Sunday, September 30, 2007
New outdoors stores are coming
Jenny Kincaid Boone
Jenny reports on the latest news on the Roanoke Valley retail industry.
Recent stories
Lovers of the outdoors will have a new outlet for shopping in time for the holidays.
Two new outdoors retailers will settle in the Roanoke Valley, but plans for one are more definite than the other.
A Sportsman's Warehouse store is under construction on Ferncliff Avenue in Roanoke, near Home Depot. Nov. 21 is the target opening date for this 48,000 square-foot outdoor lover's paradise, where shoppers will find primarily hunting, camping and fishing gear, said chief executive officer, Stu Utgaard. The selection also includes shoes and clothing for men and women.
The Roanoke location is this Utah-based chain's first Virginia store. Sportsman's Warehouse has 61 stores, but it's expanding quickly and it expects to have 67 total stores by the end of this year, said Mike Van Orden, a spokesman for the chain.
Another large outdoors chain, Gander Mountain, still has its sights set on opening a store in North Roanoke County, near Hollins University. However, Tim Martin, a spokesman for the Minnesota-based retailer, would not comment on further details about the store, because it has not yet signed a lease.
Camping World is supposed to open alongside Gander Mountain at this planned retail center off Interstate 81, said Doug Chittum, who is director of economic development for Roanoke County. There have been some development issues at the site, and that's why progress on the retail center has taken longer than expected, he said. News of Gander Mountain's entrance into the Roanoke Valley was announced last year .
Kroger -- Roanoke County
Does the sound of cows mooing inspire you to buy a gallon of milk? Kroger hopes so.
A speaker plays the sounds of cows mooing over the refrigerated milk cases at this grocer's Southwest Roanoke County store at the corner of Brambleton and Colonial avenues.
"We're always looking for ways to entertain shoppers," said Anne Jenkins, a spokeswoman for Kroger's Mid-Atlantic region office in Roanoke.
The broadcasting of sounds inside stores is a marketing initiative at Kroger locations nationwide, she said. Inside other Krogers, chickens cluck where the eggs are sold, and shoppers hear thunder roar in the produce section, Jenkins said.
Not all Krogers in the Roanoke Valley feature these sounds, and Jenkins did not know which other local stores have them.
Kroger -- Vinton
Larger deli, produce, wine and bakery sections are the planned new features inside an expanded Kroger store in Vinton. The larger store will measure 88,000 square feet, and renovations there should be complete next fall, said Anne Jenkins, a spokeswoman for Kroger's Mid-Atlantic office.
Fashion Web sites
Log on the next time you want to find out which shoes match best with a wild print mini dress or which tank top fits with a pair of camouflage cropped pants. There are Web sites that operate as virtual wardrobe consultants. By clicking on certain clothing, shoe, accessory or handbag selections, these sites automatically bring up options to create a matching outfit. Some of these Web sites are www.like.com and www.fashmatch.com.
And if you don't like a suggested match? On www.6pm.com, visitors to the site can vote on whether they think a selected handbag/shoe pairing work together.
