Whole Foods confident region hungry for choice

BY LISA BIANK FASIG | October 12, 2007

 

Don't think of it as losing two Wild Oats grocery stores, think of it as gaining two, three, four or five Whole Foods Markets.  Less than two months after acquiring the Wild Oats chain, Whole Foods has been trolling the grounds of Cincinnati and wondering about square footage. This market, they think, can handle a few more locations.

 

Overall, Cincinnati presents an interesting opportunity, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods said. As the Austin, Texas-based chain reviews the two Wild Oats stores here, at Rookwood Commons in Norwood and Deerfield Towne Center in Deerfield Township, it sees a market with a swell of disparate communities but limited supermarket choices. Many Cincinnati shoppers, for instance, are unfamiliar with the Wild Oats name, even though it has been in this market for seven years, said Sarah Kenney, director of marketing for Whole Foods' mid-Atlantic region. The two markets where it does operate are vastly different.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/15/story5.html

This sucks!

 

Last photo shop downtown for sale

BY JOE WESSELS | October 26, 2007

 

Downtown Cincinnati's last remaining photography specialty store is up for sale.  Provident Camera, on Seventh Street between Race and Vine streets, is on the market after several years competing in a world that has, for the most part, left film behind and turned to digital photography.

 

"The dynamics of the whole industry, between the big boxes and the business model, has really changed," said Ben Lefton, who co-owns the store with his brother, Rick. "We have tried to keep ahead of the trends for the last couple years. It's still a good business, but it's interesting to see what's out there."

 

Lefton said they are working with a broker who is using business records to determine Provident's value. He expects to have a price within the next few days.  He said being downtown has hurt. Other businesses that used to be there have long since closed and the critical mass they used to provide, a steady flow of foot traffic, is not there anymore. But it has picked up in recent months thanks to new bars, restaurants and a revitalized Fountain Square.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/710260372

Unfortunately a sign of the times for a digital world!

I suppose Provident and Pete's could have defined themselves as being in the Image sharing business.  I'm sure there is much business downtown for a company that can provide good digital equipment and imaging capability.

 

 

 

Theodore Leavitt in Harvard Business Review article; Marketing Myopia.

The article was published in 1960, but its thesis is timeless.  Here is how Leavitt describes the buggy whip industry:

 

 

The classical example of this is the buggy whip industry. No amount of product improvement could stave off its death sentence. But had the industry defined itself as being in the transportation business rather than

the buggy whip business, it might have survived. It would have done what survival always entails, that is, changing. Even if it had only defined its business as providing a stimulant or catalyst to an energy source, it might have survived by becoming a manufacturer of, say, fan-belts or air cleaners.

 

Bromwell's reopening planned

October 29, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

 

Bromwell's Fireplace Shop is completing its 7,000-square-foot expansion with an unveiling Nov. 3 that will feature refreshments, door prizes and a lot of burning wood.  The 188-year-old downtown retailer had undergone a near $1 million renovation by owner Jeff McClorey, who had acquired the family business in April 2005, along with the adjoining building. Back then, Bromwell's was a single-story, 3,200-square-foot shop limited to traditional fireplaces with a large focus on gifts.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/29/daily11.html

Greater Cincinnati locations include Colerain Township, Deerfield Township, Eastgate, Erlanger, Hyde Park, Newport, Mount Washington, West Chester and Western Hills.

 

Does anyone else think it's ironic that the new gym will have so many suburban location, yet they include fitness in the name?  Also, I think it's funny that they say "Hyde Park" when the location is actually in Norwood.

Greater Cincinnati locations include Colerain Township, Deerfield Township, Eastgate, Erlanger, Hyde Park, Newport, Mount Washington, West Chester and Western Hills.

 

Does anyone else think it's ironic that the new gym will have so many suburban location, yet they include fitness in the name?  Also, I think it's funny that they say "Hyde Park" when the location is actually in Norwood.

 

Clever marketing I suppose.

^oops, I meant to say they include "urban" in their name.

^oops, I meant to say they include "urban" in their name.

 

In that case, theres a fine line between a clever marketeer & liar!

 

 

Chain wants more brawn in Cincinnati

November 28, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

 

Max Muscle, a California seller of sports nutrition, weight loss and fitness products, is seeking franchisees to expand its presence into southern Ohio.  The chain, founded Anaheim in 2003, operates more than 125 stores and is looking to add 500 additional locations over the next five years. That growth plan includes five to 10 outlets in southern Ohio.

