Retail in Richmond

[jbjust]

I agree. The old Botom market needs a lot of help if it is to survive. Butcheries and fish mongers in an enclosed cold-storage area would add appeal. There is a building that has sat vacant for years at the s/w corner of 17th and Franklin (next door to Havana 59 and across from the market.) It and the nearby remains of Loving Produce would be ideal for indoor expansion, IMO.

Aren't there a couple of other new-ish markets besides Forest Hill? I think I read about one in or near Oregon Hill. And I've heard there is a huge one on Pole Green Road in Mechanicsville.

jbjust, does The Forest Hill Avenue market offer more than produce?

Oh yes, quite a bit more than produce: organic coffee, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, handmade jewelry, crafts, flowers, Ralph Nader supporters, etc.

[journiyin]

Here's an elaboration of Lou Llovio's inRich piece about White Oak. The 900,000 s/f center is near saturation with tenants despite the weak economy:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...07-31-0128.html

StevenRocks, you're our UP Retail expert. Comments, please? It seems like a good fit, IMO.

Cam: Isn't there another center under construction around the corner from White Oak on a road that begins with an "A"? There was talk a few months ago about shops and a multi-plex cinema under consideration in that area.

I believe you are refering to Audubon. That is only a shopping center at the moment... in the site plan stage...

[D_C]

Aren't there a couple of other new-ish markets besides Forest Hill? I think I read about one in or near Oregon Hill. And I've heard there is a huge one on Pole Green Road in Mechanicsville.

The Pole Green produce stand is now a full-on grocery. It has lost its rural appeal in my opinion. There is another farmers market in Lakeside, behind the old Standard Drug building. We joined a co-op there and for about $25 a week, we get a huge batch of Virginia produce that takes my family of 5 through the week. We have also gotten goat cheese there and it was the absolute best I have ever had. The variety of veggies we get every week is outstanding and we never get tired or bored with our produce that is consumed nightly. And the taste is far superior to regular grocery produce. Maybe that is just psychological.

http://www.localharvest.org/

This link will take you to local produce sharing spots all around the country.

[StevenRocks]

Here's an elaboration of Lou Llovio's inRich piece about White Oak. The 900,000 s/f center is near saturation with tenants despite the weak economy:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...07-31-0128.html

StevenRocks, you're our UP Retail expert. Comments, please? It seems like a good fit, IMO.

I think it's a nice addition to the retail landscape, especially on the east end of town. Tenant mix is a little ho-hum, but it's the basics.

[burt]

I don't know if this is the right place for it, but I went to the Forest Hill Avenue Farmer's Market on Saturday and was BLOWN AWAY. This thing is at least 3X the size as the 17th Street Farmers Market and has ample convenient parking. I think it is much more convenient for the sellers because they can just back up their trucks full of fruit rather than schlep everything to stalls. I don't know if the 17th Street market is going to survive the competition.

Here's a story from today's inRich elaborating on jbjust's comments about the Forest Hill market:

http://www.inrich.com/content/cva/ric/news...08-01-0072.html

[Cadeho]

I believe you are refering to Audubon. That is only a shopping center at the moment... in the site plan stage...

Thanks. I believe it's Audubon Commons.

The Target looks like it really wants to open for the sales tax holiday. The lights were all on, the parking lot looked set, the lights in the parking lot lit up the area and were the only store to have them lit. And the landscaping! It's beautiful!

Some of the outparcels are rising and I believe the hotel is too. I am satisfied with the line-up.... especially Chik Fil-A oh my friggin God! Finally. Now I'd like to know what's coming other than Best Buy to Laburnum Station which is coming along pretty fast. I really do wish Fairfield Commons would be demolished and a nice new shopping center take its place. Well they can leave the Peebles and the Ample Storage, but everything in between... bye bye. Oh and the boat place and I believe a storefront church... see ya! Bring in some restaurants and stuff. Across the street... the old KFC and Bonanza and former 7-Eleven... Pearl... all of them need to be demolished and replaced. Seven Gables... to the bowels of hell or converted into condos... it's Henrico's version of a project right now. I was very disappointed that they built a house across from K-Mart. Really? A house? Along a commercial strip? They need to move it or watch it go bye bye and rezone it. That was just careless planning. I'm sorry the East End doesn't have its own Broad St. I guess Williamsburg could be that once it wakes up.

