Providence Road, but the 40,000 square-foot space was too big.

"It's hard to move from the corner of Queens and Providence," he said, but Vieregg said the Post & Gray location has benefited from the burgeoning population of young professionals around South End. The store will offer a wider range of goods, Vieregg said, as well as more private label products such as candles and upholstery manufactured exclusively for Post & Gray.

There will be a sale at Interiors Marketplace, and all merchandise that's not being moved to Post & Gray will be discounted, Vieregg said.

Best Buy not filling some online orders

2011-12-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

Wobbly retail giant Best Buy can't seem to catch a break lately. The chain recently said its Black Friday discounts were so deep they sliced its own profit margins; now, Best Buy says it can't even fill some orders.

As this story from TheStreet lays out, customers are upset that their orders - confirmed and paid for - are being canceled by Best Buy.

Here's Best Buy's statement: "Due to overwhelming demand of hot product offerings on BestBuy.com during the November and December time period, we have encountered a situation that has affected redemption of some of our customers' online orders. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused and we have notified the affected customers."

Black Friday 2011 might be remembered as a dark day for the company. Have any of you had problems with ordering from Best Buy?

Family Dollar enlists celebrity chef

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Family Dollar continues to aggressively promote its food offerings, partnering with celebrity chef Melissa d'Arabian (of Food Network's "Ten Dollar Dinner") in a contest to find frugal, Family Dollar-based recipes.

Customers can enter the "Dollar Dinners for the Holidays" contest at www.familydollar.com. There, you'll be able to enter a recipe, drawing on ingredients found at Family Dollar stores and within a cost range. D'Arabian will help select the winner, who gets a private entertaining consultation with the chef celeb and a $500 Family Dollar gift card.

The winner will be chosen in early 2012, Family Dollar said. The company, with just over 7,000 locations, has increased the amount of food available in its stores. Family Dollar (and other low-cost retailers) are trying to lure customers in for fill-in trips by offering a basic selection of groceries, nipping at the heels of Wal-Mart Supercenters and traditional grocers along the way.

You can read Family Dollar's announcement and more about the contest's conditions here.

Ruddick Corp. wants new name: Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc.

2011-12-20T06:00:00.006-05:00

Charlotte-based Ruddick Corp. has run the Harris Teeter chain as a wholly-owned subsidiary for decades. Now, it seems that the company finally wants a name that reflects what most people know it as: Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc.

Ruddick disclosed the plans in a securities filing last week. One of the matters for shareholders to vote on in September is: "To approve an amendment to the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation to change the name of the Company to "Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc."

Until recently, Ruddick was a sort of hybrid holding company, operating both the Harris Teeter chain of 204 stores and the American & Efird thread and textile company.

It was a somewhat odd marriage, with the supermarket part of the business bringing in by far the larger share of revenue - 93 percent of the total in the third quarter, for example. Ruddick sold American & Efird to a private equity firm in October (corrected), for $180 million (Ruddick recorded a $48.8 million loss on the sale).

Brothers and businessmen Alan and Stewart Dickson founded Ruddick in 1968, naming it for their late father, Rush Dickson. Now, with only one business line to focus on, it seems the old Ruddick name is falling by the wayside in favor of the more recognizable Harris Teeter brand.

Bi-Lo merges with Winn-Dixie supermarket chain

2011-12-19T09:03:00.001-05:00

Greenville, S.C.-based Bi-Lo has agreed to acquire and merge with Winn-Dixie stores, a deal valued at $560 million.

Bi-Lo, which announced the move Monday morning, has been trying to re-invent itself since exiting bankruptcy in spring 2010. The chain currently operates 207 supermarkets, including a dozen or so in the Charlotte market.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Winn-Dixie is a larger chain by store count, with 480 retail stores. The chain was founded in 1925, and employs about 48,000 people.

The companies said Monday that they don't know where the combined company's headquarters will be located. They also said that they don't expect to close any stores, and that the combined company will operate 690 supermarkets with about 63,000 employees.

So does the deal mean the end of the Bi-Lo or Winn-Dixie brand? As of now, the companies are saying that they'll continue to operate both banners, with Winn-Dixie functioning as a privately-held, wholly-owned subsidiary.

Like Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie is a legacy supermarket chain that struggled to find its way in the new era of Wal-Mart Supercenters and Whole Foods organic grocers. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2005, and though it has emerged, sales have continued to slump. Last year, Winn-Dixie announced it was closing 30 stores and laying off more than 2,000 workers as its troubles continued.

Bi-Lo was reported to be up for sale itself last year. The company was bought in 2005 by Lone Star Funds, a Dallas-baserd firm that specializes in buying up distressed companies. After coming out of bankruptcy, heavy-hitters Kroger and Publix were said to be interested in the chain, but nothing came of the talks.

Winn-Dixie shareholders still have to vote on the deal with Bi-Lo, which is expected to close in 60 to 120 days. They're unlikely to say no, as the $9.50-a-share price represents a 75 percent premium to Winn-Dixie stock's closing price on Friday.

Winn-Dixie's move "behind the curtain" into a private company will likely help it shed costs even more quickly. Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo don't operate any overlapping stores, the companies said.

The new, nearly-700 store chain will have stores in the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi. They'll be going head-to-head with Publix, Salisbury-based Food Lion and Charlotte-based Harris-Teeter.

US Airways comes in second-worst in hassles ranking

2011-12-16T13:14:00.001-05:00

An analysis of U.S. airlines by Bloomberg News shows US Airways comes in second to last for hassles passengers face, ranking higher than only now-bankrupt American Airlines.

Tempe-based US Airways operates its busiest hub in Charlotte, and flies about 90 percent of the airport's daily flights. US Airways spokeswoman Michelle Mohr told Bloomberg news that the airline has improved its performance greatly over the past few years, especially since a federal judge ordered an end to a pilot work slowdown.

Bloomberg analyzed several years of data to come up with ratings for the 10 largest U.S. airline companies, describing how often passengers face common hassles such as packed planes, late or canceled flights, and fees.

Out of a possible score of 100, American Airlines scored 31.2 - and higher was better in this ranking system. US Airways scored 32.5, and United (pre-Continental merger) notched 33.6.

Dallas-based Southwest got the best score, with 73.2 points.

You can read Bloomberg's full story here.

Trampoline recreational facility opens in Pineville

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sky High Sports, featuring thousands of square feet of trampolines, is opening Friday, Dec. 16, in Pineville.

The facility is at 601 N. Polk Street, near I-485 and Pineville-Matthews Road. Sky High Sports features trampolines that aren't quite like you'd find in your backyard.

As the website puts it: "Unlike home trampolines, with our specially designed, spring loaded frame, landing here has more give. All frames and springs are covered by 2 inch thick safety pads. With 360 degrees of trampoline walls and court supervisors, there's no falling off this trampoline."

Sky High Sports caters to parties, events, and extreme dodgeball players. The Pineville facility is the newest of about a dozen Sky High franchises.

The company says it hired nearly 50 people to staff the 40,000-square-foot facility.

Indoor maps from Google roll out at airport

2011-12-15T16:51:00.001-05:00

Android phone users killing some time at Charlotte Douglas International have a new option for finding shops, aside from wandering from through the concourses: Google Maps.

The Indoor Maps feature from Google is one of the search giant's latest offerings. It's being rolled out so consumers can pinpoint their location in malls and airports (and so Google can send them even more precise location-based advertising straight to their phones).

The maps of the inside of the Charlotte Douglas passenger terminal can be used to guide customers to their gates, locate restaurants and retail shops, and find all seven of the airport's Starbucks if you're desperate for a pre-flight caffeine fix.

Google also has indoor maps for participating department stores, malls and some additional airports, as location-based searches and directions move more rapidly onto hand-held devices. A few years ago, such services were exclusively the territory of dashboard-mounted GPS units for your car; now, you can use some of the most advanced technology in history to guide you straight to the footwear department at a retailer.

Currently, you'll have to have an Android phone to try out the new Google indoor maps. Given that about 75 percent of the Charlotte airport's 39 million annual fliers are passing through and catching connecting flights, not locals, Indoor Maps could prove a welcome service.

Chiquita still in talks for NASCAR Plaza office space

2011-12-14T09:33:00.001-05:00

Chiquita Brands International, Charlotte's newest corporate suitor, is closing in on signing for office space in the NASCAR Plaza, CEO Fernando Aguirre told the Observer on Wednesday.

Aguirre said the Chiquita brand will be prominently featured at the top of the building. "We're going to have Chiquita branding on the building," he said. "It's going to be on the top, as well as on the lower floors."

Chiquita is planning to lease about five or six floors in the building, which had struggled to attract tenants since it opened adjoining the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Last year, NASCAR Plaza faced foreclosure, though those proceedings were eventually stopped.

The Observer will have a full Q&A with Aguirre later in the week. We talked about Chiquita's plans for Charlotte, Aguirre's fascination with Twitter, worker rights, the company's troubled history in Colombia and the company's diversification to other fruits and salads.

On Monday, Charlotte City Council approved part of the local incentive package set to compensate the company for its move to Charlote. Altogether, Chiquita is in line for more than $22 million in state and local incentives, provided it meets jobs and investment targets.

Family Dollar promotes store redesigns, new merchandise

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Matthews-based Family Dollar held an event with bloggers and journalists in Charlotte on Tuesday to tout its redesigned stores and new goods, as the chain continues expanding rapidly.

Family Dollar, which opened its 7,000th store this year, is in a highly competitive retail category that puts it head to head with other dollar stores such as Dollar General, mega-chains such as Wal-Mart and convenience stores like Rite-Aid.

Tuesday's event was at the new Family Dollar store at 4301 East W.T. Harris Boulevard. Store officials said they're trying to emphasize the range of products carried in the store. They're hoping consumers will start thinking about Family Dollar for more than dollar store staples.

"People think it's a dollar store, it's a great place to buy detergent," said VP of merchandising Donna Barker, . She pointed to a selection of home goods, such as a $12 framed and matted painting, a $20 clock and $2 picture frames. alongiside kitchen accessories such as $10 coffee makers and toaster ovens.

The chain is much more focused on getting on trend than when she joined, Barker said, and offering customers the latest styles, not just the best prices.

Family Dollar is in the midst of a chain-wide overhaul of its existing stores in addition to opening new ones. The renovated stores have a different layout, with brighter overhead lights. Family Dollar has also expanded its food selection in all stores, another component the retailer touted Tuesday.

Although Family Dollar's core customer is still a person making $40,000 or less and looking to make ends meet, company officials said they're still seeing more customers from other income segments seeking good deals.

The company reports its first quarter earnings in January, and executives will have to show Wall Street they can continue the growth spurt that the little retailer from Matthews has been on.

Macy's to open for 83 hours straight before Christmas -

2011-12-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

But not in Charlotte. The company announced Tuesday that 14 of its stores, mainly in its largest markets, will be open continually from Wednesday, Dec. 21 until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24.

Another 27 Macy's stores (also none in North Carolina) will be open until 2 a.m. during the same nights, but again, none in Charlotte. Looks like you'll have to head to Tyson's Corner, Va., for your fix of 3 a.m. Macy's shopping action this year.

Slate celebrates anniversary, describes trials

2011-12-13T06:00:00.003-05:00

Debbie Hartnett opened Slate Interiors, a multi-merchant home furnishing and art store, a little more than a year ago on Central Avenue. She's contended with a slumping economy on top of the usual first-year business hiccups, and recently celebrated her store's anniversary.

"It was a daunting task when we first started, and we kept being reminded of that," said Hartnett, talking about the drumbeat of dreary economic news since the store's opening last November.

