11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Sun & Ski Sports opening Ballantyne store
Outdoor sporting goods retailer Sun & Ski Sports is opening its second Charlotte-area store, adding a Ballantyne location to its store in Concord Mills.
The store, at the Promenade on Providence, will open June 15. The store will carry gear for skiing, snowboarding, bicycling, running, other water sports and more outdoor activities.
The store's philosophy is "focus on a few things, and do them better than anyone else," said founder Barry Goldware, in a statement. Some of the staff from the Concord Mills store will move to the new location to make sure there are experienced workers ("counselors," as the retailer calls them), in place.
They'll have services such as a bike technician, gait analysis for runners to help pick out shoes, and a certified boot fitter. The store has three hour-long clinics scheduled for its first week, on June 18, 19, and 20, at 7 p.m., covering topics such as road cycling, gait analysis and nutrition, and water sports.
Sun & Ski sports is headquartered in Houston, and has 29 stores around the country.
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Pregnant Groupon men, and Father's Day spending survey
A recent survey of shoppers from online retail site PriceGrabber shows that about 57 percent of people are planning to spend less than $100 on Father's Day this year.
Out of almost 4,500 consumers, 21 percent also planned to spend $100 to $249, and another 11 percent planned to spend more than $250 (lucky dads). The remainder of respondents didn't have a set amount they were willing to spend.
The most popular gift categories were practical gifts, with 41 percent of respondents saying they planned to get Dad something like a tool, auto accessory or appliance. Another 23 percent were planning to buy Dad hobby goods (such as golf equipment), 21 percent said entertainment goods (music, video games, etc.) 21 percent said clothing or accessories, 18 percent said tech gifts (smartphone, tablet) and 15 percent said outdoor items (such as a grill). The numbers add up to more than 100 percent because some people selected more than one gift.
The pregnant men of Groupon
But if you're still stumped for what to buy Dad for Father's Day, you can always turn to Groupon, which is running a notably odd campaign to promote its deals. As you can see at the top of the page, the picture shows a pregnant man with his wife and, presumably, young son excitedly feeling his huge belly. "Deals to celebrate the man who carried you around for nine months," the text reads.
"Celebrate the man who gave birth to you," read a previous Groupon ad. "He felt you grow and kick inside of him for nine months - thank him with deals on Father's Day gifts."
It's hard to tell who exactly Groupon is marketing to with these banners (die-hard fans of the Arnold Schwarzenegger hit film Junior?), but at least they're definitely memorable.
Walgreen's with drive-thru possibly coming to Dilworth
A developer is seeking to build an office building and a Walgreens with a drive-thru at Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
Here's a detailed proposal for the site plan from developer Lincoln Harris, originally posted by WSOC-TV. It shows building sketches and a layout for the proposed site, which would cover a significant portion of the street from Morehead down Kenilworth, across from Ascension Lutheran Church and Carolinas Medical Center.
Some neighbors are concerned with the project. From the Dilworth Community Development Association: "They plan to tear down the existing homes and build a Walgreens drug store with a drive-thru and a small office building. Major concerns include: 1) the use of the site as a pharmacy, 2) the precedent of having a drive-thru window on Morehead St., and 3) the traffic impact if left-hand turns are allowed in and out of the site."
The buildings torn down would include the Tudor-style apartment building on the corner, the adjacent white house, and three adjoining houses on Kenilworth. Those properties are all owned by Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
Springs was not available to talk about the proposed development plan this week, according to his office.
Lincoln Harris vice president Alex Kelly said the developer is meeting with community members to address their concerns. "We're working with the neighborhood," he said. "We're going to whatever extent it takes" to discuss and try to resolve issues, he said, but said he couldn't discuss the project's details.
The proposed drug store and drive-thru would be 14,540 square feet, excluding loading and servicing areas, according to the site plan. The two-story office building would be 16,000 square feet.
The 18-unit apartment building on the site was built in 1927, according to property records. The white house and Edward H. Springs Interiors office next door was built in 1940.
The rezoning request will have a public hearing in September and go before the city council in October.
 |
| The apartment building. Picture from Mecklenburg County property records. |
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JJ's Red Hots, Red Lobster to open
Two new restaurants are opening soon, coincidentally both with Red in their name.