[burt]

Lou Llovio reports via inRich that the sales-tax holiday over the weekend re-engaged buyers and stores were doing good business:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...08-05-0032.html

[wrldcoupe4]

Coming soon to Chesterfield Towne Center:

http://richmondbizsense.com/rich-wire/11-r...wne-center.html

Chesterfield Towne Center today announced the addition of Bachrach, an upscale men’s apparel and accessories store. The center will be the retailer’s first Richmond location and is expected to open in November 2008.

“The addition of Bachrach will offer shoppers a unique retail destination that is not currently available in Richmond,” said Tom Coover, property manager of Chesterfield Towne Center. “It’s another exciting part of our remerchandising efforts to bring more upscale and unique retailers to our center.”

The Bachrach brand features men's suits, detailed dress shirts, and distinctive silk ties as well as other fashion essentials for the business professional and fashion-conscious male. Bachrach has developed a philosophy of dressing men, while having the ability to adapt the clothing business to the ever changing social landscape and tastes of its shoppers....

Bachrach will feature both exterior and interior entrances on the Huguenot Road side of Chesterfield Towne Center which has been undergoing redevelopment. The new store will occupy 4,140 square feet and will be located near the North mall entrance and Coldwater Creek. Bachrach expects the new store to open in mid-November.

Edited August 12, 2008 by wrldcoupe4

[burt]

Coming soon to Chesterfield Towne Center:

http://richmondbizsense.com/rich-wire/11-r...wne-center.html

According to the Richmondbiz site, Bachrach's operates 47 stores in "major metropolitan markets across 16 states."

StevenRocks, are there others in Virginia? And what can you tell us about Bachrach's reputation as a clothier?

[jbjust]

I ran into one at the very high-end Galleria mall in Houston. I would not consider this place to be "high end", rather more like a Jos. A. Bank. Should be almost all house brands.

[StevenRocks]

According to the Richmondbiz site, Bachrach's operates 47 stores in "major metropolitan markets across 16 states."

StevenRocks, are there others in Virginia? And what can you tell us about Bachrach's reputation as a clothier?

Bachrach is contemporary leaning and somewhat upscale. It's a place you go to get clothes for a nice night out or an upper management office job. Pleasant enough, but a little cliched. I'm not a fan, but there are plenty of people who this store will appeal to.

[burt]

Food Lion is converting a former Winn-Dixie into its Bloom brand. It is on US60 near Bottoms Bridge in New kent.

From today's inRich:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...08-25-0188.html

Edited August 25, 2008 by burt

[burt]

So far, Dillards has announced only one closing in Metro Richmond -- its store at Chesterfield Town Center. But its National prospects don't look good.

From today's inRich:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...08-27-0205.html

Edited August 27, 2008 by burt

[StevenRocks]

I guess it was cheaper to close than to invest the money in a greatly needed remodel.

[jbjust]

Dillard's strategy of moving to 90%+ private label is going to be its undoing. They can't give the stuff away even at 75% off at the Dillard's they're trying to close in Chesterfield Town Center.

[StevenRocks]

Dillard's strategy of moving to 90%+ private label is going to be its undoing. They can't give the stuff away even at 75% off at the Dillard's they're trying to close in Chesterfield Town Center.

It's true. Nobody's looking to load up on Roundtree & Yorke.

[burt]

High end outlet mall approved by Hanover authorities for Winding Brook area off Lewistown Road and I-95.

Bass Pro Shop, expected to open this fall, will be the centerpiece of the development.

From today's inRich:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...08-29-0125.html

[heykey4]

High end outlet mall approved by Hanover authorities for Winding Brook area off Lewistown Road and I-95.

Bass Pro Shop, expected to open this fall, will be the centerpiece of the development.

From today's inRich:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...08-29-0125.html

Went to the company's website that is going to build this development. Here's their PDF flyer about The Outlet Shoppes at Richmond.

[burt]

Richmond has a lot of shopping centers for a city its size, and will soon have a couple more with White Oak and Westchester Commons coming on line.

This story in Richmond Bizsense is sort of perplexing. On one hand, it tells us that vacancy rates in the malls are alarming, and on the other hand reveals that merchants are enjoying good sales despite closures of stores.

Toward the end of the piece, the writer makes a reference to long gone Hecht's, all of which I believe, have been converted to Macy's in Metro Richmond.

Short Pump Town Center comes off best of breed.

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/big-biz/32...-for-malls.html

Here's another website from the Richmond BizSense:

http://www.deadmalls.com

Edited August 30, 2008 by burt

[Cadeho]

Richmond has a lot of shopping centers for a city its size, and will soon have a couple more with White Oak and Westchester Commons coming on line.

