Li Ming's Global Mart opening in Greensboro

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Above: Li Ming's in Durham in the former Circuit City

Li Ming's Global Mart, which already has two locations in the Triangle (one in Durham [photos] and a sister store in Raleigh, respectively), will soon breathe some life into the High Point Road corridor in Greensboro. Scheduled to open in the Fall of 2012, the Asian grocery store will encompass nearly 52,000 square feet in the Greensboro South Shopping Center, next to T.J. Maxx. High Point Road, an ever-evolving corridor has seen a shift to ethnic-oriented businesses in recent years.
Above: the former Lowes Foods on High Point Road

The location that Li Ming's is moving into has gone through many incarnations. The store originally opened in 1969 as a branch of discount store Zayre, later was an Ames (another discount store) briefly. As a grocery store it has been a Buy For Less and a Lowes Foods. It has been empty for a number of years since Lowes Foods vacated, so this is certainly a welcome announcement for that shopping center. The Li Ming's in Durham opened last year in a former Circuit City space across from South Square Shopping Center.

Greensboro's Whole Foods sets opening date; Winston-Salem to get Trader Joe's

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Greensboro's long-awaited Whole Foods Market is set to open soon. Finishing touches are being put on the store, which is in part of the Sears building at Friendly Center. The 34,000 square foot store takes up half of the lower-level footprint of Sears' department store. The store will open on April 12th.

Above: Trader Joe's Winston-Salem store rendering

Above: Trader Joe's Greensboro store rendering

On the other end of the Triad, Winston-Salem is gearing up for a Trader Joe's. The store will locate in approximately 13,000 square feet of the former Borders Bookstore at Thruway Center, and is scheduled to open sometime later this year. This will be Trader Joe's first store in the Triad, and perhaps the most sought-after specialty grocery store in the region too. The news of Trader Joe's comes amid opposition regarding a rezoning at a potential Greensboro location.

Trader Joe's Winston-Salem rendering via Triad Business Journal/Thomas H. Hughes architecture
Trader Joe's Greensboro rendering via Greensboro News & Record/Regency Centers

Charlotte's Whole Foods set to open August 29

To contact us Click HERE
The highly anticipated opening of Charlotte's first Whole Foods Market store is August 29th, just in time for the Democratic National Convention.  The store is located off of Fairview Road, near SouthPark Mall and next to Phillips Place shopping center.  It will feature an underground parking garage and a cart escalator.

Local competition includes the flagship Harris Teeter store, the Earth Fare store at Morrison, and The Fresh Market at Strawberry Hill.  Other recent Whole Foods Markets that have opened in North Carolina include a Greensboro store in April and a Wilmington store in June.

Lowes Foods' new look

To contact us Click HERE
A competitive grocery market calls for grocers to be on their toes at all times.  In keeping with the trend, Winston-Salem based Lowes Foods stores is rolling out a contemporary look at some of their locations. This store in Greensboro on New Garden Road is one of the first Lowes Foods stores with the new, modernized look.  Gone are the tall, bulky shelving units on the aisles, replaced with low-rise shelves and wider aisles.  Additionally, new sleek signage is displayed all around the store and throughout the center of the store, directing customers to where they can find newly-relocated items.  At this time, it is unclear how many of their stores will get this look, but our guess is that most of them will.

Island Joe's Coffee recevies first from PO from Winn Dixie

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Island Joe’s Coffee receives from PO from Winn Dixie

“It takes years of dedicated work to build a brand, then when you are noticed, the hard work really begins.” stated Trey Wells, co-founder and coffee roasters at Island Joe’s Coffee, located in old town Key West, Florida

First there are a few phone calls, then a few emails, which take place over a year or so, then samples are requested for review, then it seems everything stops for months and months, the waiting begins and ends many times over, as the anticipation is sometimes overwhelming, but in today’s retail market, this is just part of the normal process, but with a the proper product and perhaps a little luck, the knock will come to your door.

This was part of the process to gain the attention of the buyers at Winn Dixie Supermarkets. Winn Dixie can trace its routes to 1913 and Burly, Idaho, who has since moved its offices to Jacksonville, Florida and operates around 500 stores with around 50,000 employees.

