Sunday, March 01, 2009
What's new on the blog?
Jenny Kincaid Boone
Jenny reports on the latest news on the Roanoke Valley retail industry.
Recent stories
In February, heavy topics fostered lively responses. Opinions flew and continue to spew about your take on smoking in restaurants, which retailers are suited to withstand the economic downturn and why some people won't shop at Best Buy in light of Circuit City's upcoming closure.
Keep reading below to find out what's going on at the Storefront blog at blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/storefront/. And join the conversation.
Is your favorite restaurant turning on the charm? (Feb. 4)
Big smiles when you walk in. Friendly offers to refill your water glass or substitute your side item for another.
Lately, some consumers are seeing a change in the moods of servers and other restaurant personnel. According to a New York Times story, some restaurants are stepping up their service in light of slow sales to better please patrons and encourage them to come back.
I've noticed this happy and helpful mood, mostly at not-so-crowded local restaurants where the wait to be seated is less than 30 minutes. And the service has ranged from more offers for me to take my drink home in a to-go cup and ultra-fast service when bringing the check.
Some blog readers have seen the same kind of service trends, such as offers for drink refills, just as they've noticed more empty tables and booths. Also, many of you lauded local restaurants, rather than chains, as the ones with the most charm.
Status of a shopping center pizza mainstay: (Feb. 17)
With mall traffic slowing in this economy, it's only natural to assume that restaurants inside shopping centers also are feeling the heat. Sbarro, a pizza and pasta chain that you can find at most malls across the country, was named to Yahoo's list of the top 15 companies that might not survive 2009.
Don't forget that Sbarro has locations inside both Valley View Mall and the New River Valley Mall.
Price and quality of the pizza are some of the reasons that some bloggers said they're no longer frequenting Sbarro.
Six shining stars: (Feb. 19)
Believe it or not, some retailers stand to thrive in this economy.
They are Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Urban Outfitters and Gamestop, or so says personal finance magazine and news site, Kiplinger.com. These six retailers stand out for several reasons, mainly because they sell discount merchandise and are poised to benefit from the demise of a competitor, for example.
Several blog readers concur with the naming of Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond and Gamestop, though there were questions about some perceived high prices at Urban Outfitters. Also, some readers commented on the quality of the products at Wal-Mart, though they are inexpensive.
Smoking ban passes: (Feb. 19)
A law to ban smoking at all Virginia restaurants, with two exceptions, is headed for Gov. Tim Kaine's signature. The exceptions allow for smoking in a separate ventilated room and at private clubs.
According to an informal survey of blog readers, many support this law, and some people added that restaurants may actually get more business from nonsmokers who may not have frequented a particular establishment when it allowed smoking. Some of you also said you will be interested to see what changes local bars and restaurants ultimately make to allow smoking and how much it could cost them.
Some local retailer openings, closings:
Goody's (Feb. 19): Local Goody's stores closed for good last week .
E.I. Randle (Feb. 13): This women's boutique reopened at the Forum in Roanoke County, under new ownership.
Temple Fitness Studio (Feb. 11): This health center now is open at the New Century Venture Center in Salem. Its focus is helping women ages 30 and older with fitness and weight-loss management goals.
S&K Menswear (Feb. 10): S&K's store near Valley View Mall in Roanoke closed in late January. The fate of other regional S&K stores is unclear after the retailer filed for bankruptcy last month.