To compete, Hartnett has turned every available square foot of wall and floor space into selling opportunities for the more than 70 artists and merchants whose work is featured in Slate. And she means every square foot: Hartnett added a rack for pillows on one of the few empty walls, hangs art and chandeliers for sale in her office, and even has merchandise for sale in the restrooms.

She also works every conceivable angle to get people into the store, drawing on everything from social media to her prior experiences working at her family's old store in South Carolina. "Between special events and gallery crawls, we do one to two events a week," she said, including wine and cheese tastings and book clubs - all things the shop has to stay open past normal hours for.

A gallery crawl, which they do every month, involves at least a 13-14 hour day, Hartnett said. But such sacrifices are necessary to give the new shop a fighting chance, she said. "Average is not going to cut it in this economy," said Hartnett. "In this economy, you can't do just one thing. It has to be multifaceted."

The third strategy that helped her get through the first year is an aggressive focus on pricing items competitively, said Hartnett. She tries to target a lot of the goods to people in their 20s and 30s.

"They're the ones buying the $350,000 houses," she said. "The million dollar homes aren't moving." Many of the paintings, vintage accessories, wine glasses, pieces of jewelry, and pieces of furniture sell from prices ranging from $10 to a few hundred dollars.

Commercial real estate developer John Rudolph bought the building at 1401 Central Avenue in 2007, at the height of the property boom and a "terrible" time to make a big purchase. He worked to jazz up the building, which began its life decades ago as a Carriker furniture showroom.

Former tenant White Rabbit moved a few blocks down Central, and Slate and Midwood Smokehouse (owned by the same restaurant group as Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, Cantina 1511 and others) moved in. Rudolph also reopened the building's upper floors, which had been storage space, as about 9,000 square feet of office space.

"When we started this, there was a concern that this area was not known as a retail location," Rudolph said. But he points to the surrounding area - several new stores and restaurants such as Fern have opened - and says the experiment has worked out pretty well so far.

Vitamin Shoppe opening in midtown

2011-12-12T11:52:00.000-05:00

Several readers have asked what's being built across the street from the Target at the Metropolitan complex, on Kings Drive.

As previously mentioned, part of the new building at the corner will be a new Chipotle restaurant. Signs are now up on the other half of the building, which will apparently be a new Vitamin Shoppe.

According to the store's website, the Vitamin Shoppe will open January 2. The location will be the supplement and nutrition retailer's first store close to uptown Charlotte.

Two other restaurants, Hickory Tavern and La Paz, are also opening in the Metropolitan complex soon, adding to the area's crop of new places to eat.

Costco heading to Lake Norman area?

2011-12-06T06:02:00.000-05:00

Costco, the discount warehouse club retailer, is looking for a site to build a store in the Lake Norman area, according to a local real estate broker.

Brian Simon, of HRS Retail, said Costco executives have been to the area with him to look at possible locations. Developments along I-77, from exits 18 to 36, have been considered, Simon said. The retail chain hasn't decided on a spot, Simon said, and executives are returning later this week to look some more.

There are currently two area Costco stores, one in Matthews and one on Tyvola Road, in Charlotte. A new store in the affluent northern suburbs would give Costco a shot at customers who don't want to make the drive all the way to southern Charlotte or Matthews.

J.C. Penney bombs Black Friday

2011-12-05T12:18:00.001-05:00

While other retailers including Macy's, Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buys moved their Black Friday openings up to or even right into Thanksgiving day, J.C. Penney stuck with its usual 4 a.m. opening.

The department store chain was counting on sales from its website and loyal crowds of shoppers to keep it in the game, as the competition scrambled to open their stores earlier to get the first shoppers. J.C. Penney resisted opening as early as its rivals, saying it wanted workers to have the whole Thanksgiving day with their families.

The verdict is in on what effect that had on J.C. Penney's sales, and it wasn't pretty. "The Company noted that its decision to respect Thanksgiving Day for families and open at 4:00 a.m. on Friday, as it had in prior years, adversely impacted Black Friday sales," said J.C. Penney in a press release. "Sales remained soft in-store throughout the holiday weekend."

Sales through J.C. Penney's website on Black Friday weekend will be reported next month.

For November, sales fell 5.9 percent at J.C. Penney stores, totaling $1.74 billion. Sales at stores open a year or more, considered a key indicator of a retailer's health, were down 2 percent.

That's especially bad for the chain in a year when holiday retail as a whole continues to rebound, driven by deep discounts, and Black Friday sales as a whole were up 6.6 percent. And last year, J.C. Penney saw a 7.2 percent increase in its November sales.

So it looks like consumers have voted with their feet and their wallets, turning out in droves for 9 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight openings and shunning one of the few mass-market department stores that held out for a Friday opening.

Any retailers that consider trying to reverse the trend of Black Friday Creep will have to take note - and the earlier openings are probably here to stay.

New lighting and furnishings store at Phillips Place

2011-12-02T13:23:00.000-05:00

Patty Simpson was a merchant at Interiors Marketplace for 11 years, developing her love of lighting and interior design, before striking out on her own. Last week, she opened Granville at Phillips Place, her first store.

"I was delighted to find this small spot," said Simpson. She searched for a year and a half before settling on the 825-sq.-ft., former Sunglasses Charlotte store.

Granville opened last week, carrying an assortment of antique lamps, candlesticks and chandeliers. Simpson said she buys her antiques from all over Europe.

"I've evolved over many years of loving interiors and homes, searching for that special room," she said. "Lighting just transforms a room."

Simpson signed her lease Sept. 17, and spent the next few weeks in a flurry of gutting and redoing the store. She is currently staffing the store herself, along with two part-time employees.

The current climate of economic uncertainty didn't phase her, Simpson said. "I'm really not worried," she said. "This is a great city, with beautiful homes."

Granville is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Jet's Pizza to expand in Charlotte

2011-11-29T12:59:00.003-05:00

Charlotte is getting two new pizza stores, as Michigan-based Jet's Pizza plans to increase its presence in the region.

Jet's has two locations in the area now, one on Montford Drive and one in Huntersville. Both of them opened in 2010.

The chain's new locations are at 2712 West Mallard Creek Church Road in Charlotte and 920 Park Center Drive, in Matthews. Both new stores will open in December.

“North Carolina has been an excellent market for us,” said John Jetts, the chain's vice president of marketing, in a statement. “We’ve had an incredible response and we’re looking forward to further expansion in the state.”

Jet's signature dish is a deep-dish, square pizza. There are some 200 Jet's locations nationally, with sales of $163 million last year. The chain is also expanding in Raleigh and Cary.

Retailers hoping you log on for Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T11:36:00.000-05:00

Had enough of named shopping days? Too bad. Following on the heels of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, today is Cyber Monday, when stores are trying to lure shoppers online with perks such as web discounts and free shipping.

And like Black Friday, some retailers are turning what used to be a one-day event into a multi-day extravaganza. Wal-Mart, for example, is offering an entire "Cyber Week" of deals, with online-only deals such as a Fuji FinePix 14 megapixel camera with a 4 GB memory card for $59, and free home shipping on all orders over $45.

With record sales the day after Thanksgiving ($11.4 billion, up 6.6 percent), retailers are hoping to keep the positive momentum rolling. Last year's online sales rose about 16 percent the Monday after Thanksgiving, compared with 2009.

"I think you're going to see an even stronger number this year," said Beth Robertson, director of payments research at Javelin Strategy and Research. In a sign that consumers might be feeling more optimistic about the economic future, Robertson also said a greater share of online payments are expected to be made with credit rather than debit cards.

Online retail currently makes up about 7.2 percent of total retail sales, with $309 billion in sales expected for 2011. That share of sales is forecast to grow to 10.1 percent by 2016, according to Javelin Research, or $444 billion.

Originally a marketing strategy by the National Retail Federation-affiliated Shop.org, Cyber Monday was started in 2005 (read a New York Times story here for more details). Now, Shop.org is predicting 122 million Americans will shop on Monday (more than 1 in 3 people in this country), and 78 percent of retailers are offering special promotions for the day.

Local retailers are getting in on the action. Belk.com lists special deals such as 50 percent off men's topcoats and 50 percent off Rampage brand women's boots. Lowes.com is offering 42 percent off a Skil miter saw and 47 percent off a DeWalt cordless drill kit, for example.

And if you were really hoping we were done with named shopping days for the season, no such luck. Tomorrow is supposed to be "Green Tuesday," a day to promote eco-friendly purchases.

Black Friday sales jump 6.6 percent, set new record

2011-11-26T16:49:00.001-05:00

Retailers' strategy of opening earlier than ever paid off big, with a record $11.4 billion in sales on the year's biggest shopping day, according to the firm ShopperTrak.

The firm, which tracks both sales and foot traffic, said the number of shoppers on Friday also increased 5.1 percent. Sales were up 6.6 percent from last year's $10.7 billion.

"Despite our sluggish economy, shoppers proved they are looking for value and ready to buy," said ShopperTrak's founder Bill Martin, in a statement. "Still, it's just one day. It remains to be seen whether consumers will sustain this behavior through the holiday season."

This year's increase in Black Friday sales was the largest since that between 2006 and 2007, before the recession began. Sales jumped more than 8 percent that year.

This year, with retailers offering more and more pre-Black Friday promotions, sales were also up 3.8 percent the week before Thanksgiving.

Customers turned out in droves this year, as Target, Macy's, Kohl's, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Toys 'R' Us all announced their earliest openings ever, hoping to gain an edge on each other.

Black Friday: What's open when?

2011-11-23T06:00:00.004-05:00

Black Friday is almost upon us, which means it's time for a big roundup of which stores are trying to part you with your money, and when they're opening.

Below is a list of when local chain stores and malls are opening their doors to shoppers, as well as some shopping tips. This list is by no means comprehensive, but it does cover pretty much everything I've accumulated from malls and stores over the past couple weeks.

Thursday and Friday, email any questions/observations/anecdotes/near-trampling incidents you feel like sharing with me at elyportillo@charlotteobserver.com, or call me at 704-358-5041. I get your emails on my cell phone, and I'd appreciate any feedback.

Local malls:

SouthPark will open at 7 a.m. Friday. The following individual stores at the mall will open at midnight: Macy's, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Teavana, Lids, Express, Guess, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie and Hollister. Victoria's Secret and Belk will open at 3 a.m.
Northlake will open at 6 a.m. Abercrombie, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aerie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Express, Finish Line, Footlocker, Forever 21, Guess, Hollister, Lids and Perfumania will open at midnight. Bakers Shoes and Starbucks will open at 4 a.m.
Carolina Place will open at 6 a.m. Abercrombie & Fitch, Aerie, Aéropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Bella Scarpa, Body Central, Bourbon Street Grill, Carolina Jewelry, Cellairis, Chick-fil-A, Children's Place, Claire's, Express, Hat Shack, Hershey's Ice Cream, Hickory Farms, Hollister Co., Hot Topic, Icing by Claire's, Express Men, Finish Line, Gamestop, Gap, The Limited, Macy's, McDonald's, Lane Bryant, New York & Company, P.S. from Aéropostale, PacSun, Perfumania, Pro Image, Sbarro, Spencer's, Sports Fan Attic, Victoria's Secret, Wet Seal and XXI Forever will open at midnight. Authentik's and Belk will open at 3 a.m., Crazy 8, Gymboree, JCPenney, Rack Room Shoes and Sears will open at 4 a.m. and Dillard's will open at 8 a.m.
Concord Mills will open at midnight.

Other malls:
Monroe Mall will open at 3 a.m. Friday
Gaffney Outlets will open at midnight, with select stores open at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving

Individual stores:
Open on Thanksgiving: Old Navy, select Banana Republic and Gap stores, K-Mart, Wal-Mart supercenters
Open at 9 p.m. Thanksgiving: Toys 'R' Us
Black Friday sales starting at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving: Wal-Mart
Opening at midnight: Target, Macy's, Kohl's and Best Buy

Useful sites to look up Black Friday ads in one place:
http://www.2011blackfridayads.com and http://bfads.net/

Random tips and such:

So, have fun whether you decide to shop till you drop or spend Friday morning sleeping off your turkey hangover. Follow us on Twitter @theobserver for shopping-related updates Thursday and Friday, and check out the main Charlotte Observer website too.