“We are extremely excited to have this opportunity to have a direct relationship with a major retailer, as Winn Dixie,” stated Wells, “My brother, Brandon and I, have been roasting our gourmet coffee and espresso for going on six years. And it seems our hard work, plus the intense passion we have for our coffee and never wavering from producing some of the finest blends in the world is becoming more established everyday in the coffee industry, as we do not, nor will we cut corners, no matter what kind of money is involved.”

Producing some the finest coffee blends in the world, is just what the coffee roasters at Island Joe’s do, as is proven by the high ratings they have received from some of the world’s leading coffee experts I.e. Kenneth Davids at coffee review.com has awardedd the Wells brothers ratings, which has not only pushed Island Joe’s to the top rated coffee roasting company in Florida, but also with blends rating the top 5% in the world.

Some examples, which will be offered at Winn Dixie are Island Joe’s 90 Mile Stretch Espresso, which rated 90 out of 100 and Island Joe’s Breakfast Blend, which rated 91 out of 100.

IJS Coffee can be also found at limited Publix, Whole Foods Markets, Albertsons, Walgreen’s and Navy Exchanges throughout the U.S., then Tree of Life handles some of IJS’s distribution, plus Sysco Foods handles distribution to resorts and restaurants.

Not only can Island Joe’s Coffee be found at major retailers, small coffee shops, plus properties such as Hyatt and Crowne Plaza around the U.S., but their online customer base spans the globe with customers in Canada, China, Chile, England, Puerto Rico and all across the U.S. including customer base in Seattle, who have shown a passion for Island Joes’ 90 Mile Stretch Espresso, which will be offered at Winn Dixie and offered whole bean.

When ask what was next, Wells responded with, “We like to take it one cup at a time, meaning we are working on our orders for Winn Dixie, so we are focused on taking care of this new customer, which we should be in stores in the next few weeks, plus we are focused on continuing to offer quality service and products to our current customers. As one could look at our customer service, just like our coffee blends - we are consistent with every cup and customer.”

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Dilworth residents fight Walgreens

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Dilworth has a zoning fight on its hands, as residents are fighting a proposed drug store and drive-thru at the intersection of  at Kenilworth Ave. and Morehead St.

Residents against Lincoln Harris' plan, which would tear down five older buildings and build a Walgreens and an office building, will have the chance to voice their opposition at tonight's city council meeting.

You can see the rezoning petition here. City staff have recommended approving the plan. The Tudor-style apartment building and four houses that would be torn down are across from Carolinas Medical Center, and border both a commercial strip of office buildings and one of Charlotte's older residential neighborhoods.

Lincoln Harris is requesting a rezoning to allow the retail development and a drive-thru for the Walgreens, and met with residents in August to allay their concerns. But the Dilworth Community Development Association voted to oppose the project.

Dozens of NO Walgreens signs have
popped up in the neighborhood

"The proposal violates a very recently approved area plan and is certain to create demand for additional retail development along this fragile edge of our neighborhood," the DCDA said in an email to members last week. The group is referring to a city area plan calling for more pedestrian development.

"City Council members will not, however, defeat this proposal if our neighborhood does not speak loudly. We don't call on you often, but this is the real thing- we need your help!" the email continued. The group is asking community members to come to the city council meeting at 6 p.m. to show their opposition.

A city memo on the proposed rezoning says the plan would generate about 1,540 trips per day, which would have a minor effect on the surrounding roads, according to the Charlotte Department of Transportation. That's about twice as many trips as if the site were developed according to the current zoning.
Residents are concerned about the possible increase in traffic.

ead more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/07/3438981/residents-planned-walgreens-doesnt.html#storylink=cpy
An online petition, "No Walgreens on Morehead,"  had 830 signatures on Friday, with a goal of 2,000.
It might be too late for concerned residents to prevent demolition of the buildings, some of which are more than 80 years old. According to city documents, the owner, Edward Springs, "intends to tear the buildings down even if the rezoning does not go forward as that would actually enhance the marketability of the property."

Bonus historical observation: A reader with a longer memory than mine reminded me of a similar zoning fight that took place some 30 years ago, when Kroger was planning to build a supermarket on Park Road. Kroger won, and the store eventually became a Bi-Lo, then a Bloom, and is currently a Food Lion. There's a picture below of a "No Kroger-ing" sign from the time below, followed by pictures of the proposed Walgreens and current apartment building.