In Matthews, a new Red Lobster is opening Monday, June 25. The 5,900 square foot restaurant is at 9801 Independence Pointe Parkway, and will have seating for 212 people.
Red Lobster is operated by restaurant company Darden, which also owns and operates chains such as Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grill and Olive Garden. In total, about 180,000 people work for Darden, which operates about 1,900 restaurants.
In Dilworth, JJ's Red Hots is coming to East Boulevard on July 4. The new hot dog spot will open at 2 p.m., with Nation Ford High School's drum line performing, and a soloist performing The Star-Spangled Banner. In addition to the building's rooftop deck, the new owners have also added a takeout menu. And if that's not enough to get you out, there will also be the chance to win free hot dogs for a year.
Dilworth to hear updated Walgreen's plan
At Wednesday's land use meeting, the Dilworth Community Development Association will hear a revised plan for building a Walgreen's with a drive-thru and an office building at the corner of Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
The current plan calls for tearing down five buildings, including a Tudor-style, 18-unit apartment building originally constructed in 1927. The distinctive building sits at the corner of Morehead and Kenilworth. Four other adjoining houses would also be slated for demolition.
The rezoning request is expected to have a public hearing in September and go before City Council in October. The developer is Lincoln Harris, and the owner of all the properties is Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors.
Neighbors have raised concerns about excessive traffic, especially with a drive-thru at an already busy corner. Using the property to build a pharmacy and office building by tearing down older homes with more neighborhood character has also raised eyebrows.
The land use meeting will be held Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m., in the Tom Sykes Recreation Center at 1501 Euclid Avenue.
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
Pregnant Groupon men, and Father's Day spending survey
A recent survey of shoppers from online retail site PriceGrabber shows that about 57 percent of people are planning to spend less than $100 on Father's Day this year.
Out of almost 4,500 consumers, 21 percent also planned to spend $100 to $249, and another 11 percent planned to spend more than $250 (lucky dads). The remainder of respondents didn't have a set amount they were willing to spend.
The most popular gift categories were practical gifts, with 41 percent of respondents saying they planned to get Dad something like a tool, auto accessory or appliance. Another 23 percent were planning to buy Dad hobby goods (such as golf equipment), 21 percent said entertainment goods (music, video games, etc.) 21 percent said clothing or accessories, 18 percent said tech gifts (smartphone, tablet) and 15 percent said outdoor items (such as a grill). The numbers add up to more than 100 percent because some people selected more than one gift.
The pregnant men of Groupon
But if you're still stumped for what to buy Dad for Father's Day, you can always turn to Groupon, which is running a notably odd campaign to promote its deals. As you can see at the top of the page, the picture shows a pregnant man with his wife and, presumably, young son excitedly feeling his huge belly. "Deals to celebrate the man who carried you around for nine months," the text reads.
"Celebrate the man who gave birth to you," read a previous Groupon ad. "He felt you grow and kick inside of him for nine months - thank him with deals on Father's Day gifts."
It's hard to tell who exactly Groupon is marketing to with these banners (die-hard fans of the Arnold Schwarzenegger hit film Junior?), but at least they're definitely memorable.
Walgreen's with drive-thru possibly coming to Dilworth
A developer is seeking to build an office building and a Walgreens with a drive-thru at Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
Here's a detailed proposal for the site plan from developer Lincoln Harris, originally posted by WSOC-TV. It shows building sketches and a layout for the proposed site, which would cover a significant portion of the street from Morehead down Kenilworth, across from Ascension Lutheran Church and Carolinas Medical Center.
Some neighbors are concerned with the project. From the Dilworth Community Development Association: "They plan to tear down the existing homes and build a Walgreens drug store with a drive-thru and a small office building. Major concerns include: 1) the use of the site as a pharmacy, 2) the precedent of having a drive-thru window on Morehead St., and 3) the traffic impact if left-hand turns are allowed in and out of the site."
The buildings torn down would include the Tudor-style apartment building on the corner, the adjacent white house, and three adjoining houses on Kenilworth. Those properties are all owned by Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
Springs was not available to talk about the proposed development plan this week, according to his office.
Lincoln Harris vice president Alex Kelly said the developer is meeting with community members to address their concerns. "We're working with the neighborhood," he said. "We're going to whatever extent it takes" to discuss and try to resolve issues, he said, but said he couldn't discuss the project's details.