Group promoting 'Buy American Month' this holiday season

2011-11-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

The next six weeks will see consumers pouring into malls, outlet stores and big-box retailers in search of bargains and gifts, and much of what they buy will be imported.

But a Seattle-based non-profit is hoping to bring more attention to American products and businesses this holiday season. TAP America is promoting "Buy American Month," a campaign to boycott products made overseas (and specifically those made in China), which the group says is the only way to revive our sickly economy.

Though it may be a worthy goal, buying American can be more expensive - and, as this LA Times story points out, practically impossible for some items. Some of the hottest gift items this holiday season, like Apple's products, are designed in America but assembled by workers in low-cost Asian countries.

TAP America acknowledges the difficulty of buying American-made products.

"Asking Americans to buy American is not an easy task,” said Richard Tso, the group's executive director, in a statement. “Today most all electronic, clothing and textile goods are manufactured in China and popular American companies like Apple, REI, Walmart, and GAP are sending manufacturing jobs overseas."

To get around that, the group suggests people buy experience-oriented gifts, such as massages and restaurant gift cards. Such services are impossible to offshore, and more likely to pump money into the local economy, TAP America says.

What do you think? Are you willing to spend more money on American-made goods, and is that something you're considering during your holiday gift shopping?

Also noted: A new Dell retail store is now open in Northlake Mall. Dell@Northlake is on the mall's first floor, near the children's play area. The store beefs up Northlake's options for computers and electronics, adding to the recently opened Apple store.

OSHA warns retailers to get ready for Black Friday

2011-11-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

With retailers days away from the biggest shopping day of the year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reminding stores to take steps to ensure no one gets hurt in the rush for bargains.

The stakes for retail workers are high. In 2008, a Wal-Mart employee was killed after being trampled, when a surging crowd broke through the door and stormed the store in search of bargains.

The latest OSHA guidelines, released late last week, include a lot of common-sense steps, such as "Set up barricades or rope lines for crowd management well in advance of customers arriving at the store" and "Make sure that all employees and crowd control personnel are aware that the doors are about to open."

But other bullet points make the danger clear. Stores are advised to "Position security or crowd managers to the sides of entering (or exiting) public, not in the center of their path" - a way to avoid potential trampling incidents. Retailers should also "Keep first-aid kits and Automated External Defibrillators" on-hand, to treat any injuries or cardiac incidents that occur.

"Locate shopping carts and other potential obstacles or projectiles inside the store and away from the entrance, not in the parking lot," OSHA advises. And "Ensure that barricade lines have an adequate number of breaks and turns at regular intervals to reduce the risk of customers pushing from the rear and possibly crushing others, including workers."

Blakeney, Sharon Corners shopping centers add stores

2011-11-19T13:29:00.000-05:00

Blakeney shopping center in south Charlotte has two new tenants, broker CNL Crosland Commercial Real Estate said.

Indoor cycling studio Flywheel Sports is headed to the center's second level, near the Banana Republic store. The 4,600-square-foot studio will open in January, CNL Crosland said.

Accessory store Bijuju opened in early November, Crosland said, next to the Talbots store. The store is about 1,400 square feet, and carries items such as handbags, cocktail rings, sunglasses, hats and scarves.

Bijuju moves into what was formerly the Creative by Nature HOME store. Creative by Nature relocated to a larger, nearly 2,700-square-foot space near Coldwater Creek. The home accessory and furniture retailer now has a larger showroom, CNL Crosland said.

The 270-acre Blakeney development is south of I-485, at Rea and Ardrey Kell Roads.

Over at Sharon Corners, near SouthPark at Fairview and Sharon Roads, Gigi's Cupcakes has signed for 1,200 square feet formerly occupied by shoe store Mephisto.

Mephisto is expanding and moving to the 2,500-square-foot store next to the Original Pancake House. The retailer is adding 10 new brands to its lineup with the added space, the store's owner said.

And Fibre Studio, a yarn store, is relocating to Sharon Corners from the Cotswold area. CNL Crosland said Fibre Studio's new location is about 1,800 square feet.

Whole Foods to give away 100 turkeys in Charlotte on Monday

2011-11-18T10:59:00.000-05:00

High-end organic grocer Whole Foods is giving away 100 free turkeys on Monday, as the company seeks to generate buzz ahead of its Charlotte opening next year.

The contest is a sort of guerilla-marketing strategy. Interested shoppers will have to follow the Facebook page for Whole Foods Charlotte location for instructions. They'll have to find a turkey mascot and tell him the answer to a question ("What makes a Whole Foods turkey different?") to get the bird.

The turkeys will come in insulated cooler bags, spokeswoman Darrah Horgan said, along with tips for how to cook them.

Whole Foods has long been one of the most anticipated additions to the Charlotte retail scene, especially after scrapping earlier plans to build a store in the Elizabeth area years ago. (Here's an earlier story, for those hungry for more details).

The grocer broke ground on the 42,000-square-foot store at Fairview and Sharon roads in April, and the store is expected to be open in the spring. The location is diagonally across from SouthPark mall, and in a location already offering high-end grocery options, including EarthFare and Harris Teeter's Morrocroft location.

Concord Mills to open at midnight on Black Friday

2011-11-17T12:57:00.000-05:00

Concord Mills, the mega-mall on I-85, will open at midnight on the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, the mall said this week.

Many of the stores will be offering steep discounts, such as 50 percent off everything at the Banana Republic Factory Store, 20 percent of at the Nike Factory Store, and up to 70 percent off select items at the Gap.

Though there's been some anecdotal backlash among consumers and workers (such as this petition by a worker asking Target not to open at midnight), it hasn't deterred retailers from pushing hours earlier than ever this Black Friday.

Major retailers, including Target, Kohl's, Macy's and Best Buy are opening at midnight on Black Friday, Wal-Mart is starting deals at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving and Toys 'R' Us is opening at 9 p.m.

"We are very focused on giving shoppers exactly what they want, which we see as the ‘more factor’ approach to shopping," said Holly Roberson, Concord Mills' director of marketing. And that includes more time to shop on Black Friday.

Toys 'R' Us to open at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving

2011-11-15T13:41:00.002-05:00

Retailers seem bent on falling over each other to see who can have the earliest ever "Black Friday" opening this year, and now there's a new leader: Toys "R" Us will open its doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Black Friday, traditionally the blockbuster shopping day after Thanksgiving, has been pushed earlier and earlier this year, finally biting firmly into Thanksgiving day. Best Buy, Macy's, Target and Kohl's all abandoned traditional 4 a.m. Friday openings earlier this month, and announced they'll open their doors right at midnight on Nov. 25.

Wal-Mart, the country's largest retailer, announced it would start offering doorbuster deals at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving, even earlier than the other stores. Gap, Inc. said about 1,000 of their Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap and outlet stores would simply stay open on Thanksgiving, as they did last year.

Toys "R" Us had opened at 10 p.m. last year. Company officials said the decision was made with customers in mind.

Black Friday is truly the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, and we’re excited to welcome customers at Toys“R”Us stores across the country for what has become an annual tradition for many families after Thanksgiving dinner is finished," said chief marketing officer Greg Ahearn, in a statement.

Retailers are competing for every dollar this holiday season, at a time when the economy is shaky and holiday spending is forecast to rise somewhere around 2 to 3 percent, about half of last year's increase.

There may be backlash building, however. Despite the stores' insistence that customers like the earlier hours, emails and phone calls I've gotten certainly indicate a lot of consumers are fed up with Black Friday creep. And some retail employees, like this gentleman who's starting a petition against Target, are also saying enough is enough.

What do you think?

Family Dollar goes coast-to-coast, opens first CA stores

2011-11-14T13:01:00.001-05:00

Matthews-based Family Dollar is set to open its first stores in California this week, completing the discount retailer's march west.

The chain was founded in Charlotte more than 50 years ago by entrepreneur Leon Levine. There are now more than 7,000 Family Dollar stores, as the company has ramped up expansion plans and taken advantage of an economy that's left more consumers looking for bargains.

I've written about Family Dollar's move into California before, but here's a story on the LA Times' website with a bit more detail. There's also a press release from Family Dollar today about the store's plans.

The company's first four stores in California will open this week, on Thursday, and plans to have 50 more open in the state by next fall. Family Dollar will target southern California first.

Retail events for Veterans Day

2011-11-11T06:36:00.004-05:00

In addition to parades and other events, retailers are offering discounts and some services to military personnel to mark Veterans Day.

Here is a very limited, extremely far from comprehensive list of some of what's on tap:

Harris Teeter is offering an 11 percent discount (after coupons and other discounts have been applied) on groceries to service members on Friday, Nov. 11. A valid military ID card is required.

Also on Friday, Nov. 11, Food Lion is offering a 10 percent discount to service members. The company will also donate $134,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit that helps wounded veterans.

JCPenney is giving 6,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan gift certificates for $200 worth of clothing. The winners will be randomly selected from veterans who sign up for a shot at the prize by Nov. 20. For more information, click here.

Wal-Mart to start Black Friday on Thanksgiving

2011-11-10T04:00:00.002-05:00

If you thought Black Friday creep (the trend driving stores to open earlier and earlier the day after Thanksgiving) might be a passing fad, abandon hope: Wal-Mart is jumping into the ring.

Wal-Mart said Thursday that it will kick off its Black Friday sales at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving day, joining a host of other national retailers who are pushing shopping right up to - and even into - turkey day.

“Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early, so we’re going to hold special events on Thanksgiving and Black Friday,” said Duncan MacNaughton, Wal-Mart's chief merchandising officer, in a statement about the retailers earliest Black Friday ever.

The retail giant's sale will run in two waves. First, at 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, home goods, toys and apparel will be steeply discounted, followed by a midnight sale on electronics. Wal-Mart will also have online-only sales with free shipping on Thanksgiving, and continuing discounts through the holiday weekend.

Last year, Wal-Mart followed the early bird schedule of most retailers, starting its sale in the pre-dawn hours after Thanksgiving. But this year, Black Friday has been shifting relentlessly earlier: Kohl's, Target, Macy's and Best Buy have all announced their first ever midnight openings. Charlotte-based Belk has given an hour, announcing it will open at 3 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. this year.

Gap plans to have about 1,000 of its Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and outlet stores open on Thanksgiving day.

The race to open earlier comes as retail trade groups and analysts are mostly predicting lackluster gains in holiday spending, as the economy remains on rocky ground and it's not clear when steady improvement will begin. Black Friday is usually the biggest single shopping day of the year.

Wal-Mart has been turning the clock forward on the holiday season this year. The retailer rolled out some holiday merchandise in mid-September, its earliest yet, and held an extensive sale last weekend with discounts it said were close to Black Friday levels.

So, readers out there, what do you think? Do you buy MacNaughton's argument? Might it actually be saner to do your shopping right after Thanksgiving dinner and then fall into bed, exhausted but satisfied, at 3 a.m. or so? Or is this just one more example of creeping commercialism marching ever-deeper into once-sacred territory?

Feeling sick - go see Dr. ...Wal-Mart?

2011-11-09T14:19:00.002-05:00

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, wants to become the nation's largest primary health care provider.

The article, which actually originated with KaiserHealthNews.org, says that Wal-Mart is soliciting partner companies to help it provide low-cost primary health care.