Proposed Walgreens

The Tudor-style apartment building at the intersection, as seen in county property records

New stores at Northlake, SouthPark and Carolina Place malls

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Local malls have been announcing a bevy of new stores, with nine new retailers open now or set to open at SouthPark, Northlake Mall and Carolina Place over the coming months.

At SouthPark mall, the new stores announced Monday tend towards the high end. Hanna Anderson is opening in spring 2013. The store will offer "uniquely styled, Swedish-inspired soft, quality clothing for children and babies," SouthPark says. The 1,625 square foot store will have pure organic cotton and environmentally-friendly clothes.

Porsche Design is opening a 1,250 square foot store later this year."Founded in 1972, Porsche Design offers functional and timeless designs for discerning customers," SouthPark said. It will sell, "women’s & men’s fashion, sportswear, luggage, eyewear, watches and jewelry, writing instruments, cutting-edge electronics such as the Porsche Design Smartphone P’9981 from BlackBerry® and much more."

Tara Grinna Swimwear recently opened a boutique in The Village at SouthPark. The 2,620 square foot store sells designer swimwear, as well as custom-made swimsuits.

And Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa will open in November, in a 2,941 square foot store next to Cowfish, the sushi-burger joint. The spa will offer waxing, facials, and a variety of massages, including Swedish and pre-natal.

At Northlake, Forever 21 is moving to a larger space. The 21,000 square foot, fast-fashion store will open in November, in the mall's Dillard's wing.

White House Black Market is going to open next February. The Northlake boutique store will, of course, carry black and white clothes, along with a "seasonal pop of color."

And Chico's, a women's fashion and accessory store, is also opening in February. The store promises fresh designs every week and knowledgeable style experts in the store.

“We’re excited to add these new and expanded brands to our retail lineup,” says Northlake spokeswoman Nan Gray. “In the past few months we’ve also welcomed Apple, The Limited, Pandora and Teavana, so it’s a great time to come see what’s new at Northlake.”

And at Carolina Place, Deb has opened. The national retailer sells junior- and plus size women's clothing, footwear and accessories. Teavana, Francesca’s Collections, Kids Foot Locker and Nestle Toll House Café have also opened at Carolina Place this year, and a TCBY is set to open soon.

Pliner to showcase collection at SouthPark Belk

To contact us Click HERE

Fashion designer Donald J. Pliner, who creates footwear and accessories for men and women, will be at the Belk store in SouthPark on Saturday, Sept. 29, to showcase his new fall lineup.

Pliner will be showing off and signing items from his new collection from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the women's shoe department. Light refreshments will be served at the free event, which is open to everyone, Belk said.

For those unfamiliar with Pliner, the company, "has built a reputation for its innovative materials and quality
craftsmanship in men’s and women’s luxury footwear and accessories. Since 1989, the brand has been
known for the combination of fashion, fit and comfort that embodies every design."

Earlier this year, Belk brought in designer Joseph Abboud to meet customers and show off his lineup at an event that included a beer tasting and cigar rolling.





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Lancaster Kmart to close

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Kmart will soon shutter its store in Lancaster, S.C., as the retailer and its parent company Sears Holding Corporation continue closing locations and trying to return to their former retail glory.

The Lancaster location isn't on Sears' latest list of store closings, but an employee at the store confirmed its last day of business will be Dec. 16.

Last year, Sears announced that it would close 100 to 120 of its Kmart and mainline Sears locations, due to poor financial performance. Since then, the retail company has sold more locations and created plans to spin off its Sears Outlet and Hometown stores into a separate company.

But the efforts haven't paid off so far. Last month, Sears reported that its sales were still falling, as revenue fell 7 percent, to $9.47 billion, and the company posted a $132 million loss for the quarter. Sales at Kmart stores open at least a year fell 4.7 percent, a steep drop in comp-store sales for the retailer.

(Thanks to the reader who let me know about this store closing.)


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Dubli.com promotes web shopping in Charlotte

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Online shopping and reverse auction site Dubli.com was in Charlotte last week, promoting its retail platform at the Southern Women's Show.

Representatives handed out Dubli swag, and tried to talk prospective new customers into trying out the site. The business is an eclectic mix of price comparison, cash-back shopping, music streaming, and online reverse auctions - which account for the huge majority of Dubli's revenue.

The site has two million registered users, and is popular in Europe and the Middle East, said Dubli spokeswoman Stefanie Kitzes. "The pitch has really been shop online and get paid to shop," she said. "Eastern Europe is huge. They want American."