This story in Richmond Bizsense is sort of perplexing. On one hand, it tells us that vacancy rates in the malls are alarming, and on the other hand reveals that merchants are enjoying good sales despite closures of stores.

Toward the end of the piece, the writer makes a reference to long gone Hecht's, all of which I believe, have been converted to Macy's in Metro Richmond.

Short Pump Town Center comes off best of breed.

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/big-biz/32...-for-malls.html

Here's another website from the Richmond BizSense:

http://www.deadmalls.com

Of course it is Burt... it's the newest suburban mall with an unfair advantage that makes people go there. The unfair advantage is that it has shops that can be found nowhere else in Richmond and at times anywhere else within 100 miles. They will not allow that mall to have any vacancies as it's supposed to be the best Richmond has had and will forever. I look around at other shopping centers and retail stretches that still have vacant storefronts. I still worry about White Oak because nearby there are several strips that have had trouble attracting stores. One is diagonal from White Oak and has suffered the loss of A&N. It only has a Papa Johns, a fish store and a temp agency. There was a wing added on that has remained vacant except for recently with an office for Sam's Club (I believe) for hiring. Luckily along Mechanicsville Turnpike, I have seen several places open in vacant spaces and some coming soons. However, in Hanover in Mechanicsville, there's a stretch of empty stores off Bell Creek and near Lee Davis.

[heykey4]

Of course it is Burt... it's the newest suburban mall with an unfair advantage that makes people go there. The unfair advantage is that it has shops that can be found nowhere else in Richmond and at times anywhere else within 100 miles. They will not allow that mall to have any vacancies as it's supposed to be the best Richmond has had and will forever. I look around at other shopping centers and retail stretches that still have vacant storefronts. I still worry about White Oak because nearby there are several strips that have had trouble attracting stores. One is diagonal from White Oak and has suffered the loss of A&N. It only has a Papa Johns, a fish store and a temp agency. There was a wing added on that has remained vacant except for recently with an office for Sam's Club (I believe) for hiring. Luckily along Mechanicsville Turnpike, I have seen several places open in vacant spaces and some coming soons. However, in Hanover in Mechanicsville, there's a stretch of empty stores off Bell Creek and near Lee Davis.

Have you noted the amount of remodeling their doing to shopping centers in Mechanicsville? They painted the Wal-Mart a brown/tan combination, updated the Food Lion, KFC, Pizza Hut, Kohl's, and are now updating the shopping center that has Tractor Supply.

[eandslee]

Went to the company's website that is going to build this development. Here's their PDF flyer about The Outlet Shoppes at Richmond.

I think that this outlet mall coming to Richmond is very good news. It was about a year or so ago that I posted on this site that Richmond needed and outlet mall and my idea got shot down by you guys because Williamsburg has an outlet mall, Potomac Mills is to our north, but I knew that Richmond needed one. Now we're getting one! Richmond sure does have its fair share of shopping centers, but I see that as a good thing - heck, Richmond could very possibly become the shopping mecca of Virginia! People from all over the state may end up coming to the Richmond area for their shopping needs. Since we've got just about all other kinds of shopping in the Richmond area, the outlet sector of shopping was missing. This project will just fill in the gap. I think this is great!

[Downtowner]

This is very great that we have an outlet mall. I really hope they do a good job at attracting stores to its outlet mall. I really hope Polo and J Crew comes to the new outlet mall. Those are the two main outlets I shop. But I really am excited for Bass Pro Shops too cause I am a huge fishing and hunting freak too. I really cant wait for all of this to be completed its really gonna be awesome to see all these new stores coming online. Not to mention that Whole Foods in West Broad Village opens up on September the 3rd which is this week since I saw a sign for it a few days ago that it was opening on the 3rd of September.

[Cadeho]

I remember finding deadmalls.com a few years ago looking for info on Fairfield Commons. I believe the guy who wrote the piece for it lurks here and at RCW. I think... Anyway, I've been hanging out around Washington Hwy, Sliding Hill, Kings Acres, and Telegragh lately and Hanover is really making that section a "shopping Mecca." But as I have been documenting what's left of Telegraph Rd, I hope they include this historic road in their plans.

Richmond, a shopping Mecca? You mean its suburbs. What shopping can be done within the city limits at least on the north side of the the river? Definitely this Mecca passes over downtown.

[burt]

Get ready for a Whole new grocery shopping experience starting Wednesday. Whole Foods comes to town.

From today's inRich story by Lou Llovio;

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news/busines...08-31-0082.html