Pens, cards, notecards, paper: If it's stationery, chances are I have a major weakness for it (if not necessarily the budget to constantly indulge that). So it's with that in mind I note that Chris Plantan, the founder of design-savvy, upscale office supply maker Russell + Hazel, will visit Charlotte Wednesday and Thursday for a trunk show at Paper Twist, across the street from SouthPark mall in Specialty Shops on the Park (also home of Williams-Sonoma or, as a former colleague affectionately referred to it, "The Temple of Sonoma").
Based in Minneapolis, Russell + Hazel promotes itself with the slogan "add life to your work," and its line includes colorful, sturdy binders, folders, papers and organization tools. Plantan is the creative mind behind the brand, says Paper Twist's Sasha Harbrecht, and the trunk show will include new colors and products. The store, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be offering specials and treats in conjunction with the event.
Gift shop opens in Myers Park
The Gifted Box, a shop focusing on artisan gifts, opened for business earlier this month on Circle Avenue in Myers Park, just off Providence Road, behind the Buttercup. The store is also prepping an e-commerce site that should be up and running in a few weeks, business partners Stephanie Ewing and Rene Hellams said.
"The Gifted Box was born from a love for original and beautiful objects, the thrill of the hunt for them and the desire to use them creatively to make people feel special," Ewing, the store's marketing and design director, said in an e-mail.
The boutique-styled gallery features items produced in smaller quantities, with gifts for all occasions, Ewing said. Hellams, noted that the shop has tried to pair items together for easier gift-giving, such as offering a leather journal and pen, or gourmet coffee with pewter coffee canisters and scoops. It also offers wedding and event planning, corporate gifts and custom-designed gifts.
The store is open Monday through Saturday and is located at 342 Circle Avenue, suite 3, in Charlotte. Details: www.thegiftedbox.com.
"The Gifted Box was born from a love for original and beautiful objects, the thrill of the hunt for them and the desire to use them creatively to make people feel special," Ewing, the store's marketing and design director, said in an e-mail.
The boutique-styled gallery features items produced in smaller quantities, with gifts for all occasions, Ewing said. Hellams, noted that the shop has tried to pair items together for easier gift-giving, such as offering a leather journal and pen, or gourmet coffee with pewter coffee canisters and scoops. It also offers wedding and event planning, corporate gifts and custom-designed gifts.
The store is open Monday through Saturday and is located at 342 Circle Avenue, suite 3, in Charlotte. Details: www.thegiftedbox.com.
Best Buy does the Independence shuffle
You can soon add Best Buy to the list of retailers that have moved farther out on Independence Boulevard - away from downtown and into Matthews, leaving behind a potentially empty box at an older shopping center.
The electronics store currently at Independence Square, 7421 E. Independence Blvd. in Charlotte (pictured at right), is slated to relocate to the former Circuit City at Sycamore Commons, 2185 Matthews Township Parkway at Independence Boulevard in Matthews, where a grand opening is scheduled for April 23. It will be the second time this year Best Buy will be pulling up stakes for a space last occupied by its erstwhile rival: The Best Buy at University Place moved to the former Circuit City at Concord Mills a couple of months ago.
The Sycamore Commons space is roughly four miles away and newer than the Independence store, which according to property records was built in 1987. And it's also situated in a shopping center full of familiar big-box brethren, including Michaels, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy. In fact, Circuit City itself had relocated there from a stretch of Independence near the existing Best Buy.
The loss will likely be a blow for Independence Square, one of many shopping centers along closer-in stretches of Independence Boulevard stung by the departure of big-name tenants. The shopping center is owned by Kimco Realty, which has not yet responded to a request for more information; the Best Buy building appears to be owned separately, by a lawyer in West Virginia. Over the years the center has also lost Michaels and CVS, and the Bi-Lo there closed a little more than a year ago. As those tenants left, more discount-oriented stores have moved in, leaving Best Buy in less familiar company. In that context and given the history of big boxes on Independence, every time I drove by the Best Buy, I got the feeling its days were numbered. Sure enough, they now are. International grocery store Super Global Market, or Super G, is filling the Bi-Lo vacancy.
The Best Buy space opened as a branch of the now-defunct Lechmere electronics chain and later housed a SportsTown store. Best Buy opened there in 1994 and, like the University store, was one of the chain's first locations in the Carolinas, according to Observer archives.
The Sycamore Commons space is roughly four miles away and newer than the Independence store, which according to property records was built in 1987. And it's also situated in a shopping center full of familiar big-box brethren, including Michaels, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy. In fact, Circuit City itself had relocated there from a stretch of Independence near the existing Best Buy.
The loss will likely be a blow for Independence Square, one of many shopping centers along closer-in stretches of Independence Boulevard stung by the departure of big-name tenants. The shopping center is owned by Kimco Realty, which has not yet responded to a request for more information; the Best Buy building appears to be owned separately, by a lawyer in West Virginia. Over the years the center has also lost Michaels and CVS, and the Bi-Lo there closed a little more than a year ago. As those tenants left, more discount-oriented stores have moved in, leaving Best Buy in less familiar company. In that context and given the history of big boxes on Independence, every time I drove by the Best Buy, I got the feeling its days were numbered. Sure enough, they now are. International grocery store Super Global Market, or Super G, is filling the Bi-Lo vacancy.