The site is also an affiliate marketer for major retailers, meaning it negotiates deals under which it directs shoppers to their site and offers shoppers cash back from the retailers. In addition to its free option, Dubli offers subscriptions for $4.95 a month and $28.95 a month, which offer larger cash-back percentages.

Dubli is hoping to expand its US customer base now. It's rolling out a smart phone app which will allow customers to scan bar codes in stores and then compare prices online (retailers hate such apps, which they see as contributing to the "showrooming" phenomena). The site is also hoping to get more people to use its music service, which helps create a "sticky" experience. That's web-speak for a site users spend a lot of time on and come back to often.

The company's most recent quarterly financial statements show Dubli recorded $201,416,736 worth of revenue for the first nine months of the year. Almost all of that, 92.6 percent, was from the company's reverse auction business. The direct cost of those revenues, mainly providing merchandise for the auctions, was $199,897,997.

For the first nine months of the year, Dubli posted an $8.17 million loss. The company hopes to continue growing its revenue to reach profitability.

Dubli also relies on a network of independent "business associates" who buy "credits" from the site for 63 cents and sell them to people they know for 80 cents. The credits allow people to bid for items in the reverse auctions. The company has also invested in millions of dollars worth of land in Dubai, so Dubli appears to be looking at multiple revenue streams. Dubli also admitted in its quarterly statement that it lacks adequate financial controls and procedures, which it said it is working to address (see Item 4).

Trader Joe's set for Wilmington

To contact us Click HERE
On the heels of the Trader Joe's hoopla in Greensboro, another North Carolina city, Wilmington, is going to see the specialty grocer. Trader Joe's plans call for a store on an empty lot at Oleander and College, one of the city's busiest intersections, and a location that is not too far from the soon-to-come Whole Foods Market. The demand for both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods has been increasing, as both are very popular and have loyal patrons. The new Trader Joe's is set to encompass 13,000 square feet.

Photographed: Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill

Li Ming's Global Mart opening in Greensboro

To contact us Click HERE
Above: Li Ming's in Durham in the former Circuit City

Li Ming's Global Mart, which already has two locations in the Triangle (one in Durham [photos] and a sister store in Raleigh, respectively), will soon breathe some life into the High Point Road corridor in Greensboro. Scheduled to open in the Fall of 2012, the Asian grocery store will encompass nearly 52,000 square feet in the Greensboro South Shopping Center, next to T.J. Maxx. High Point Road, an ever-evolving corridor has seen a shift to ethnic-oriented businesses in recent years.
Above: the former Lowes Foods on High Point Road

The location that Li Ming's is moving into has gone through many incarnations. The store originally opened in 1969 as a branch of discount store Zayre, later was an Ames (another discount store) briefly. As a grocery store it has been a Buy For Less and a Lowes Foods. It has been empty for a number of years since Lowes Foods vacated, so this is certainly a welcome announcement for that shopping center. The Li Ming's in Durham opened last year in a former Circuit City space across from South Square Shopping Center.

Greensboro's Whole Foods sets opening date; Winston-Salem to get Trader Joe's

To contact us Click HERE
Greensboro's long-awaited Whole Foods Market is set to open soon. Finishing touches are being put on the store, which is in part of the Sears building at Friendly Center. The 34,000 square foot store takes up half of the lower-level footprint of Sears' department store. The store will open on April 12th.

Above: Trader Joe's Winston-Salem store rendering

Above: Trader Joe's Greensboro store rendering

On the other end of the Triad, Winston-Salem is gearing up for a Trader Joe's. The store will locate in approximately 13,000 square feet of the former Borders Bookstore at Thruway Center, and is scheduled to open sometime later this year. This will be Trader Joe's first store in the Triad, and perhaps the most sought-after specialty grocery store in the region too. The news of Trader Joe's comes amid opposition regarding a rezoning at a potential Greensboro location.

Trader Joe's Winston-Salem rendering via Triad Business Journal/Thomas H. Hughes architecture
Trader Joe's Greensboro rendering via Greensboro News & Record/Regency Centers

Charlotte's Whole Foods set to open August 29

To contact us Click HERE
The highly anticipated opening of Charlotte's first Whole Foods Market store is August 29th, just in time for the Democratic National Convention.  The store is located off of Fairview Road, near SouthPark Mall and next to Phillips Place shopping center.  It will feature an underground parking garage and a cart escalator.