 

The company, which locates its stores near health and athletic clubs, is vying to grab a bigger piece of the $16 billion nutritional supplement market. Max Muscle sells such supplements, as well as athletic apparel and a private line of vitamins and other natural nutrient products under the name Max Nutraceuticals. But its target market is not just bodybuilders, but everyday people.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/11/26/daily18.html

I would love for Cincinnati to get a City Sports downtown.

^ Oh, City Sports - Cincinnati would be awesome!  And downtown would be a must.  Of course it would go to Kenwood . . .

Data, money key to attracting retail to Cincinnati

BY LISA BIANK FASIG | December 7, 2007

 

Whether it is the city hiring a marketing person or the state offering tax breaks, local experts agree there are three key resources to attracting retailers to Greater Cincinnati: demographics, market research and - significantly - Benjamins.

 

This was the message this morning by a panel which addressed a crowd of about 100 developers, brokers, community officials and lenders. The event, called Focus on Retail, was sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Neyer Holdings Corp. and is part of a continued effort by the city to include retail in its economic development plans.

 

Specifically, the four-member panel discussed how to use data to attract retailers, but in many ways what counts as data are really incentive tools. As David Birdsall, chief development officer at Phillips Edison put it: It's all about the Benjamins. And by that rap song reference, he means $100 bills.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/12/03/daily50.html

Mmmm I would love for California Pizza Kitchen to come to the nati.

^I second that....maybe somewhere in Fountain Square?

Has anyone heard anything about Contemporary Galleries, the furniture store on 4th Street?  Today I received a post card from them that says the following:

 

We've lost our lease, and it's time to leave 221 West 4th Street.  Everthing must go including store fixtures.  Prices starting at 50% off the original price.

 

 

We have bought from there a few times and got the same postcard.  I assume they are closing, but we were going to take a look as the prices are 50% off.  I am a little bummed about it, but "we lost our lease" is a little cryptic.  Did they choose to discontinue operations or is the landlord looking for another use for the building?

I got the same postcard.  I also received a letter saying the building had been sold.  We should be able to figure out who bought it right? 

Monday, January 7, 2008 - 3:03 PM EST

Downtown furniture store to close

Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Lisa Biank Fasig Staff Reporter

 

Contemporary Galleries, the downtown furniture dealer that through decades evolved from Scandinavian to Italian to urban styles, is closing its doors after 45 years. Owner Rick Mayer said he is in the process of selling his store's historic, five-story building on Fourth Street to a developer who may convert it to condominiums. The buyer approached him, he said, and after 43 years at the store - about 35 of which he was a partner or owner - he decided to move on.

 

To read more: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/01/07/daily10.html?jst=b_ln_hl

I guess I probably have a card waiting for me in the mailbox as well.

 

It could be a cool building for condos, but I hate to see a business like that leave downtown.  We've bought a couple of pieces there over the past couple of years.  Places like Contemporary Galleries and Bromwell's remind me of the west 4th used to be in the 70's: Full of various high end art and furniture galleries.

Retail keeps on building

BY LISA BERNARD-KUHN | January 10, 2008

 

Despite fears of a possible recession caused by troubles in subprime lending markets, soaring energy costs and a declining housing market, Greater Cincinnati's real estate market remained solid in 2007, according to Colliers Turley Martin Tucker.  On Wednesday, the real estate services firm's Cincinnati division hosted more than 400 area professionals at the Aronoff Center for the Arts downtown, delivering its 2007 market recap and economic outlook for the New Year.

 

While much of 2007 was marked by concern over the shakeout from problems in the subprime loan markets, the fears did little to stop major investment across Greater Cincinnati.  The region's suburban market experienced a boom in new retail and commercial construction, ending the year with nearly 800,000 square feet of leased office space, compared to 552,000 in 2006. Vacancy rates shrank from 20.1 percent in 2006 to 18.7 percent last year, CTMT reported.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080110/BIZ01/801100334/1076

This is fantastic...I wish these guys all the best.

 

Furniture store takes a seat in retail-revival hot spot

BY LISA BIANK-FASIG | January 25, 2008

 

On this stretch of Reading Road, where abandoned buildings are slowly transforming into ambitious shops and offices, one former furniture buyer is entering with plans to fill future living spaces.  Fred Arrowood's furniture store, Joseph Williams Home, opens Jan. 25 to join a series of creative retailers and entrepreneurs that have ventured into this Over-the-Rhine neighborhood with plans for revival. Arrowood chose the area for similar reasons. It is four blocks from his home, offers the right kind of urban space to showcase his contemporary merchandise, and the price was right.