According to the Journal's story: "Wal-Mart said in its proposal document that it is interested in offering services including clinical care such as monitoring for asthma, sleep apnea and osteoporosis; diagnostic services such as allergy and blood testing; and preventative services such as vaccinations and physical exams, as well as health and wellness products."

The retail giant has struggled domestically with declining sales and sluggish growth at it's 3,800 U.S. stores, even as it keeps growing overseas. Wal-Mart has shifted its merchandise mix to add back thousands of items taken out of stores in a de-cluttering effort a few years ago, in a bid to lure shoppers back.

Wal-Mart also has a successful line of financial services at its Money Centers, which offer low-cost check cashing and pre-paid debit cards to shoppers, many of whom lack bank accounts. Efforts such as that - and its potential medical services - lure more potential shoppers into the store, boosting traffic and sales.

So will you go to Dr. Wal-Mart? Or is the retail giant already big enough, in your opinion?

Gap Inc. stores to open Thanksgiving day

2011-11-08T17:45:00.001-05:00

Gap Inc., owner of the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands, said Tuesday that some 1,000 of its stores will be open on Thanksgiving day this year.

This isn't a first for Gap, which has previously had stores open on Thanksgiving. The retailer has struggled with anemic sales and a flagging brand identity, and recently announced it will close about a fifth of Gap brand stores in the U.S.

But this Thanksgiving will be all about generating sales on a day when most Americans will be home gorging on football and turkey.

Gap said Tuesday that about 80 percent of its Old Navy stores will be open on Thanksgiving, with the rest opening at midnight on Black Friday. For Gap stores, 116 of them will be open during the day and about 200 will open at midnight Friday. Some 30 Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory stores will be open on Thanksgiving, and 250 will open at midnight Friday.

Company officials said their customers want the early openings - and want a place to go on Thanksgiving to get away from celebrations.

“Our customers have given us terrific feedback about the option of getting a head start on their shopping on Thanksgiving Day,” said Tom Wyatt, Old Navy's president, in a statement. “It’s a fun environment for the whole family, and a welcome excursion for those looking to get ahead or take a break from the holiday festivities. This is a win-win for our brand and our shoppers alike.”

Black Friday ads being posted online

2011-11-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

Retailers are starting to unveil specific ads for Black Friday, many of them on websites advertising so-called "leaked deals."

As in years past, the ads are popping up on sites like BlackFriday.info, GottaDeal and BFads.net. One of the most recently posted ones is a 72-page doozy from JCPenney, detailing discounts on everything from apparel to bedding, and the retailer's traditional snow globe giveaway.

Although some of these ads may in years past have actually been leaked prematurely, now it seems increasingly unlikely. As Consumerist puts it, "I'm not calling this ad a "leak" because I think by this point we all realize that pre-feeding the ads to online sources has now got to be part of retailers' marketing strategy."

Best Buy also to open at midnight on Black Friday

2011-11-04T16:18:00.000-04:00

Add a fourth retail to the list of those falling before Black Friday Creep: Best Buy will join Target, Macy's and Kohl's in opening to shoppers the minute Thanksgiving ends, at midnight on Friday.

This year will be the first time any of these stores open that early. Last year, they mostly opened at around 4 a.m. - still very early, with thousands of shoppers lining up in the pre-dawn hours, but not midnight.

"Must-have holiday gifts will be available even earlier when Best Buy opens its doors at 12 midnight," the electronics retailer said in a press release Friday.

"At Best Buy, we're focused on creating an unparalleled shopping experience for our customers," said Barry Judge, Best Buy's chief marketing officer, in the same statement. "This commitment will come to life throughout the holiday season in a variety of offers and initiatives that give customers great values and the most convenient ways to shop for everyone on their list."

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn sounded somewhat less enthusiastic about the earlier hours, according to this story in the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. He said Best Buy was pushed into opening early by rival retailers who had already announced plans to do so.

"I feel terrible because it impacts, it'll change some Thanksgiving plans for some of our employees," Dunn said. "I know that the decision has been a bit controversial with some of our folks, but the truth of the matter is, the customers will be out there, lined up, for that midnight opening."

Carmel Commons getting $3.5 million facelift

2011-11-03T15:04:00.000-04:00

My colleague Caroline McMillan has a good story about Carmel Commons shopping center posted online today. Since I've gotten reader inquiries about what's going on at the site, I thought I'd post a link to the story (click here).

Basically, owner Regency Centers is putting in a new roof, new sconces, fresh paint, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, new lighting and updated landscaping, among other changes.

Caroline's story also includes the owner's renderings of what the project, targeted for a March 2012 completion, will look like once the updates are complete. So check it out, and bon shop-etetit (Boy, that was corny).

New chain, Burgerfi, headed to town

2011-11-03T06:09:00.002-04:00

Charlotte is in line to get another "better burger" chain, as a pair of local restaurant professionals have signed an agreement to open 20 Burgerfi locations in the Carolinas.

"We'll eventually have four to six in the Charlotte area," said Burley Moss, who has previously developed franchise locations for Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. "It takes you a while to get that first, one and they seem to roll pretty quickly after that."

Along with business partner Henry Harris, Moss said he's searching for sites in Charlotte and hopes to open the city's first Burgerfi in the second quarter next year.

North Palm Beach, Fla.-based Burgerfi currently has five locations. The chain focuses on humanely-raised, naturally-grown beef burgers, and features green touches such as chairs made from recycled materials.

Charlotte has seen fast-casual burger concept restaurants grow recently, with new market entrants such as Smashburger and American Roadside Burgers, and the expansion of Bad Daddy's Burger Bar and Five Guys. But Moss said he doesn't think the city's burgerscape is too crowded.

"I don't think so," Moss said. "It's definitely a growing segment."

Part of the reason he thinks the chains will have enough room to grow together is appeal that crosses income lines: Prices low enough to lure everyone, and menu offerings attractive enough to lure upper-income customers.

Said Moss: "The people who live in... $4 million houses will eat at our burger restaurant, and the people who cut their grass will too."

Blue Chameleon consignment opens in Matthews

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Downtown Matthews has a new consignment store, as Karen Geisler and her husband Tom have opened The Blue Chameleon at John and Trade streets.

Geisler, a former textile design graphic artist, named the store for the exotic lizards she used to keep and breed. "They're very fragile creatures," she said. "I thought, I have to name a store after them. They're so beautiful."

And, like a chameleon's skin, Geisler said her merchandise is constantly shifting. The store, which opened four weeks ago, carries a mix of furniture, Victorian antiques, handmade and vintage jewelry, dishware, rugs, chandeliers and other goods. Three local artists have also consigned works to the store to sell, Geisler said.

Blue Chameleon is currently being run by Geisler, who lives in Wesley Chapel, and one of her friends. The store was years in the making, Geisler said.

"I've been wanting to do this for years. I just haven't been brave enough," she said. "I thought with the economy how it was, and people not buying new furnishings, we might get a pretty good start."

Geisler spent about five years planning for the store. Finding the 6,000-square-foot former rug shop in Matthews that would become her shop took about a year, Geisler said, and spent weeks painting and preparing the store after that.

"I had never started a business before, and didn't realize how much there is to do," Geisler said. "We spent many a night painting."

Four new stores, plastic surgery office to open soon at SouthPark

2011-11-01T18:35:00.001-04:00

SouthPark mall announced on Tuesday evening a slew of new outlets set to open over the coming months, including House of Hoops by Foot Locker, Lily Pulitzer, Criswell & Criswell, Eye Candy, and Paul Simon for Women.

Here's a quick rundown of the new stores:

House of Hoops, 6,100 square feet. Set to open mid-November, this boutique-style store will sell player footwear, basketball shoes by Nike, Converse and Jordan Brand, customizable t-shirts and more. There will also be a "VIP area" to read magazines and watch player interviews.
Lily Pulitzer, 2,490 square feet. This store will open in February 2012, with its line of handbags, accessories, clothing and more featuring the brand's signature print designs.
Eye Candy, 1,500 square feet. The shop opening in the Village at SouthPark in March 2012 will be the Gastonia-based company's second boutique, selling labels such as Shaye Blue, Judith March and Savannah Rae.
Paul Simon for Women, 3,000 square feet. Set to open in summer 2012 in the Village at SouthPark, the store will sell "classic clothing with a twist."
Criswell & Criswell, 3,000 square feet. This plastic surgery office, also opening in the Village at SouthPark, will be the Charlotte practice's second location. The office will provide a "friendly and discreet environment," a SouthPark spokeswoman said in a press release.

So, there you have it. Shop till you drop, then settle in for a consultation for what to do about those pesky crow's feet.

Target, Macy's and Kohl's to open at midnight on Black Friday

2011-10-31T12:46:00.004-04:00

Add three more retailers to the ranks of those hit by Black Friday Creep: Target, Macy's and Kohl's will both open at midnight the day after Thanksgiving for the first time this year.

No longer is lining up at 4, 5 or 6 a.m. for Black Friday deals enough. Store opening times have edged earlier over the past few years, with many retailers opting to open their doors the minute Thanksgiving officially ends.

Some retailers have pushed even earlier. Last year, Sears and Kmart were open on Thanksgiving day itself for the first time, and Toys "R" Us opened at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

"The holidays bring hectic schedules and tight budgets, so extending store hours and offering lots of additional ways to save makes Target a great choice,” said Tina Schiel, Target's executive vice president for stores, in a press release. Target will also have longer hours the day before and after Christmas this year, the company said.

Target is also experimenting in Denver with having stores open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving day, according to reports.

Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren said in a statement that Macy's decided to open earlier this Black Friday (most stores opened at 4 a.m. last year) "in response to our customers’ eagerness to shop early for great deals."

Kohl's also said this week that it will be open from 12 a.m. Friday, Nov. 25 to midnight the following day, doing business for the full 24 hours following Thanksgiving. This will be the retailer's earliest opening ever on Black Friday.

Retailers are competing for shoppers' dollars this year as unemployment remains high and calling the recovery "weak" sounds generous. Most forecasts have called for moderate growth in consumer spending this holiday season compared to last year, though none have predicted anything spectacular.

Black Friday (which got its name, at least apocryphally, by being the day retailers went from being in the "red" to the "black"), is often, but not always, the single biggest day for consumer spending. Last year, Black Friday sales edged up less than 1 percent, to about $10.7 billion.

How early is too early? And what's the earliest you'd go to a store and line up for a Black Friday deal?

Note: Post updated to reflect Kohl's opening

Wal-Mart to add more craft beer

2011-10-20T14:59:00.000-04:00

The world's largest retailer is going to open up some more space on its shelves for craft beer, according to this short piece in Advertising Age.

Former Walmart CEO and current board member Lee Scott said he recently talked with a top Wal-Mart exec "who clearly is in line with the fact we've got to make more space, we have to have more representation on assortment," according to E.J. Schultz's story in Advertising Age. He made the remarks at a beer distributors' convention in Las Vegas.

"You can't take an area like beer where people are moving to craft and 'under-assort' yourself because the person who is buying craft beer and wants that assortment will drive to Kroger and pay the 15% more," Scott said. Individual store managers will make some decisions about what to stock and where, Schultz writes.

Craft beer has been a growing segment for years, with hundreds of new breweries wresting slices of the action from the market-leading mega-brands like Coors, Miller and Budweiser. Craft beer selections have grown at many grocers. Some have even started contract-brewing their own private labels, such as Harris Teeter's recently introduced Barrel Trolley.

Christmas kicks off at Home Depot

2011-10-18T17:21:00.000-04:00

Ari Shainwald is the guy who brings Christmas to Home Depots in the Charlotte area. If Santa was appointing helper elves for home improvement store merchandising, Shainwald would be a strong candidate to lead the team.