The proposed drug store and drive-thru would be 14,540 square feet, excluding loading and servicing areas, according to the site plan. The two-story office building would be 16,000 square feet.
The 18-unit apartment building on the site was built in 1927, according to property records. The white house and Edward H. Springs Interiors office next door was built in 1940.
The rezoning request will have a public hearing in September and go before the city council in October.
|
| The apartment building. Picture from Mecklenburg County property records. |
View Larger Map
JJ's Red Hots, Red Lobster to open
Two new restaurants are opening soon, coincidentally both with Red in their name.
In Matthews, a new Red Lobster is opening Monday, June 25. The 5,900 square foot restaurant is at 9801 Independence Pointe Parkway, and will have seating for 212 people.
Red Lobster is operated by restaurant company Darden, which also owns and operates chains such as Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grill and Olive Garden. In total, about 180,000 people work for Darden, which operates about 1,900 restaurants.
In Dilworth, JJ's Red Hots is coming to East Boulevard on July 4. The new hot dog spot will open at 2 p.m., with Nation Ford High School's drum line performing, and a soloist performing The Star-Spangled Banner. In addition to the building's rooftop deck, the new owners have also added a takeout menu. And if that's not enough to get you out, there will also be the chance to win free hot dogs for a year.
Dilworth to hear updated Walgreen's plan
At Wednesday's land use meeting, the Dilworth Community Development Association will hear a revised plan for building a Walgreen's with a drive-thru and an office building at the corner of Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
The current plan calls for tearing down five buildings, including a Tudor-style, 18-unit apartment building originally constructed in 1927. The distinctive building sits at the corner of Morehead and Kenilworth. Four other adjoining houses would also be slated for demolition.
The rezoning request is expected to have a public hearing in September and go before City Council in October. The developer is Lincoln Harris, and the owner of all the properties is Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors.
Neighbors have raised concerns about excessive traffic, especially with a drive-thru at an already busy corner. Using the property to build a pharmacy and office building by tearing down older homes with more neighborhood character has also raised eyebrows.
The land use meeting will be held Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m., in the Tom Sykes Recreation Center at 1501 Euclid Avenue.
Blend Boutique, TCBY set for Ballantyne Village
Two new stores are set to open in Ballantyne Village soon, a women's boutique and a self-serve frozen yogurt place.
Blend Boutique will carry clothing, jewelry and accessories. Brands at the store will include Citizens of Humanity, LNA, Mother Denim, Ramona LaRue, MYNE and more. The store is set to open in August.
Owner Christy Ward said she was drawn to Ballantyne Village because of the other upscale shops and restaurants in the shopping center.
The TCBY location is owned by local franchisee Samuel Batt. He's something of a fro-yo magnate in the area, owning 12 TCBY locations in the Carolinas, nine of which are in the Charlotte area.
"These new additions further strengthen the boutique tenant mix and are anticipated to attract new and repeat patronage from the neighborhood community, as well as metro Charlotte," said Margie Bruner, who represented Ballantyne Village in the tenant negotiations.
There is still retail, restaurant, medical executive and office space available to lease at Ballantyne Village, the company said.
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Walgreen's with drive-thru possibly coming to Dilworth
A developer is seeking to build an office building and a Walgreens with a drive-thru at Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
Here's a detailed proposal for the site plan from developer Lincoln Harris, originally posted by WSOC-TV. It shows building sketches and a layout for the proposed site, which would cover a significant portion of the street from Morehead down Kenilworth, across from Ascension Lutheran Church and Carolinas Medical Center.
Some neighbors are concerned with the project. From the Dilworth Community Development Association: "They plan to tear down the existing homes and build a Walgreens drug store with a drive-thru and a small office building. Major concerns include: 1) the use of the site as a pharmacy, 2) the precedent of having a drive-thru window on Morehead St., and 3) the traffic impact if left-hand turns are allowed in and out of the site."
The buildings torn down would include the Tudor-style apartment building on the corner, the adjacent white house, and three adjoining houses on Kenilworth. Those properties are all owned by Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
Springs was not available to talk about the proposed development plan this week, according to his office.
Lincoln Harris vice president Alex Kelly said the developer is meeting with community members to address their concerns. "We're working with the neighborhood," he said. "We're going to whatever extent it takes" to discuss and try to resolve issues, he said, but said he couldn't discuss the project's details.
