Jenny Kincaid Boone covers retail and real estate.

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Jenny Kincaid Boone

Retail Roundup columns

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A slow spending climate, particularly for furniture, has hammered a Roanoke Valley retailer.

On June 15, Barewood Home Furnishings closed its store on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke County, transferring its remaining furniture to its Christiansburg store on Franklin Street.

Last year, Barewood moved to 3328 Brambleton Ave., formerly home to Brambleton Drug, from its mega-sized space on Apperson Drive in Salem.

But sales came to a halt at the new Roanoke County store. Though shoppers stopped by to browse, "they weren't buying," said owner Jerry Helms. "People aren't buying big ticket items."

A slow real estate market has stunted furniture retail sales nationwide, causing demand for certain home-related purchases to drop.

Also, the cost of running both Roanoke and Christiansburg locations during a nationwide recession didn't help Barewood, which has a 23-year history in the Roanoke Valley.

One of its stores had to go and in Christiansburg, "business was just better" than in Roanoke County, Helms said.

For now, all furniture orders will be filled in Christiansburg, though Barewood still has a warehouse and finishing shop in Roanoke. Furniture is shipped to the Roanoke warehouse on Cleveland Avenue for finishing once a week.

Helms said he would like to reopen a store in the Roanoke Valley once the economy improves.

GameStop store to expand

Let the games begin. A Roanoke GameStop store wants to get bigger.

The gaming store on Valley View Boulevard has proposed to practically double its space at a retail center beside O'Charley's.

According to a city building permit filed this month, GameStop wants to remodel its store and expand into a neighboring space that houses Payless Shoe Source. The expansion would stretch GameStop's footprint to a total of 3,220 square feet, said Jeff Shawver, Roanoke building commissioner. The permit is under review.

A spokeswoman for Payless Shoe Source did not return a call for comment about whether the store planned to relocate.

Also, a manager at the Roanoke GameStop referred media inquiries to the company's corporate office in Texas. Corporate officials also did not return calls for comment about the proposed expansion.

This particular Roanoke GameStop is sandwiched between Men's Wearhouse and Payless.

The gaming store has three Roanoke Valley locations.

Interest brewing in beer

More Roanoke Valley bars are pouring a locally brewed taste.

A total of 15 bars and restaurants now sell Roanoke Railhouse Brewery's signature brew. Earlier this year, the new microbrewery got its start by selling its amber brew to seven local establishments through a distributor.

News about the locally produced beer spread quickly, and additional bars have signed up to sell it.

The brewing occurs inside a former Dr Pepper bottling facility in South Roanoke.

To meet demand, Roanoke Railhouse hired a second full-time employee to work with certified brewmaster John Bryce.

The brewery has added extra fermenters and other equipment to increase its capacity.

The company doesn't plan to sell its beer on a retail basis, though 5-gallon kegs are available for purchase at Tinnell's Finer Foods, a specialty grocer in South Roanoke, said Steve Davidson, president of Roanoke Railhouse.

He determined that it would be too labor intensive and difficult to obtain permits for the brewery to sell the beer on a retail basis. A full list of restaurants selling Roanoke Railhouse is online: www.roanokerailhouse.com.

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