On Monday, after the Home Depot on Rivergate Parkway in Steele Creek closed, Shainwald's team got to work, building a new Christmas display area at the front of the store for the wreaths, lights, stockings and inflatables arriving by the pallet.

Their work is part of the unseen retail world, which most people don't encounter unless they've spent time working in a store. And it's extremely detailed, with "planograms" dictating everything from the placement of merchandise on shelves to the height of each display, down to the inch.

Home Depot spokesman Craig Fishel had invited me by the store to see the store's holiday merchandise "reset," as it's known. I went to check out the process myself, and found that as well as being very detailed, the reset is very loud, as rubber mallets slam steel frames together and metal shelves are thrown on top of them.

"Here, we need to follow the schematic to a T," said Shainwald, gesturing to the 8-foot by 8-foot "bay" where the stocking display would soon be. "When we leave this store on Wednesday morning, it's Christmas."

The team of 15 works 10-hour overnight shifts, putting in all of the holiday merchandise Home Depot will have in one two-night session. Workers take their lunch break at 1:30 a.m. They've almost completed the eight stores in the Charlotte market, Shainwald said.

The holiday season has grown in importance for Atlanta-based Home Depot since the chain expanded its Christmas seasonal merchandise five years ago. Last year, Home Depot sold 2 million live trees and 40,000 miles worth of light strings, Fishel said.

Until 3 1/2 years ago, the Merchandise Execution Team - Shainwald's domain - was outsourced to third-party vendors. Home Depot brought the service back in-house to ensure more consistency, Shainwald said.

He starts planning two to three months before actually resetting anything in the store, walking through the space and laying out the designs with the manager. When the merchandise arrives, it's in color-coded pallets with scannable codes - one swiped of a handheld reader tells Shainwald where it goes - and routed to the proper spot.

"A lot of technology goes into this," Shainwald said.

If you've ever visited a shopping mall or department store, you have some sense that American seasons are now determined as much by retailers as by the tilt of the Earth's axis.

At Home Depot, workers haul away summer and fall, literally, as the patio furniture, grass seed and fire pits are carted away and replaced with wreaths, ornaments and strings of LED lights. Walk in on Monday and it's the tail end of fall; walk in two days later and its Christmas.

SAS Shoes opening Charlotte-area store

2011-10-14T11:19:00.000-04:00

A Charlotte couple is opening an SAS Comfort Shoe Store next month, at a shopping center next to Carolina Place mall.

One of the store's main selling points is that they manufacture all of their shoes in America, at factories in San Antonio, Texas. Former Wachovia banker Dan Norton and his wife Lisa are behind the new store.

"We remember a time when we could go down to the shoe store and have our feet measured and our shoes fitted properly," Dan Norton said in an email. He said that kind of customer service will be another hallmark of the new store, at 9433 Pineville-Matthews Road.

The company's shoes are all handmade, Norton said, and come in 73 sizes for women and 83 sizes for men, in five widths, from slim to double-wide.

A grand opening is planned for Saturday, Nov. 5. which will feature refreshments and prizes, including an HDTV.

Other notes: Local restaurant news blog Charlotte Restaurant Traffic is reporting that Dolcetto Wine Room, in Piedmont Row at SouthPark, is set to close after four years in business. Check out the link above for more information.

Malls ready for Friday iPhone 4S debut

2011-10-12T14:32:00.002-04:00

It's new iPhone time again, and it's Charlotte's first Apple product launch with two local Apple stores, at SouthPark and Northlake malls.

And though some Apple fans might have been disappointed by the product's launch (they were holding out hope for a redesigned iPhone 5), the company has said that the iPhone 4S has already pre-sold more phones than any other model, over 1 million.

Apparently there are enough consumers who want to buy a new iPhone to sustain demand, even in a down economy. And maybe Steve Jobs' death also contributed to some buzz about the new phone.

Here's what the malls have planned:

- At SouthPark, the mall is opening its doors at 7 a.m. to shoppers, as usual. The Apple store will open at 8 a.m.

- Northlake, which just got a new Apple store, is letting customers onto the mall's property at 5 a.m., and letting them into the mall itself at 6 a.m. to get in line. The store then opens at 8 a.m.

Sprint, Verizon and AT&T are also selling the new device.

Bonus note: If you're a zombie fan, the AMC show "The Walking Dead" will be at Northlake on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to promote its season two premier. The truck on-site will feature zombies and finger cupcakes.

Pandora, Teavana to open at Northlake

2011-10-11T14:17:00.001-04:00

Northlake Mall is set to get a new jewelry store and tea shop soon, with the addition of Pandora and Teavana.

The mall doesn't have exact opening dates for the stores yet, but Pandora should be open for the holidays, mall spokeswoman Nan Gray said. Teavana is expected to be open in the next three to six months.

And the two-story, empty Borders bookstore (the chain recently went out of business) has been temporarily filled with a Halloween shop that will become a Christmas store later in the holiday season.

Gray said four other national retailers are set to open at the mall next year, but she can't yet say which.

The Limited to open at Northlake Mall

2011-10-10T14:38:00.001-04:00

Women's clothing retailer The Limited is opening its fourth Charlotte-area location this month, with a store being prepped at Northlake Mall.

A grand opening is set for the weekend starting Friday, Oct. 21. The events will include a sale, a raffle and a donation to Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, and The Limited CEO Linda Heasley is expected to attend.

The new store is 4,500 square feet, with features such as wood flooring, more dressing rooms, more cash registers and an "e-bar" with access to the company's website to place online orders in-store.

The Limited already has stores open at SouthPark, Carolina Place and Concord Mills, and has 230 stores nationwide. The Columbus, Ohio-based company is owned by Sun Capital Partners, a private equity and leveraged buyout firm.

Charlotte's 30th Bojangles' opens

2011-10-07T15:31:00.000-04:00

Bojangles', founded in Charlotte more than 30 years ago, is opening its 30th location in town Friday, October 7.

The restaurant, located at 3301 Wilkinson Boulevard, is the sixth franchise operated by Charlotte couple Raj and Nancy Pathak. It's also North Carolina's 264th Bojangles'.

"We've had our ups and downs, but the business for the last few years has been very strong," said Raj Pathak. He formerly operated several small delis, before opening his first Bojangles' franchise in the 1990s.

Bojangles' is back in aggressive growth mode. The chain was sold to Boston-based private equity firm Advent International earlier this year. It had been owned by Falfurrias Capital, which was founded by former Bank of America chief Hugh McColl, Jr. and chief financial officer Marc Oken.

Pathak said he plans to open another store soon, his seventh, and will be open to further expansion after that. "We always are looking for opportunities," he said.

Dee-Dee Harris opens DQ Orange Julius near SouthPark

2011-10-05T12:08:00.000-04:00

The SouthPark area has a new cafeteria and frozen treat shop, owned and operated by prominent Charlottean Dee-Dee Harris.

The DQ Orange Julius shop is located at 6555 Morrison Boulevard, in a building that also houses a Bojangles', Donatos Pizza and a cafeteria. The complex is directly behind SouthPark mall.

Dee-Dee, her husband Cameron Harris and other Harris family members have had a hand in many of Charlotte's biggest real estate projects.

"I am thrilled to have the DQ Orange Julius store in Charlotte open and ready to serve our customers," said Dee-Dee Harris, in a statement. The store will serve frozen goodies, as well as hotdogs and sandwiches.

Bedford Falls toy store to close this month

2011-10-04T15:32:00.002-04:00

The wonderful life of Bedford Falls, an independent toy store in Charlotte for 24 years, is coming to an end.

Jean Odom, Bedford Falls' owner, said she's not shuttering the Park Road Shopping Center store because business is bad. Instead, Odom said she wants to focus her time and energy on her other business, Cardinal Lane Book Fairs, a growing company that's been providing textbooks and book fair materials to local schools.

"It has gotten to be where I'm so busy I had to make a choice," said Odom. "My thought was, do you go through Christmas and keep trying to do two full-time jobs?"

The toy store will close Oct. 22, Odom said. While closing a toy store on the eve of the holiday shopping rush seems counter-intuitive, Odom said she believes selling off her inventory will be easier now than after Christmas.

Most of the store's inventory is 30 percent off, Odom said, and the markdowns will increase as the closing date draws nearer.

The store drew its name from the town where "It's a Wonderful Life" is set. "We truly wanted to be like George Bailey," Odom said, referring to the movie's main character, who influenced his community in many positive ways.

There used to be three Bedford Falls stores. A location in the University City area closed after it failed to become profitable, Odom said. A longtime location at Providence and Sharon Amity Roads eventually followed suit. The Park Road store opened 14 years ago.

"It was an incredible place," she said. "I have nothing but happy memories."

Odom said her Cardinal Lane Book Fairs business grew out of the Bedford Falls stores. She said that she began putting on book fairs with local schools about 20 years ago. Odom renamed the business Cardinal Lane Book Fairs about four years ago.

Things really took off when the Joseph Beth bookstore at SouthPark closed last year. The closing store passed Cardinal Fair textbook accounts for two local private schools. Odom found herself getting busier than ever.

When she decided to choose one business to keep open, Odom said she picked the book business because of her passion for reading. She remembers waiting in eager anticipation for the next Nancy Drew book as a girl.

Odom considered selling the business, but decided not to after a retail business broker told her it could find up to a year to find a suitable buyer.

"It made sense to do it now," she said of the closing. "It was just the right time."

Do you have a fond memory of Bedford Falls? Leave it in a comment below, or email elyportillo@charlotteobserver.com.

American Roadside Burgers signs for second Charlotte location

2011-10-03T17:41:00.000-04:00

Charlotte might be seeing a boomlet of fast-casual burger chains, as American Roadside Burgers has signed a lease for its second location in the city.

Commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis said Monday that the burger company has leased 3,250 square feet of restaurant space in the Park View building at Southpark, on Fairview Road. The restaurant also leased 1,500 square feet of adjacent space to use for corporate offices, said CBRE, who represented the landlord.

The new restaurant, which includes a patio facing Fairview Road, is expected to open in spring 2012.

American Roadside Burgers is based in Smithtown, N.Y., and its two Charlotte locations are a major expansion. Charlotte's first American Roadside Burgers is in the ground floor of the Ally Bank Building, uptown on Church Street.

Carolina Ale House (which has a formidable burger selection) also recently opened uptown, nearby on South College Street.

And Bad Daddy's Burger Bar has finished changing its name to remove a conflict with another Big Daddy's, and is it to expand, including opening a location at Charlotte/Douglas International.

TCBY fro-yo gears up to grow

2011-09-30T12:04:00.001-04:00

As frozen yogurt joints continue popping up across the Charlotte area, TCBY has announced a major deal with a local franchisee to expand in the Carolinas.

Samuel Batt, who I previously wrote about here, currently owns and operates seven TCBY franchises in Charlotte. He brought the first self-serve TCBY format to the city, similar to popular new hotspots like Pinkberry and Yoforia.

Now, TCBY has signed a 10-year agreement with Batt to open or franchise another 23 stores in North and South Carolina, for a total of 30 stores. Batt has two more franchises set to open by the end of the year, one at the Quail Corners Shopping Center and one at the Town Center Plaza in the University area.

The move will increase TCBY's presence across the Carolinas by more than 50 percent. The chain currently has 29 stores in North Carolina and 14 in South Carolina.

"The company’s first self-serve location launched in Charlotte last year and set the stage for significant growth in the surrounding area,” said Batt in a statement. “This expansion of stores will provide more accessibility for customers by bringing locations closer to home."

Other notes:

The remodeled and expanded Belk store at Monroe Crossing mall is set to reopen Wednesday, Oct. 12. The store is undergoing a $5.8 million renovation. Belk has expanded the store by 30,000 square feet, to a total size of 90,000 square feet, and the store's fixtures, flooring and lighting have been redone. The children's department, formerly in a separate, nearby store in the mall, has been brought into the main store.