The proposed drug store and drive-thru would be 14,540 square feet, excluding loading and servicing areas, according to the site plan. The two-story office building would be 16,000 square feet.
The 18-unit apartment building on the site was built in 1927, according to property records. The white house and Edward H. Springs Interiors office next door was built in 1940.
The rezoning request will have a public hearing in September and go before the city council in October.
|
| The apartment building. Picture from Mecklenburg County property records. |
View Larger Map
JJ's Red Hots, Red Lobster to open
Two new restaurants are opening soon, coincidentally both with Red in their name.
In Matthews, a new Red Lobster is opening Monday, June 25. The 5,900 square foot restaurant is at 9801 Independence Pointe Parkway, and will have seating for 212 people.
Red Lobster is operated by restaurant company Darden, which also owns and operates chains such as Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grill and Olive Garden. In total, about 180,000 people work for Darden, which operates about 1,900 restaurants.
In Dilworth, JJ's Red Hots is coming to East Boulevard on July 4. The new hot dog spot will open at 2 p.m., with Nation Ford High School's drum line performing, and a soloist performing The Star-Spangled Banner. In addition to the building's rooftop deck, the new owners have also added a takeout menu. And if that's not enough to get you out, there will also be the chance to win free hot dogs for a year.
New Aldi opening soon
A new Aldi grocery store is set to open July 12, in Indian Trail, the retailer's 17th store in the area.
There is a ribbon-cutting and open house (with samples!) Wednesday, July 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the store. But the store doesn't officially open for business until 9 a.m. the following day.
Aldi (which is owned by the same company that owns Trader Joe's) has made its name as a low-price, no-frills grocery store. Aldi, like Trader Joe's, has fewer items than a full-size supermarket in stock, but focuses on the most popular, quickest-selling goods.
The chain uses such touches as making people pay a quarter to unlock a shopping carts so that they have to bring the cart back and lock the cart in to get their quarter back (saving the store from assign someone to chase carts in the parking lot).
According to the research firm Chain Store Guide, which tracks store sales, last year Aldi had about 2 percent of the Charlotte region's grocery market. That makes it the region's No. 9 grocery retailer, ranked by market share.
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Wal-Mart tries to green up its wheat
Here's an interesting retail-related story from Reuters: Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is trying to make its image more environmentally friendly by changing the way farmers who supply it grow their wheat.
Wal-Mart has been trying to reduce its carbon footprint and improve the way its perceived lately, with a pledge to reduce carbon emissions from its supply chain by 20 million tonnes by 2015. The wheat effort will hopefully lower the amount of energy and fertilizer to produce wheat, which Wal-Mart buys and uses for its Great Value brand products.
Executives have been starting at the beginning, with visits to wheat fields. From the Reuters story: "We don't have a lot of visibility in the supply chain, sowe started in the field," says Robert Kaplan, a sustainabilitymanager at the Bentonville, Arkansas-based firm. "I hadn't seena wheat field before and I wanted to find out how we go from agreen crop in the fields to flour on our shelves.""
The company is likely to promote satellite-guided, precision farming and "no-till" methods that avoid plowing the soil, to reduce erosion. Wal-Mart also floated the idea of transporting manure from chicken farms in the South to wheat farmers in other parts of the country. Whichever course of action Wal-Mart takes, its likely to have a ripple effect on farming, simply because of the retailer's sheer size.
Dilworth to hear updated Walgreen's plan
At Wednesday's land use meeting, the Dilworth Community Development Association will hear a revised plan for building a Walgreen's with a drive-thru and an office building at the corner of Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
The current plan calls for tearing down five buildings, including a Tudor-style, 18-unit apartment building originally constructed in 1927. The distinctive building sits at the corner of Morehead and Kenilworth. Four other adjoining houses would also be slated for demolition.
The rezoning request is expected to have a public hearing in September and go before City Council in October. The developer is Lincoln Harris, and the owner of all the properties is Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors.
Neighbors have raised concerns about excessive traffic, especially with a drive-thru at an already busy corner. Using the property to build a pharmacy and office building by tearing down older homes with more neighborhood character has also raised eyebrows.
The land use meeting will be held Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m., in the Tom Sykes Recreation Center at 1501 Euclid Avenue.