The Best Buy space opened as a branch of the now-defunct Lechmere electronics chain and later housed a SportsTown store. Best Buy opened there in 1994 and, like the University store, was one of the chain's first locations in the Carolinas, according to Observer archives.
Sometimes it feels like...Food Lion's watching me?
Whether you're perusing the produce section at your local Food Lion or standing in the aisle mulling which of the ever-expanding array of Cheerios to pick up, there's a chance someone will be tracking your every move: The Salisbury-based grocer is casting an especially watchful eye on its shoppers in a consumer research pilot program now up and running at two Food Lion locations, Supermarket News reports. Using 120 overlapping video cameras, the company is following individual shoppers around the store from the moment they enter, tracking their behavior and decision-making to - the chain says - gain deeper insight into what drives customers.
Stores have long used video cameras to prevent shoplifting and monitor hot spots around the building. But now some are taking it far beyond the security realm, raising privacy concerns, as a recent New York Times article made clear:
Stores have long used video cameras to prevent shoplifting and monitor hot spots around the building. But now some are taking it far beyond the security realm, raising privacy concerns, as a recent New York Times article made clear:
Such clips, retailers say, can help them find solutions to problems in their stores — by installing seating and activity areas to mollify children, for instance, or by lowering shelves so merchandise is within easy reach.
Privacy advocates, though, are troubled by the array of video cameras, motion detectors and other sensors monitoring the nation’s shopping aisles.
Many stores and the consultants they hire are using the gear not to catch shoplifters but to analyze and to manipulate consumer behavior. And while taping shoppers is legal, critics say it is unethical to observe people as if they were lab rats. They are concerned that the practices will lead to an even greater invasion of privacy, particularly facial recognition technology, which is already in the early stages of deployment.
Food Lion's program will expand to two more stores by the end of the year, but it's unclear which locations are affected: The company has more than 1,200 locations and, when we asked, declined to specify which ones are participating. However, shoppers at the lab stores should know it when they see it - signs will be posted alerting them that video market research is taking place. Given that Food Lion is headquartered locally, I'm guessing that at least one of the stores has to be in our area - but there are a lot of Food Lions around here, and I haven't seen the telltale signs yet. If you have, though, do let us know...
Sparser times at shopping center central
My esteemed colleague Kerry Singe and I ventured forth yesterday to the International Council of Shopping Centers' annual Carolinas IdeaExchange, a daylong get-together for retailers, developers and others in the shopping center business to network and learn. I visited the event for the first time two years ago, and upon arrival was handed a hefty spiral-bound book listing attendees and sessions such as "It Will Be Fine in '09, But What Is My Fate For '08?" This year's conference directory, by contrast, was a much smaller, stapled packet, with fewer sponsors listed - so, in other words, it was yet more evidence of the recession's toll on the retail industry.
Two years ago, a sea of exhibition booths took up an entire, expansive room at the Charlotte Convention Center. Not in 2010: Attendees we spoke to said they saw about half as many exhibitors as in the boom days, and fewer people in attendance, too. A number of the new shopping centers that display boards and brochures promoted two years ago still didn't appear to have progressed very far, if at all, and more signs than before touted opportunities to fill empty big boxes. Still, the room was thick with professionally dressed men and women shaking hands, chatting and exchanging business cards. As we circulated up and down the aisles, we overheard snippets of conversation about weathering the downturn, both rueful and optimistic. DJ Wight, president of Retail Lease Trac, a database company that helps landlords find retailers looking to expand, noted that while attendance might be lower this year, he had actually been doing more deals than in 2009 and 2008; he had the impression that those left in the business are more serious and less likely to be simply dabbling or speculating than those who dove in during the boom.
Another trend: Discount retailers and fast food chains have proven relatively resilient in the recession, and they abounded in the exposition booths, looking for new opportunities. Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Burger King, McDonald's, Subway, Sonic and Cato were represented, among others.
Speaking of shopping centers: If you have one you're wondering about, in terms of vacancies, redevelopment or other issues, let us know and we'll do our best to check in on it.
Two years ago, a sea of exhibition booths took up an entire, expansive room at the Charlotte Convention Center. Not in 2010: Attendees we spoke to said they saw about half as many exhibitors as in the boom days, and fewer people in attendance, too. A number of the new shopping centers that display boards and brochures promoted two years ago still didn't appear to have progressed very far, if at all, and more signs than before touted opportunities to fill empty big boxes. Still, the room was thick with professionally dressed men and women shaking hands, chatting and exchanging business cards. As we circulated up and down the aisles, we overheard snippets of conversation about weathering the downturn, both rueful and optimistic. DJ Wight, president of Retail Lease Trac, a database company that helps landlords find retailers looking to expand, noted that while attendance might be lower this year, he had actually been doing more deals than in 2009 and 2008; he had the impression that those left in the business are more serious and less likely to be simply dabbling or speculating than those who dove in during the boom.