Carolina Ale House opens uptown

2011-09-28T13:29:00.001-04:00

Beer drinkers uptown, rejoice: There's another spot to imbibe uptown, with the opening of Carolina Ale House.

The Raleigh-based chain's first Charlotte restaurant is now open, bringing its total number of restaurants to 16.

Located at 201 S. College Street, the new restaurant's menu includes food such as dry-rubbed chicken wings and burgers topped with chili and coleslaw, along with a pretty solid beer list.

Have you tried this place yet? Any thoughts?

Rock Hill Galleria J.C. Penney gets a facelift

2011-09-27T13:53:00.002-04:00

J.C. Penney's Rock Hill store is scheduled for a renovation that will grow selling space by more than 60 percent and add new merchandise lines, as the retailer works to raise slumping sales.

The department store, opened in 1991, is one of the mall's anchors. Construction will kick off shortly, the mall's owners said, and be completed by fall 2012. The store will increase to 83,000 square feet from its current 51,600 square feet.

"The JC Penney expansion is a positive step in re-energizing the retail offerings at the tri-county’s only enclosed shopping center," said Michael Wheat, director of leasing for the Galleria's developer, Cypress Equities.

The bigger store will also have more name brands in clothing, a new line of home goods and a Sephora cosmetics shop, according to Observer partner The Rock Hill Herald.

J.C. Penney has been reporting disappointing financial results lately. The retailer reported its second-quarter sales dipped about .8 percent, and in August J.C. Penney reported its monthly sales fell 4.5 percent compared to a year ago.

A major part of the company's efforts has been adding Sephora boutiques, which sell high-margin items, to its department stores. The company now has Sephoras inside about a quarter of its 1,100 stores, and added 22 more last quarter.

Events showcase products for blind at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods

2011-09-26T18:41:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday, eight area Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods will host events showcasing products with packaging for the blind, with a portion of proceeds going to benefit the visually impaired.

The event is in support of "Braille Awareness Day." Body care product company Cleanlogic CEO Isaac Shapiro says he started the day to honor his mother.

The Cleanlogic products feature Braille on the packaging. A portion of any proceeds will be donated to the Metrolina Association for the Blind.

Here's a list of the stores participating:
Harris Teeter:
Arboretum, 3333 Pineville-Matthews Road (free vision counseling at this location)

Steele Croft, 13000 South Tryon Street

Matthews Festival, 1811 Matthews Township Parkway

Cotswold, 112 S. Sharon Amity Road

Lowe's Foods:

Kenton Place Shopping Center, 17001 Kenton Drive, Cornelius

Mint Hill Town Center, 7036 Brighton Park Drive

Stockbridge Commons Shopping Center, Tega Cay

Schoolhouse Commons Shopping Center, 4445 School House Commons, Harrisburg

Brixx Pizza opens new Gastonia shop

2011-09-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, first opened in Dilworth in 1998, is opening its first restaurant in Gastonia.

The new restaurant is on Cox Road, across from the new Target store and I-85. Brixx said it is the restaurant's first location built from scratch, and will seat 139 customers inside and 30 on the patio.

The Gastonia location is owned by franchisee Dan Thrower, who also owns the Medical Center Pharmacy and diner in the same shopping center.

Brixx has grown to 22 locations, and the company says its looking to expand with additional franchises across the Southeast.

First Versona Accessories store to open next week

2011-09-20T11:41:00.001-04:00

Charlotte-based apparel retailer Cato is branching out into more upscale shopping, with the launch of its Versona Accessories store concept next week in south Charlotte's Arboretum shopping center.

The store is set to open next Thursday, Sept. 29. Cato, which operates some 1,285 stores mainly focused on value-priced apparel, said the Versona stores will sell "jewelry, handbags, shoes, belts, scarves, hair accessories, sunglasses, gift items and more" in an "upscale shopping environment comparable to better specialty and department stores."

The new store will employ about 25 people, Cato said.

"Versona Accessories promises to be a unique fashion destination where women can find the perfect accents to any outfit, no matter what the occasion. We are excited about our first Versona store opening in Charlotte," said Cato CEO John Cato.

The Arboretum store will be followed by openings in Columbia, SC, Baton Rouge, LA, and Louisville, KY in October. Cato plans to open 40 to 50 more Versona stores over the next 18 months. The retailer's real estate materials say Cato is searching for 7,000 to 9,000-square-foot stores in high traffic shopping centers and malls with upscale fashion tenants.

For the most recent quarter, Cato reported in August that its profits rose to $18.1 million, up from $17 million last year. Total revenue rose slightly for the quarter, to $237 million.

But sales at stores open for a year or more, considered a key measure of retail health, slumped about 1 percent for the quarter, Cato said. Executives blamed the bad economy, and said still-high fuel and raw materials costs could dampen its results for the rest of the year.

Bi-Lo celebrating its 50th anniversary

2011-09-07T09:28:00.001-04:00

Mauldin, S.C.-based Bi-Lo is turning 50, and a four-state tour celebrating the occasion will stop Wednesday at a store in Charlotte.

The tour, in a vintage Airstream trailer, will be at the 8120 South Tryon street store (at the intersection with West Arrowood Road) from noon to 2 p.m.

The tour stop will include prize giveaways to customers, including t-shirts and Bi-Lo brand products. Ten shoppers will receive $250 worth of groceries and ten will win $70 worth of gas. A six-pack of glass bottles of Coca-Cola will be priced at 99 cents, the same as they cost in 1961.

Bi-Lo operates 207 grocery stores in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.

Two new TCBYs: Quail Corners, Town Center Plaza

2011-09-06T16:29:00.003-04:00

Two more TCBY frozen yogurt stores are slated to open in Charlotte this winter, one in the Quail Corners shopping center in south Charlotte and one in the Town Center Plaza shopping center at Highway 49 and W.T. Harris Boulevard.

Both franchise stores will be owned and operated by local entrepreneur Samuel Batt (you can read more about Batt in this previous story about local business owners, or on TCBY's website). The two new locations will bring Batt's number of TCBY franchises to eight. Batt opened Charlotte's first TCBY self-serve store in April 2010.

Quail Corners is in the midst of a multi-million dollar redevelopment, and TCBY is the first new tenant announced. The store will be filling the space left by a recently closed Dilworth Coffee shop. In Town Center Plaza, the new TCBY will be going into the closed Heavenly Ham store.

Both shopping centers are leased and managed by Charlotte firm CNL Crosland Commercial Real Estate.

Frozen yogurt has seen a big popularity surge in Charlotte, with names like Yoforia, The Frozen Isle and Menchie's popping up.

If you want to read more about the rise of frozen yogurt in south Charlotte, check this Observer story out.

Hot Christmas gift list out - already

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Fall hasn't even replaced summer, but the predictions of what we'll be buying come Christmas have already begun.

PriceGrabber, a comparison shopping site, says it has compiled a list of what will be the hottest holiday purchases, based on "PriceGrabber internal Web analytics and secondary research (Google Trends, CNET and PCWorld).

The list is tech- and gadget-heavy, which probably isn't surprising given that it appears to be based mostly on Internet data. PriceGrabber claims each of the items will "make a splash."

Here is the list, in full:
· Canon® EOS Rebel™ T2i DSLR: Canon’s 18-megapixel EOS Rebel T2i is a great entry-level digital SLR camera. It offers terrific image and video quality and has an audio-in jack to add sound to videos.
· Mattel® Loopz™ Game: This unique electronic game requires that a child has both memory and skill in order to be a winner. Players must mimic the action of the Loopz in the game to win points. This game is intended for small groups of one to four.
· Fisher-Price® Dance Star Mickey: This interactive Mickey Mouse™ plush toy walks, talks and dances to the most popular beats of all the Disney® classics.
· My Pillow Pets™: These pillows double as a toy that children can play with. They can be shaped like a dolphin, a dog or even a ladybug.
· &eBook Reader (Amazon® Kindle 3™, Barnes & Noble® Nook™, Sony® Reader™): An eBook reader holds a consumer’s library, providing access to favorite book titles at one’s fingertips. eBook readers make it easy to take notes, save clippings of quotations and highlight passages.
· UGG® Australia Classic Short Boot: The Australian-brand unisex sheepskin boots are lined with fleece, have a nonslip rubber sole, wick away moisture to help feet stay dry and come in a variety of colors.
· Apple® iPod Touch™: Apple has added all of the most advanced features to its iPod Touch, allowing consumers to converse over FaceTime™, shoot scenes in HD and utilize the highest-resolution iPod™ screen to date.
· Apple® iPad 2™: The latest iPad was released in March 2011 and features an all-new thinner, lighter design equipped with two cameras for FaceTime and HD video recording, dual-core A5 chip and same 10-hour battery life.
· Kinect™ for Xbox 360™: Kinect allows consumers to control games and entertainment in extraordinary new ways, such as with the wave of a hand or the sound of one’s voice.
· Syma® S107/S107G RC Indoor Helicopter: At approximately 7.5 inches long, the brand-new three-channel gyro mini metal RC helicopter is one of the world’s newest, smallest and lightest RC helicopters. It charges directly either from the USB cable or from the controller, which uses AA batteries and has a full-function control for the perfect flight.
· Motorola® DROID 3™: Motorola DROID 3 is the successor of the Motorola DROID 2™. It comes with a 4-inch qHD display and has a 30 percent faster graphics chip than its predecessor, but it also sports a larger five-row keyboard. In addition, the new handset boasts 27 percent faster multitasking performance over the DROID 2 Global thanks to its 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP chip. The DROID 3 also is capable of recording 1080p full HD videos with its 8-megapixel rear camera.
Added PriceGrabbe: "Other notable products forecasted to be a hit during the holiday shopping season include the Apple® iPhone 5™, which is scheduled for release in fall 2011, and the LeapFrog® LeapPad Explorer, a personalized play and learning tablet for children and available on Aug. 20, 2011."

What do you think of the list? Are these things you see yourself buying? And is it too early to forecast favorite Christmas presents?

First EA Sports Experience comes to Charlotte's airport

2011-09-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

If you've been dying to play Madden while waiting for your flight, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport finally has a solution: The country's first EA Sports Experience has a grand opening scheduled there for Friday.

EA Sports is the videogame maker responsible for many major sports titles (including games based on FIFA, the NBA, NCAA, the PGA Tour and of course the juggernaut Madden series).

The new EA Sports Experience, located in the airport's Concourse C, will be sort of a combined sports bar/videogame cafe/travel lounge. EA execs say the 1,400-square-foot store features food, drink, merchandise from local and North Carolina teams, 24 televisions for sports and four game consoles with EA titles to play.

"Hopefully, consumers will see it as kind of a waypoint in their traveling day," said Chris Erb, EA's VP of brand marketing. The store has spots for travelers to charge their phones and laptops.

Having an EA-branded chain of retail stores and traveler waystations is also a great marketing opportunity, Erb said.

Currently, the game kiosks feature just-released Madden 2012. They'll also have NCAA football games to coincide with the college football season.

Boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard will be on hand for Friday's 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting, EA said, as well as mascots from rivals Duke and UNC Chapel Hill.

EA plans to open two more EA Sports Experience stores in airports this year, Erb said.

Other news: Charlotte-based apparel retailer Cato reported disappointing August results on Thursday, with stores open for a year or more seeing their sales drop by 3 percent. Retailers as a whole seemed to fare better in August: An index of stores tracked by Retail Metrics posted a same-store sales increase of 3.9 percent, excluding gasoline.

Another daily deal coupon site, Half Off Depot, is debuting in the Charlotte market. The site currently lists more than 100 deals in Charlotte, for things ranging from paintball to spa services to car detailing to restaurants. The site is one of dozens that have sprung up in the wake of industry-leader Groupon.

