Redevelopment along 28th Street

[francishsu]

Aside from consumer electronics, I've found independent stores to be surprisingly competitive on price. My dishwasher, microwave and lawn mower were all purchased from independents after price shopping against places like Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Best Buy, etc. One thing the national chains can offer that's rarely matched is the financing offer. For people who would need to carry debt, 0% financing for 12/18/24 months represents a substantial savings.

Also, another factor that makes national chains appear to have better pricing is that they offer unestablished or off brands. Granted, there are many examples where an off brand offers a quality product, but I feel it's a more of a crap shoot especially for reliability. Or they might offer an exclusive model of a major brand with some features left out compared to the standard model. That allows them to price the exclusive model lower.

Edited January 20, 2009 by francishsu

[MuskeMI]

While the sticker price was almost always lower at the national places, but at the end of the day I never paid a penny more when I made all my purchases at the local places. Reason being is that most local places sticker-price by the manufacturers' suggested retail prices, whereas national stores develop their own pricing models (typically lower than MSRP). However, when I brought in an advertised price to the local shops, they always matched the price.

Maybe this approach to pricing needs to be re-examined. Most people aren't going to think about price matching, or don't want the (perceived) hassle. Don't get me wrong, I try to support my independents - we got all the appliances for our new house from Nawara Bros downtown. Their service blows Best Buy's out of the water. We had the appliances delivered right after our driveway was re-poured and they didn't complain one bit about having to park in the road and cart all the appliances up the driveway. And their multiple-appliance discount probably ended up saving us $50-100 over a similar lot from BB/Sears/et al. So unwittingly, this has turned into a post about how good of an experience I had with Nawara!

And like another poster said, sometimes the small guys don't get the products the big ones do (for example, the gas grill I wanted is only available at Home Depot - sigh).

[Raildudes dad]

Maybe this approach to pricing needs to be re-examined. Most people aren't going to think about price matching, or don't want the (perceived) hassle. Don't get me wrong, I try to support my independents - we got all the appliances for our new house from Nawara Bros downtown. Their service blows Best Buy's out of the water. We had the appliances delivered right after our driveway was re-poured and they didn't complain one bit about having to park in the road and cart all the appliances up the driveway. And their multiple-appliance discount probably ended up saving us $50-100 over a similar lot from BB/Sears/et al. So unwittingly, this has turned into a post about how good of an experience I had with Nawara!

And like another poster said, sometimes the small guys don't get the products the big ones do (for example, the gas grill I wanted is only available at Home Depot - sigh).

I think if you if you check you will find that the big guys get their own models with a price point lower than the independents. The repair guy that repairs our appliances says those models are cheaper built, less insulation etc than the models the independents sell. So it sounds like you get what you pay for

[arcturus]

Re: ABC Warehouse

They advertised a ridiculously low price on a Samsung LCD TV back in July. Brought the ad in to Best Buy for a price match and the BB employee scratched his head. He couldn't believe it ... it was $200 under the employee discount. So yeah, in some ways I hate to see some of the B & M stores go under for those occasional price match deals.

[Allison Slater]

I think if you if you check you will find that the big guys get their own models with a price point lower than the independents. The repair guy that repairs our appliances says those models are cheaper built, less insulation etc than the models the independents sell. So it sounds like you get what you pay for

Walmart is supposedly notorious for this. Not only in terms of appliances, but also with clothing as well. Lower thread counts on clothing, more sloppy assembly of electronics with lower capacities, etc.

[AlexPKeaton]

Walmart is supposedly notorious for this. Not only in terms of appliances, but also with clothing as well. Lower thread counts on clothing, more sloppy assembly of electronics with lower capacities, etc.

Snapper refused to sell lawn mowers to Wal-Mart for this very reason. Wal-Mart would always want price reductions would compromise quality which would ultimately tarnish Snapper's brand name. There was a great article about it in Fast Company a little while back.

[wingbert]

Re: ABC Warehouse

They advertised a ridiculously low price on a Samsung LCD TV back in July. Brought the ad in to Best Buy for a price match and the BB employee scratched his head. He couldn't believe it ... it was $200 under the employee discount. So yeah, in some ways I hate to see some of the B & M stores go under for those occasional price match deals.

I had a friend who worked at ABC Warehouse. He said that every week they would have a sales meeting before the doors opened in which they were alerted to what the hot deals that week in the paper were going to be. Those deals had two goals - annoy the competition and get customers in the door. Oh yeah, they were also told that anybody actually selling any of the sale products could expect to get their arse chewed out along with a warning that their job was in jeopardy. The only acceptable sale was an upsell to non-sale product. Knowing that, it explained why I always got a creepy feeling more akin to being a victim than a customer whenever I set foot in that place. I haven't been in an ABC store in 10 years or more. I do get a chuckle from some of their ads with Gordy though.

[Allison Slater]

Hehe they do have some really good ads =D

[GRDadof3]

I think the Woodland B&N discussion was in here. The new store is looking pretty big now. And based on looking through the windows inside the mall into the construction site, it will be a lot like the two-story B&N in Ann Arbor, which is nice because the atrium takes up about 1/2 the footprint.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...0&encType=1

[Grandrapidsne]

Once B&N goes in I will not be visiting Woodland anylonger. The parking situation at the mall is horrible and looks like it will only get worse.

[tamias6]

Once B&N goes in I will not be visiting Woodland anylonger. The parking situation at the mall is horrible and looks like it will only get worse.