Local competition includes the flagship Harris Teeter store, the Earth Fare store at Morrison, and The Fresh Market at Strawberry Hill.  Other recent Whole Foods Markets that have opened in North Carolina include a Greensboro store in April and a Wilmington store in June.

Lowes Foods' new look

To contact us Click HERE
A competitive grocery market calls for grocers to be on their toes at all times.  In keeping with the trend, Winston-Salem based Lowes Foods stores is rolling out a contemporary look at some of their locations. This store in Greensboro on New Garden Road is one of the first Lowes Foods stores with the new, modernized look.  Gone are the tall, bulky shelving units on the aisles, replaced with low-rise shelves and wider aisles.  Additionally, new sleek signage is displayed all around the store and throughout the center of the store, directing customers to where they can find newly-relocated items.  At this time, it is unclear how many of their stores will get this look, but our guess is that most of them will.

Li Ming's Global Mart opening in Greensboro

To contact us Click HERE
Above: Li Ming's in Durham in the former Circuit City

Li Ming's Global Mart, which already has two locations in the Triangle (one in Durham [photos] and a sister store in Raleigh, respectively), will soon breathe some life into the High Point Road corridor in Greensboro. Scheduled to open in the Fall of 2012, the Asian grocery store will encompass nearly 52,000 square feet in the Greensboro South Shopping Center, next to T.J. Maxx. High Point Road, an ever-evolving corridor has seen a shift to ethnic-oriented businesses in recent years.
Above: the former Lowes Foods on High Point Road

The location that Li Ming's is moving into has gone through many incarnations. The store originally opened in 1969 as a branch of discount store Zayre, later was an Ames (another discount store) briefly. As a grocery store it has been a Buy For Less and a Lowes Foods. It has been empty for a number of years since Lowes Foods vacated, so this is certainly a welcome announcement for that shopping center. The Li Ming's in Durham opened last year in a former Circuit City space across from South Square Shopping Center.

Greensboro's Whole Foods sets opening date; Winston-Salem to get Trader Joe's

To contact us Click HERE
Greensboro's long-awaited Whole Foods Market is set to open soon. Finishing touches are being put on the store, which is in part of the Sears building at Friendly Center. The 34,000 square foot store takes up half of the lower-level footprint of Sears' department store. The store will open on April 12th.

Above: Trader Joe's Winston-Salem store rendering

Above: Trader Joe's Greensboro store rendering

On the other end of the Triad, Winston-Salem is gearing up for a Trader Joe's. The store will locate in approximately 13,000 square feet of the former Borders Bookstore at Thruway Center, and is scheduled to open sometime later this year. This will be Trader Joe's first store in the Triad, and perhaps the most sought-after specialty grocery store in the region too. The news of Trader Joe's comes amid opposition regarding a rezoning at a potential Greensboro location.

Trader Joe's Winston-Salem rendering via Triad Business Journal/Thomas H. Hughes architecture
Trader Joe's Greensboro rendering via Greensboro News & Record/Regency Centers

Charlotte's Whole Foods set to open August 29

To contact us Click HERE
The highly anticipated opening of Charlotte's first Whole Foods Market store is August 29th, just in time for the Democratic National Convention.  The store is located off of Fairview Road, near SouthPark Mall and next to Phillips Place shopping center.  It will feature an underground parking garage and a cart escalator.

Local competition includes the flagship Harris Teeter store, the Earth Fare store at Morrison, and The Fresh Market at Strawberry Hill.  Other recent Whole Foods Markets that have opened in North Carolina include a Greensboro store in April and a Wilmington store in June.

Lowes Foods' new look

To contact us Click HERE
A competitive grocery market calls for grocers to be on their toes at all times.  In keeping with the trend, Winston-Salem based Lowes Foods stores is rolling out a contemporary look at some of their locations. This store in Greensboro on New Garden Road is one of the first Lowes Foods stores with the new, modernized look.  Gone are the tall, bulky shelving units on the aisles, replaced with low-rise shelves and wider aisles.  Additionally, new sleek signage is displayed all around the store and throughout the center of the store, directing customers to where they can find newly-relocated items.  At this time, it is unclear how many of their stores will get this look, but our guess is that most of them will.