Half Off Depot says what makes it different is that its deals aren't offered on a time-limited basis, and it pays merchants in advance, rather than split proceeds with the merchants after the deals are sold. Lately, however, there's been a lot of negative buzz about the sites (like this Bloomberg story). What do you think? Are we overdue for a daily deal bust?

Infinity's End, other shops come to University-area shopping center

2011-08-24T14:28:00.000-04:00

Town Center Plaza, at Highway 49 and WT Harris Boulevard, has three new tenants, including Infinity's End, a hair salon, shoe store and a nutrition shop.

Infinity's End will open a 2,000-square-foot shop in mid-September. The University-area location will be the retailer's third in Charlotte. The store offers a mix of merchandise, including tee shirts, hookahs, incense, posters, skateboards and disc golf. The retailer, which has been in business since 1969, is likely to draw a healthy crowd from UNC-Charlotte.

"We've wanted to get into University Area for awhile,” owner Frank Pietras said in a press release. "With the coffee shop next door as well as the outdoor patio, we knew this was the best choice in the area for us to open our third location."

Three other new businesses are also now open at the shopping center, according to leasing company Crosland. Geovanny Hair Salon opened in the spring, offering hair care services and salon products. New York New York is selling value-priced shoes for men and women starting at around $20. And Planet Nutrition opened in July near Weight Watchers and Lifestyle Family Fitness.

New Burlington Coat Factory headed to S. Charlotte

2011-08-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Discount-price retailer Burlington Coat Factory says it plans to open its third Charlotte location in the fall.

The 48,000-square-foot store is slated for Woodlawn Marketplace on South Boulevard, which is owned by KimCo Realty Corporation. The store will open on November 4, Burlington says, and will bring about 100 new jobs to the area.

There are some 460 Burlington Coat Factory stores in the country, and this will be the 10th in North Carolina. Burlington says its stores offer apparel and home goods at about 60 percent less than department store prices.

Burlington reported strong results in its most recent quarter, as many consumers remained cautious and hunted for bargains. Total sales rose 9 percent, to $793 million, and sales at stores open a year or more rose 4 percent.

Northlake Apple store opens this weekend

2011-08-23T09:55:00.001-04:00

It's official: Northlake Mall's new Apple store will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.

The store has been under construction for months, the grand opening date kept under wraps per Apple's usual policy. The Northlake Apple store is Charlotte's second (the first is at SouthPark) and the state's fifth Apple retail location.

The opening is likely to draw a big crowd, and the first 1,000 shoppers will get a free T-shirt, Apple says. The store is on Northlake's second floor, next to the Bebe location, and will have all the usual Apple store features, such as the Genius Bar.

A Mecklenburg County building permit lists the project as a $1.7 million renovation. That sounds pricey, but actually isn't that much for a company that recently had several billion dollars more on hand than the U.S. Treasury.

So will you stop by Saturday for a free T-shirt? Avoid the crowds? Or are you more of a PC person?

Yoforia opens at EpiCentre

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

The frozen yogurt boom continues in Charlotte, with the area's fifth Yoforia location to open in the EpiCentre uptown on Friday.

The store will open for business at 11 a.m. Yoforia says it will have extended hours, presumably to cater to the late-night crowd. The store will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday.

“I think that opening a store in the EpiCentre presents a great opportunity to further showcase our product. We’re definitely proud and excited to offer an Uptown location,” said CEO Luke Tashie, in a statement. There are 17 Yoforia locations, in North Carolina and Georgia.

Charlotte has seen plenty of self-serve frozen yogurt stores springing up lately, such as a number TCBYs and The Frozen Isle in Overstreet Mall, to name just two. The rise of frozen yogurt in south Charlotte is chronicled by the Observer's Caroline McMillan in this piece.

Other retail notes:

The Wal-Mart at the Arboretum will reopen Friday morning at 8 a.m. following a renovation. The store now features an expanded selection of cold foods, beer and wine in coolers and twice as many dry groceries. There's also a larger electronics section and most of the departments have been moved.

Allen Edmonds, a shoe store, has opened at Phillips Place. They're donating 10 percent of sales through Aug. 21 to United Way, and also offering a 15 percent off storewide sale.

Update: H&M inching closer to Charlotte

2011-08-18T16:00:00.001-04:00

Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M isn't moving in to Charlotte yet, but it is marching west across the state, with the recent announcement of a new store planned in Winston-Salem.

The new store, as reported here, will be opening in November at Hanes Mall. The store is planned to be 20,000 square feet, with its own entrance and a grand staircase.

There is only one other H&M in North Carolina is in Raleigh, so the Winston-Salem store does cut the distance between Charlotte and the nearest H&M more than in half. In January, H&M officials said the retailer doesn't have plans to open in Charlotte this year.

But with H&M opening its second N.C. store in much smaller Winston-Salem, it begs the question of when the retailer will enter the Charlotte market. Could the emptying of existing Borders bookstore locations as going-out-of-business sales wind down give H&M the opportunity it needs (they average 24,800 square feet)?

The Container Store, another retailer with a strong fan following, moved into Joseph Beth's old SouthPark location after that store closed. For now, H&M fans will just have to keep hoping. (And thanks to an astute reader for the tip on this)

Update: Apple readies for Northlake store opening

2011-08-18T08:11:00.001-04:00

The official opening date for Apple's store at Northlake Mall hasn't been announced yet, but rumors at the mall say it could be as soon as next weekend.

A spokesman for Apple wouldn't give the opening date when reached by phone this week. But at the mall, preparations look well underway. The new store, on the second floor next to a Bebe store, is walled off from view by a black barricade with a big, silver Apple logo on the front. Workers can be heard building inside, and there are jobs listings for retail positions at the new store on Apple's website.

CLT Blog gives "around August 25th" as the opening date, citing an unnamed source. IFOAppleStore.com, a major source of Apple store news and rumors, lists Saturday, Aug. 27 as the tentative possible opening date.

At the mall this week, employees weren't quite sure of the opening date, but most thought it would be soon. Some said they thought it would be next weekend, or before Labor Day at the latest. But at least one other employee said she'd heard the Apple store is aiming for early next year.

Apple doesn't usually officially announce opening dates until right before the day. IFOAppleStore just reported three grand openings have been announced for Aug. 20, so if the 27th is in fact the date, the company could send out word any day now. Stay tuned...

Contact us: Are you excited for the new Northlake Apple store? Give Ely a call at 704-358-5041 or email elyportillo@charlotteobserver.com

SouthPark Belk to get $2.3 million renovation

2011-08-17T12:42:00.000-04:00

If you've shopped the bottom floor of Belk's flagship SouthPark store lately, you've probably noticed the signs of imminent construction.

On Tuesday, the company announced that it is starting a $2.3 million renovation that will redo the entire floor and shuffle merchandise areas around on other floors.

The main cosmetic impact of the remodeling will be on the first floor, where Belk is installing new floor tiles, carpets, wall treatments, new display fixtures and energy-efficient lights. The Arthur's restaurant and wine shop on the first floor are also being overhauled, with new decor and layouts.

All home goods will be consolidated on the first floor.

"The remodeling gives our entire first floor a modern new look, and will make shopping for home merchandise much easier and more convenient by placing it together in the same proximity," said store manager Randy Dell, in a statement.

The ladies sportswear department, including coats and swimwear, will be moved up from the third to the fourth floor. On the fourth floor, the space and location allotted to intimate apparel and special sizes will be adjusted to accommodate the move, Belk said.

On the third floor, the juniors department is being expanded to carry more assortments and sizes, Belk said. A grand reopening of the remodeled areas is scheduled for Oct. 12.

Savvy Spaces opens in Pineville

2011-08-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

There's a new furniture store open in the old Boyle's store Pineville, near Carolina Place Mall, called Savvy Spaces.

The store had a soft opening on July 1, and is getting ready for a grand opening party for invitees Thursday night. The retailer sells multiple lines of more upscale furniture and home decor.

Savvy Spaces also offers furniture repair and restoration services. It's open Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For a more detailed story about Savvy Spaces, check out this story in Furniture Today.

Family Dollar opens 7,000th store in Memphis

2011-08-10T17:00:00.000-04:00

Matthews-based Family Dollar has reached another milestone: The retailer is gearing up for a grand opening celebration Thursday for its 7,000th store.

Family Dollar, founded in 1959 in Charlotte by Leon Levine, is opening the new store in Memphis. CEO Howard Levine, the founder's son, is traveling to Memphis to mark the event.

The retailer has fared well in the downturn, as more low- and middle-income consumers sought to save money. Family Dollar and its peers have also done well thanks to their networks of thousands of stores in many more locations than mega-discounter Wal-Mart.

Over the past year, Family Dollar has been expanding the amount of food it carries, renovating hundreds of stores and increasing its private label assortment of goods to help boost profit margins.

The retailer also fended off a buyout attempt by a New York financier and addressed shareholder questions about lagging its main rival, Dollar General, in store growth and productivity. Family Dollar is accelerating its new store openings after ratcheting them back a few years ago.

At the opening Thursday, Family Dollar will present a local food bank with a $7,000 check to mark the occasion and host a celebration with prizes and product samples,

The Container Store opens this weekend

2011-08-08T12:33:00.000-04:00

Organization-ophiles, get ready: The Container Store has a grand opening scheduled this weekend at its new SouthPark location.

The Dallas-based company is opening in the former Joseph Beth bookstore that closed last year. Started in 1978 as a company selling boxes and storage solutions directly to customers, The Container Store has now grown to 50 retail locations.

Customers can expect to find "the world's most celebrated collection of storage and organization products," everything from sleek food containers to a dizzying array of boxes, drawers designed to help you sort out your closet. A VIP preview with food, champagne and live entertainment is planned for Thursday night.

The store will open its doors to the public on Saturday, Aug. 13. The grand opening continues to Sunday, Aug. 14, with a $1,000 custom-designed "space makeover" given away each day. Ten percent of sales proceeds from the weekend will be donated to the Levine Children's Hospital, The Container Store said.

The SouthPark store is the retailer's second location in North Carolina; the other is in Raleigh.

New James Avery jewelry store opens at SouthPark

2011-08-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

SouthPark mall is getting a new jewelry store, as James Avery says it plans to open its first retail location in the state there.

The new store is set to open in October, SouthPark said. It will be about 1,581 square feet, located near the mall's Belk department store. Another new addition to the mall, upscale athletic-wear retailer Lululemon, recently opened in the same area.

James Avery, founded in 1954, is a family-run company. The store sells mainly handcrafted jewelry, much of which is faith-inspired and focused. Its mission statement is "to share life, love and faith through the beauty of design."

New Earth Fare, Kohl's set to open

2011-08-01T12:08:00.000-04:00

A new Earth Fare, the Asheville-based organic supermarket, is ready to open on Wednesday in Huntersville, the company said Monday.

And a new Kohl's is coming to Waxhaw this September. Although an opening date hasn't been set, the company said Monday that it will hire 150 people to staff the store soon.

Earth Fare currently has 21 stores in six states, including two in Charlotte (one in Ballantyne, one in SouthPark). The company says it doesn't sell any products with high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors and synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics.

Earth Fare's Huntersville location is at 10421 Boren Street, near I-77 and Gilead Road. The store will open at 8 a.m. on August 3, Earth Fare said. It will feature organic and local foods, meat, poultry cheese and seafood departments, a bakery and a supplement section.

In Waxhaw, the new Kohl's is coming in September. The store is looking to hire about 150 retail workers, Kohl's said, including "associates for register operators, department associates, customer service, early a.m. freight unloaders and evening ad set associates."