How so? Instead of expanding the mall foot print, a large section of the mall building was carved out and replaced new BN. So there would be no loss of parking spaces.

[mgreven]

Once B&N goes in I will not be visiting Woodland anylonger. The parking situation at the mall is horrible and looks like it will only get worse.

There are always a ton of empty spots all around Sears...we never have trouble parking there. It's just around that plaza that gets busy, but you never have to park more then a "half block" away if you want to park right by the restaurants.

[Allison Slater]

Yeah, I always see empty spots right around Sears. LOTS of them. The bus stop is also conveniently located near Sears and you won't even have to park there at all. ;D

5 - Wealthy / Woodland

6 - Easttown / Woodland

24 - Burton

28 - 28th Street

44 - 44th Street

17 - Airport

All of the above buses serve the mall.

[Veloise]

The Jo-Ann Fabrics, presently in the plaza adjacent to Sam's Club and almost next door to a Hobby Lobby, is relocating to Centerpointe Mall. Nice to see some better density there, plus tax revenue for Favorite City.

And they are having big sales at the current location. The ads say, "we'd rather sell it than move it."

Field's must have a mole in the Press ad dep't, as the small regional chain has countered with a big President's day sale ad, and matching prices on the Big Four patterns.

(going shopping)

ETA: This big sale is this weekend. Some good deals, some yardage that I'd never seen before anywhere (clean out the back rooms!) and some odd rules. (I do not want the mandatory five yards of blue headliner fabric. See ya!)

Edited February 13, 2009 by Veloise

[Grandrapidsne]

Well for me finding a spot seems all but impossible when im catching a movie or going to one of the restaurants nearby. It wouldnt be that bad in the summer but winter time its unpleasant. Now that Jo Anns is at Centerpointe i thought I read somewhere they were going to consolidate there stores to they location this true?

How so? Instead of expanding the mall foot print, a large section of the mall building was carved out and replaced new BN. So there would be no loss of parking spaces.

[Veloise]

... Now that Jo Anns is at Centerpointe i thought I read somewhere they were going to consolidate there stores to they location this true?

Dunno. Their other GR locations are on Alpine (just south of Fred, between the U-Haul and the Wendy's) and 28th Street in the plaza with the now-closed theatres...with the entrance to the south of the shopping center, no state highway frontage. Neither of those locales has been updated in a while. The chain has a flagship store (Jo-Ann's ETC) in Muskegon, of all places.

(finger on the pulse of fabric stores)

[tamias6]

Does anyone know the status of the Studio 28 site? Is there a definite buyer of the land such as Meijer, Wal-Mart, etc?

[aowwt]

As far as I know the city of wyoming have not been approached by Meijer agian. As for Wal-mart or target nobody else has even come to the city office asking about the property. From what I was told Meijer's offer for the property was 750k short from what Loeks was looking for. The city was able to provide them 400k in a brownfield credit as the building has only one usage and as such it is a brownfield.

I am guessing somebody from the big retailers will move in.

[arcturus]

The undevelopment of 28th St continues ... Office Depot has closed at 1280 28th St. SW

http://bit.ly/vvKkX

[aowwt]

Yeap and good riddence. Give us something better than a glorified ink selling ripoff place. I been in there quite a few times and frankly its been going down hill every time. In anycase the parking lot for the Wyoming Village mall should be getting a new surface (my truck is starting to feel those potholes a little too much). The Village Mall has been getting better tennants lately. Ones that will stay put and not close any time soon. They still need to replace the old Pizza place but outside of that one vaccancy the rest of the front is filled in except for the recent store closing. The back side needs some help and the place next door could use a Walmart or Meijer. But there has been zero info so far on Meijer and Studio 28.

[Veloise]

Remember the Fresh Market store, out in Cascade Twp (aka God's country)? Something's happening there...two matching panel vans with large logos (don't recognize the company), lights on inside the building.

Yah, the Target/Costco shopping center needs another viable business. Nothing to buy over there by the concrete reservoir.

[MuskeMI]

Yah, the Target/Costco shopping center needs another viable business. Nothing to buy over there by the concrete reservoir.

You're absolutely right. The building should sit vacant, not employing anyone, not generating taxes. It's not like we need jobs or funds for state operating budget, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. Your dislike of the area is well known but now you're just being ridiculous.

[Veloise]

^^ ??

[aowwt]

I think Velosie was saying that the Target/Costco place needs another good bussiness to tie everything together so it does not look like a waste of concrete.

[Veloise]

For those who don't get to enjoy a daily view of the referenced space, Fresh Market took up a full half of the Staples-Party USA four-bay strip. It's tucked away behind Bob Evans, with plenty of distractions and a difficult traffic flow (saw a near crash just last week; the lane position signage does not match reality). It also suffers from isolation, being out at the cul de sac end of the parking lot, and visibility (large colorful theme chain restaurants block the view).

I can't fathom a viable business that would be a good fit for the slot(s); perhaps a destination use that does not depend on impulse buys or drive-by traffic. For instance, a dentist, which doesn't rely on "food court" interplay or signage. "Look, a dentist, guess I'll stop and get a filling."

HTH

ETA: Birds-eye photo. Interesting effect: it first appeared with a Sunday morning shot, prior to FM coming in (its two facades were originally maroon on the far east, and green). I flew over to Taget, then returned to this view, and FM was established, with more than a couple cars in the lot.

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&...1&encType=1

Edited June 8, 2009 by Veloise