Retail in Richmond

[StevenRocks]

Garden Ridge at the mall? It seems awkward, but this is also a mall with two dead anchor spots that don't have any traditional suitors. Let's hope it works.

[Cadeho]

Too bad they gave up on the East End.. we have plenty of places they could have moved when their lease was up.

[burt]

The Richmond Whole Foods store has its own garden from which it will pluck herbs and greens to stock its prepared foods section.

Despite the Short Pump dateline on the newly formatted RICHMOND Times Dispatch, Whole Foods is actually in West Broad Village in Richmond's far west end.

http://www2.timesdis...rd23-ar-229066/

Edited June 23, 2010 by burt

[burt]

Lou Llovio has quite a bit of retail news in his RTD column today.

The Great Big Green House at Huguenot and Robious Roads in Chesterfield has been sold to Chantilly-based Meadow s Farms Nurseries.

Shoe Dept. Encore opens a new store in the Macy's wing of Chesterfield Town Center.

Pleasants closes its hardware store at Hull Street and Courthouse Road but maintains 6 others in the Richmond area and in Harrisonburg.

Kroger prepares to opens its new 90,000 s/f store at Lauderdale and West Broad in the development known as The Corner at Short Pump. They will be hiring 175 new employees.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/jun/28/buzz28-ar-232958/

[StevenRocks]

We have Shoe Dept. Encore at Valley View in Roanoke. It's kind of like a cut-rate version of DSW. I'm not impressed.

We also have a couple of Kroger stores in the 90,000 sf range. They typically have a massive prepared foods area and some funky departments like housewares and furniture. Should be interesting to see how it does in Short Pump (and also what will happen to the practically new store at Brookhollow; I figure it'll be subdivided to non-food uses)

[burt]

These guys have a business in Shockoe Slip but it's not a retail store. Every now and then they will lease "pop-up" space in Washington and elsewhere to sell their specially made shirts.

Eventually, they want to open specialty stores in Richmond, Charlotte, Atlanta and Charleston.

Though rather pricey at $120 per shirt, it sounds like a class operation.

From Richmondbizsense.comhttp://www.richmondb...-the-120-shirt/

Edited July 6, 2010 by burt

[StevenRocks]

You'd think the Ledbury guys would consider selling to Franco's or Beecroft & Bull to generate local buzz, but they seem to be doing alright the way they're going.

[burt]

Kroger will open its newest area store on July 29th. At 92,000 s/f, it will be considerably larger than any other Kroger in the region.

It is at Lauderdale Drive and West Broad Street directly across from Short Pump Town Center.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/jul/14/b-togo14-ar-290934/

[calwinston]

The regions malls are drawing in many tenants that you typically do not see at a mall due to the increase in vacancies by traditional tenants.

http://www.richmondb...hole-at-a-time/

Foot note: The Richmond region has the most retail space per sq ft to per person than any other metro area in the nation!

Edited July 22, 2010 by calwinston

[burt]

The newest and largest Krogers has opened at 11895 West Broad Street across from Short Pump Town Center.

Edited July 30, 2010 by burt

[burt]

Costco has begun construction on a new 150,000 s/f store near Chesterfield Town Center which covers a lot of land near the junction of Huguenot Road and Midlothian Turnpike. The new store will be north of the mall and when completed, the current store on Hull Street Road will close.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2010/jul/31/b-cost31-ar-356274/

[StevenRocks]

The Costco on Hull Street Rd. is practically invisible from the street, so I can see why they'd want to to move. It's a shame though. I don't know what would fill the space.

[burt]

The Richmond Whole Foods store has its own garden from which it will pluck herbs and greens to stock its prepared foods section.