A jobs fair is set for August 7 - 11, Sunday through Thursday next week, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Pineville. In a press release, Kohl's said applicants should visit www.kohlscareers.com or call 877-639-5645 to schedule their interview.

Park Road Bloom reopens as Food Lion

2011-07-27T06:05:00.000-04:00

Four months after Delhaize announced it was changing its N.C. and S.C. Blooms into Food Lions, the change is coming to Charlotte.

The Bloom on Park Road is reopening today, Wednesday, as a Food Lion. The other local Blooms will follow suit in the coming weeks. Grand openings and shopping sprees are planned (details to follow).

The Bloom label is still alive and well. Growing in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, Bloom is adding more options, such as a gluten-free center.

What's your opinion? If you loved Bloom, will you go back to Food Lion? What do you think of the company's strategy (and I promise after this, I'll try to stop making every post about a Delhaize company)?

Bottom Dollar expands into Pennsylvania, Ohio

2011-07-22T11:42:00.000-04:00

The Salisbury-based Bottom Dollar grocery chain, owned by Food Lion's parent company, said Friday that it will open 14 stores near Pittsburgh, PA, and Youngstown, OH, early next year.

Bottom Dollar sells food in a no-frills, bag-it-yourself format. Much like other low-cost chain's, such as Aldi's, Bottom Dollar has a limited selection of about 7,000 items, with a focus on private label products. The chain was started in High Point in 2005, and has since grown to 47 stores.

Last year, Bottom Dollar said it planned to significantly increase its number of stores as part of an effort to capture increasingly price-conscious shoppers. The chain opened 16 stores in the Philadelphia market.

Locally, there are Bottom Dollar stores in Mooresville and Hickory.

Belgium-based Delhaize operates seven U.S. supermarket chains: Food Lion, its biggest, with over 1,300 stores, and the smaller Bloom, Harveys, Reid's, Hannafords, Sweetbay and Bottom Dollar.

Revenue at Delhaize's U.S. stores declined about 1 percent in 2010, to $18.8 billion, and sales at stores open for at least a year fell 2 percent. Delhaize doesn't break out results for its different U.S. chains.

Delhaize is also in the midst of converting its N.C. and S.C. Bloom stores into Food Lions, while it expands Bloom stores around suburban Washington, D.C. Charlotte stores are expected to change over in the coming weeks.

Win a bottle of Justin Bieber's "Someday" fragrance!

2011-07-21T06:30:00.005-04:00

And win a bunch of other perfume and beauty products that I'm pretty sure have a retail value of well over $100 (full list and pictures below). All you have to do is tell me Charlotte's best-kept retail secret.

Yes, this is a contest. I want to know what you think is the best-kept retail secret in Charlotte. It can be a store hardly anyone has heard of, an out-of-the-way roadside stand that sells something cool or a tip or trick that saves you cash.

Here are the rules: You can leave your secret as a comment or email it to me, but if you leave it as a comment, make sure that you include an email address where I can reach you. I may use this "secret" in an article or might file it away for later use. Please don't include anything illegal, such as "My secret tip is to shoplift more effectively." And finally, this contest is totally arbitrary, with me picking the winner.

Here's what you stand to win:

An unopened bottle of Justin Bieber's new scent, full retail size. It is described as "an addictive fragrance that takes off with a sparkling splash of juicy mandarin, pear, and wild berries" and, I believe, comes in a bottle with heart-shaped rose petals on top.
Bottles of perfumes from Taylor Swift (Wonderstruck, not yet in stores), John Varvatos, Rocawear Evolution, Jessica McClintock, and an outfit called "Live in Love."
Bottles of Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator, Clarins age-repairing serum, and Jessica McClintock body lotion and bath and shower gel.
A tube of Dior mascara, a thing of Prevage night cream, and a compact mirror.

Background: I got this stuff for free from Belk during a media event. Despite my intense desire to smell like Justin Bieber mixed with Taylor Swift and Jessica McClintock, the ethical thing to do as a journalist is give it away. I'm not going to track down and add up the total retail value, but these items all appear to be full retail size, so I'm guessing well, well north of $100.

So there you have it: Send me your secrets and I'll mail you Justin Bieber in a bottle.

The items, on my desk in front of my duck decoy

Food Lion finishes converting Greenville, S.C., Blooms

2011-07-19T16:50:00.000-04:00

Six former Bloom stores in the Greenville, S.C. market are set to reopen Wednesday as Food Lions, and the final conversion of Blooms to Food Lions in Charlotte will soon follow.

Delhaize, the parent corporation for both grocery chains, first announced it was making the change-over in March. Bloom had been under-performing in the Carolinas, the company said, and while Blooms here would be changed to Food Lions, Blooms in suburban Washington, D.C., and southeast Virginia would remain the same.

The plans for Greenville could presage what's soon to follow in Charlotte as Food Lion tries to lure Bloom shoppers. Blooms-turned-Food Lions in the Greenville area will debut with 8 a.m. ribbon cuttings Wednesday. They'll have specials, grocery gift card giveaways worth up to $250, and in-store shopping sprees.

The stores will also feature some product assortments meant to appeal to Bloom fans.

"As part of the transition to Food Lion, we've listened to former Bloom guests to maintain as many of the key products as possible," said James Egan, senior VP of Food Lion, in a statement. "Food Lion stores will feature popular natural and organic products, along with fresh seafood, produce and other specialty items. In addition, Bloom guests will enjoy the same friendly and dependable associates, as most of the Bloom associates have joined our Food Lion family so they may continue to serve their loyal customers."

There will be 49 Blooms, a sort of upscale complement to Food Lion, after the transition of Greenville and Charlotte is complete. That's a small number compared to the 1,300 or so Food Lions. Both companies are run out of Salisbury.

A company spokeswoman couldn't yet say exactly when the Charlotte Blooms will reopen as Food Lions.

The Bloom banner isn't stagnating in Virginia and Maryland, where the stores are mostly clustered around Washington, D.C. In fact, it seems to be growing more distinct from Food Lion. In May, the chain announced it was adding more organic foods and a gluten-free center to those stores.

New running shop set for SouthPark

2011-07-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Charlotte-based running shop Run For Your Life is set to open its fourth retail store at SouthPark mall next month.

“We are very committed to our customers, the Charlotte business community and people leading healthy lifestyles, so we are thrilled to provide an additional location to better serve the Charlotte community with their running and walking needs," said owner Tim Rhodes.

The store's grand opening is scheduled for Friday, August 5. There are currently Run For Your Life stores in Dilworth, the University area and Piper Glen.

Founded in 1989, the store sells running and walking shoes as well as clothing and other gear for runners, and is the official timekeeper for the city's Thunder Road Marathon in November.

Southern Marketplace opens in Indian Trail

2011-07-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

A new multi-merchant marketplace for home goods is opening in Indian Trail.

Southern Marketplace will feature "shabby chic furniture, home accessories - shabby and new, (and) handcrafted jewelry shops," said owner Phyllis Smith in an email.

The shop, at 5411 Highway 74 West, has a grand opening today (Saturday, July 16). Planned events include sales in the parking lot, on the sidewalk and in a tent, as well as cornhole contests and door prizes every 30 minutes.

The shop features individual vendors who rent space in the store to sell their goods.

Said Smith: "All of us at Southern Marketplace believe there should still be some shops as individual as the people who shop in them, and not just another big box store."

Kai's Kookies & More opens on South Boulevard

2011-07-15T07:04:00.000-04:00

Cookie junkies have another spot to get a fix on South Boulevard, as a family-owned cookie shop is planning for its grand opening on Saturday.

Kai's Kookies & More is the brainchild of Tracy and Patrick Watkins. The business has been around since 2002, subleasing space from a bakery in Huntersville.

Tracy started the business in 2002, after her daughter Kai was born with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. She left her job as an electrical engineer to spend more time with the baby.

"It started out so I'd have something where I could take care of my daughter without working a 9 to 5 job," she said. She started a website, got some retail orders and went from there. Tracy started selling her hand-iced cookies to businesses such as Dean & Deluca, Healthy Home Market and parties at the Harris YMCA.

And maybe that's how things would have stayed, if her husband Patrick hadn't been laid off from his job as a civil engineer in February. The baking couple (Patrick makes eight varieties of cheesecake he'd sold to local restaurants) decided now was the chance to go big.

"Instead of subleasing from the bakery in Harrisburg we'd been working out of, we said let's just do our own space," Tracy said. They scouted out retail locations, and settled on 1,200-square-feet in a shopping center at 3905 South Boulevard, near Scaleybark Road. With the help of family members and their savings, they started to get the business in shape.

"The upfit was a lot of late nights, working 24-hours, with the help of a friend," Tracy said. "It was a lot of sweat equity. We are working on a budget."

The store's grand opening will be Saturday, July 16. A decorating contest, free coffee, cookies, massages and live jazz are planned. "I'm excited, and a little scared," Tracy said.

Patrick is working on new creations, such as tiramisu and carrot cake, to expand their repertoire. Tracy hopes that kid-centered birthday parties, with cookie and cupcake-making parties, will help draw customers. And she's looking forward to eating more of her favorite dessert - her husband's mango cheesecake.

Uptown barber moves as business picks up

2011-07-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

If you're looking for a nugget of good economic news among the dismal drumbeat of double dips, debt ceilings and diminished job numbers, here you go: Russ Gibson says people are getting their hair cut again.

Not that they stopped. But during downturn, Gibson, owner of City Barbers at Uptown, says they cut back. "Guys just stretched their haircuts out," he said. "Instead of every two weeks, they were doing every four weeks or more."

The shop, which was in the Ivey 's building uptown, got much of its revenue from businessmen dropping in for an $18 trim. Things have noticeably rebounded, Gibson said. "We're back in full swing."

With many of his customers back to getting their locks trimmed twice a month, Gibson said he's moving the business to Founder's Hall, at the Bank of America building. The new shop will still have four barbers, and Gibson said he's outfitted it with 100-year-old barber's chairs for a more classic look.

The price of a haircut will go up $3, to $21. The new barber shop will be open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thirsty? Grab a Harris Teeter brand beer

2011-07-13T07:05:00.000-04:00

Harris Teeter says customers will soon be able to buy three varieties of private-label beer at its stores. The move follows the trend of retailers trying to boost profits by pushing their own brands as lower-priced alternatives to national labels.

Called Barrel Trolley, Harris Teeter says the new beers are intended to give customers another option when shopping for craft beer. Barrel Trolley will be available this month at Harris Teeter locations that sell alcohol.

Here's what Harris Teeter has to say about the beers' flavors: "The Belgian White Ale promises bright flavors of orange balanced by subtly spicy coriander. The Pale Ale, with three types of hops, offers a complex citrus hope aroma with deep flavor and a long crisp finish. Finally, the Amber Ale, coming this fall to stores, is a medium bodied craft beer with a complex malt flavor and a subtle citrus aroma."

A six-pack will retail for $7.99 - more than Budweiser, Miller and Coors, but less than some craft beers at Harris Teeter, which can set you back as much as $10.99.

Private labels have expanded more quickly as consumers sought to save money in the downturn. They're generally more profitable for retailers to sell. Family Dollar has been revamping it's Family Gourmet line, which it hopes will help it keep growing the proportion of private label goods it sells and offset profit-killers such as rising gas prices.

Alcohol hasn't been immune from the privatization trend. Trader Joe's has long sold its Charles Shaw (Two-buck Chuck) wines and has a wide private label beer selection too. Other retailers have been getting into the mix too - 7-Eleven and Walgreens have both started selling private label beers, called Game Day and Big Flats 1901. Harris Teeter already sells Oak Creek, its private label wine.

Have you seen Barrel Trolley in stores? Better yet, if you've tasted it, what are your thoughts - can it compete with craft brewery big boys like Sierra Nevada, Rogue and Sweetwater?