Another trend: Discount retailers and fast food chains have proven relatively resilient in the recession, and they abounded in the exposition booths, looking for new opportunities. Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Burger King, McDonald's, Subway, Sonic and Cato were represented, among others.
Speaking of shopping centers: If you have one you're wondering about, in terms of vacancies, redevelopment or other issues, let us know and we'll do our best to check in on it.
Moving box rental service hits Charlotte
People preparing for a move rent moving trucks, moving carts, moving mats - so why not boxes? John Miller, who lives in Charlotte's Cotswold neighborhood, is aiming to make that a reality, with a new business called (surprisingly enough) Rent Your Boxes.
Miller previously worked in NASCAR-related marketing, but began looking for different opportunities as the economy froze. He considered businesses that could tie in with his wife's work as a real estate agent, and while browsing different franchises found the box rental concept, which originated in Australia. It struck him as a good idea, he said, because "getting boxes is one of the worst parts of moving." With box rental, he said, customers order and reserve their boxes online or through a toll-free number, and the rental company then delivers the boxes - as well as related moving supplies available for sale, such as tape and bubble wrap - to customers' homes. People can then keep the boxes for up to 90 days, and break them back down and call for pickup when they're finished.
Rent Your Boxes is in about eight U.S. cities so far, with plans to expand, Miller said. He's operating in Charlotte now, but hopes to grow to Raleigh and other parts of the state in the future. For the business model to work, he noted, the company likes to rent boxes two to three times before disposing of them, which is better for the environment and saves money. Franchisees go through training on how to evaluate the boxes to ensure they're in good condition, with water and dampness the biggest enemies. For the most part, Miller said, customers will receive a mix of new and used boxes; for an additional charge, they can buy their rental boxes and keep them for good. That happens with about 50 percent of the boxes, Miller said. Otherwise, the boxes will be recycled. Miller said that fire restoration companies also like to use those that have reached the end of their rental life.
The rented boxes come in small ($1.10), large ($2.30) and wardrobe ($7) sizes. By contrast, comparable U-Haul boxes sell for $1.70, $2.35 and $7.95 to $11.95, depending on size, according to the company's Web site. Miller says he hopes people will find the service worthwhile, and a stress relief at a busy time. "I'm a firm believer that whereas the 20th century was defined by whoever could manufacture things better, the 21st century is going to be defined by who can do things in a smarter way," he said. "I think this falls into that category."
Miller previously worked in NASCAR-related marketing, but began looking for different opportunities as the economy froze. He considered businesses that could tie in with his wife's work as a real estate agent, and while browsing different franchises found the box rental concept, which originated in Australia. It struck him as a good idea, he said, because "getting boxes is one of the worst parts of moving." With box rental, he said, customers order and reserve their boxes online or through a toll-free number, and the rental company then delivers the boxes - as well as related moving supplies available for sale, such as tape and bubble wrap - to customers' homes. People can then keep the boxes for up to 90 days, and break them back down and call for pickup when they're finished.
Rent Your Boxes is in about eight U.S. cities so far, with plans to expand, Miller said. He's operating in Charlotte now, but hopes to grow to Raleigh and other parts of the state in the future. For the business model to work, he noted, the company likes to rent boxes two to three times before disposing of them, which is better for the environment and saves money. Franchisees go through training on how to evaluate the boxes to ensure they're in good condition, with water and dampness the biggest enemies. For the most part, Miller said, customers will receive a mix of new and used boxes; for an additional charge, they can buy their rental boxes and keep them for good. That happens with about 50 percent of the boxes, Miller said. Otherwise, the boxes will be recycled. Miller said that fire restoration companies also like to use those that have reached the end of their rental life.
The rented boxes come in small ($1.10), large ($2.30) and wardrobe ($7) sizes. By contrast, comparable U-Haul boxes sell for $1.70, $2.35 and $7.95 to $11.95, depending on size, according to the company's Web site. Miller says he hopes people will find the service worthwhile, and a stress relief at a busy time. "I'm a firm believer that whereas the 20th century was defined by whoever could manufacture things better, the 21st century is going to be defined by who can do things in a smarter way," he said. "I think this falls into that category."
Kids' chain plans first local store
Crazy 8, a children's clothing store that is part of the Gymboree Corp., will make its Charlotte-area debut Wednesday at Carolina Place mall in Pineville. It sells clothing and accessories for boys and girls, sizes 0 to 14, and will be located on the upper level, near Build-A-Bear Workshop.
The brand began in 2007 and is intended as a more value-oriented concept than the company's other divisions, selling "current fashion trends in age-appropriate styles that are wearable, washable and at prices parents will love," according to a news release. Gymboree also operates its flagship Gymboree stores, the upscale Janie and Jack nameplate and Gymboree Outlets, all of which have area locations. Crazy 8 is now Gymboree Corp.'s fastest-growing chain, with about 65 locations nationwide, including stores in the Greensboro and Raleigh areas.
ALSO: Today marks the opening of the new Run For Your Life specialty running store at the Shops at Piper Glen, 6416 Rea Road in Charlotte. The shop relocated from Stonecrest shopping center, just down the street. Run For Your Life also has two other locations, in Dilworth and in University City.
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