Despite the Short Pump dateline on the newly formatted RICHMOND Times Dispatch, Whole Foods is actually in West Broad Village in Richmond's far west end.

http://www2.timesdis...rd23-ar-229066/

According to this story by Luz Lazo in today's RTD, it appears Henrico will approve Whole Food's garden and market near its store in West Broad village:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/business/2010/aug/08/b4-farm08-ar-417329/

[burt]

Lou Llovio has some interesting news in his Bizz Buzz column today:

Krispy Kreme, which is on West Broad near Staples Mill Road is planning another shop at Hancock Village on Hull Street Road in Chesterfield. The donut company is also showing interest in locating at The Corner at Short Pump. That shopping center across Broad Street Road from Short Pump Town Center will encompass 225,000 square feet of retail space when completed.

J. C. Penny's has undergone several million dollars worth of renovation at its Southpark Mall store in Colonial Heights.

The Saks 5th Avenue chain has announced that it is expanding some product lines to accommodate women up to size 18. The Richmond store at Stony Point Fashion Park would not say if it will carry the products.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/aug/09/buzz09-ar-418083/

[StevenRocks]

It's doubtful that the JCPenney at Southpark has been touched since it opened in the late '80s, so i'm sure a remodel was in order. As for Krispy Kreme, nice to see them actually opening stores these days. Also, Saks would be well advised to carry the large sizes at Stony Point. It's an untapped and undeserved market in designer sportswear.

[jbjust]

The Costco on Hull Street Rd. is practically invisible from the street, so I can see why they'd want to to move. It's a shame though. I don't know what would fill the space.

The Costco, added to the new GardenRidge as well as another way to access the mall area directly off Robious will certainly go a long way toward revitalizing the Chesterfield Mall area.

[burt]

Whole Foods may have an "in" on the former telephone company building at #10 North Nansemond Street near Carytown.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2010/aug/17/b-veri17-ar-456983/

[StevenRocks]

Two Whole Foods Markets? Go Richmond!

[Icetera]

Whole Foods may have an "in" on the former telephone company building at #10 North Nansemond Street near Carytown.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...ri17-ar-456983/

We really do not need a 4th grocery store there, never-mind a 3rd specializing in organic foods. I hope another anchor turns up (like an electronics store, please).

[gntrphoo]

I'm afraid that a Whole Foods in that location would mean the end of Ellwood Thompsons. Ellwood Thompsons has been trying to open a second location in my neighborhood (Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C.) for over two years. They have been paying rent on their new D.C. location for over a year now, but supposedly have been unable to get financing to actually set up shop. Word around here is that the Richmond store is barely covering costs. Is there any local word on the health of Ellwood Thompson and their future in Washington, D.C.?

We really do not need a 4th grocery store there, never-mind a 3rd specializing in organic foods. I hope another anchor turns up (like an electronics store, please).

[burt]

I would guess from the predominance of comments following this story in Richmondbizsense that most responders support a "chain" interference in Carytown. But as a non-resident, I'm not commenting.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2010/aug/21/b-togo21-ar-464789/

[burt]

Kroger is opening its 9th fuel station in the Richmond area at 4816 South Laburnum Avenue.

Question: What the hell is a "fuel station?" Is it what we used to call in the old days a "filling station" or "gasoline station?"

From today's RTD:

http://www.mytimesdispatch.com/index.php/biz_buzz/kroger_begins_work_on_laburnum_fuel_station/

[StevenRocks]

I'm not sure what a 'fuel station' is, but Kroger calls their gas stations 'Fuel Centers.' They typically contain around eight to sixteen pumps and a small cashier's building with drinks and snacks.

Edited August 22, 2010 by StevenRocks

[burt]

Regency Square off of Parham Road in the far West End has a new restaurant tenant. WINGS-PIZZA-N-THINGS, featuring 35 flat-screen TVs, opened last Thursday in 5,400 square feet of space on the upper level across from Texas de Brazil.

Another WINGS-PIZZA-N-THINGS will open this winter in the former Spinnaker's space at Chesterfield Town Center at Midlothian Tpk and Huguenot Road.

The original, and only other operation of this restaurant is near Lynchburg.

This information is from Lou Llovio's Biz Buzz column in today's RTD.

[wrldcoupe4]

This place could win an award for the worst named restaurant concept ever.