 

"I lived down here for 10 years," Arrowood said while coursing through his cinder-blocked showroom. "I love seeing the development, the growth, new neighbors every day. I wanted to be part of that growth."  That growth includes many emerging condominium projects, including the Pendleton Glasshouse Lofts, to be completed in spring. The 11-unit development has not been marketed yet and three already have pre-sold, said Gregory Kiep at Comey & Shepherd, the project's leasing agent.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/01/28/story8.html

Great news for this neighborhood and Downtown, especially since Contemporary Galleries is closing. I can't wait to check out the store.

Here are a few pictures from the opening of Joseph Williams Home on Friday night.

 

 

 

Wow...the place looks great.  Thanks for the pics.

Summit's goal: stimulate neighborhood investment

Event stems from Mallory's challenge of Census data

BY LUCY MAY | February 1, 2008

 

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory is looking to parlay his challenge of U.S. Census Bureau data into neighborhood investment.  His office, along with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's Cincinnati branch and the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Social Compact, will convene a Cincinnati Urban Markets Summit Feb. 21.

 

The goal of the summit is to meet with representatives of financial institutions and other planners and developers to showcase investment opportunities in Avondale, College Hill, Northside and Price Hill that have been overlooked in the past.  "When you're armed with information, it's a lot easier to get things done," Mallory said, referring to the population and household income data calculated by Social Compact that refuted the Census figures.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/02/04/story15.html

Could be very powerful but with multiple initiatives going on to enhance the city I could see this being buried under the weight of inaction.

Busken to open Cincinnati concept store for new yogurt treat

BY LISA BIANK FASIG | February 8, 2008

 

Busken Bakery, which recently expanded into the frozen-treats business with a tart yogurt called "Yagööt," is planning to open its first store for the concoction at Rookwood Commons.  CEO Page Busken said he signed a letter of intent to lease the former Maggie Moo's space in the Norwood shopping center. If the lease is signed and plans follow schedule, he expects to open by May.

 

Yagööt is not a new item for Busken. The family-run bakery sold the unsweetened yogurt some 30 years ago at its first bakery, downtown on Sixth Street. Back then it was offered in a cup or in a salad, with the yogurt placed atop lettuce and beneath fresh fruit and a crunchy topping, served with slices of Boston brown bread.

 

Busken recently brought the dessert back to its Hyde Park location not only because the yogurt is now popular on the coasts, but because it could lift business in the sweaty summer months. Sales of Busken's hot-baked goods tend to trail off when the temperatures climb, said Page Busken.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/02/11/story13.html

I hope they then bring this to downtown.

Metronation metamorphosis

Eclectic store spreads its wings with new location, window-display finesse

BY LISA BIANK FASIG | February 29, 2008

 

The way George Crawford sees it, a stack of vases in a shop window does not stop traffic. But 60 butterflies against a snow-white landscape? That is something that will capture a pedestrian's curiosity.  So the co-owner of Metronation, the eclectic gift shop on Vine Street, is taking a page from the old-school retail playbook when it comes to marketing: He's reverting to the dramatic window display, those stylized, story-telling exhibits that were once a staple of department stores and small shops. The kind of displays that went well beyond a mannequin in a cardigan and might use ornamental trees and frosted dishes to create an emotional connection with passers-by.

 

"In a city the size of Cincinnati, when you've been around for six years and you advertise and advertise and advertise, you're kind of beating a dead horse," Crawford said. "If you have this window and it's outrageous, then people come back to the office and say, 'You've got to see the new window at Metronation.'"

 

It is one of many shifts occurring at Metronation, nine months after Crawford and his partners, Jerry Schmidt and Melissa Waters, relocated from Elm Street to this stretch of Vine called the Gateway Quarter. And their strategy goes beyond the growth of their own store. As part of a fast-emerging neighborhood, Metronation - as well as its retail neighbors - is adjusting to change as much as contributing to the success of a district.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/03/03/smallb1.html

Region's retailing stagnates

BY JOHN ECKBERG | March 7, 2008

 

Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky ranked among the worst regions in the nation for retail vigor in 2007, according to an index of retail activity created by Palo Alto-based Marcus & Millichap.  Only Cleveland, Milwaukee and Detroit have worse scores than this region on the Marcus & Millichap 2008 Retail Report.

 

That snapshot analysis of 43 markets creates an index from indicators that include employment growth, vacancy, construction, household formation, retail sales, rent growth and housing market conditions.  Foreclosures in Ohio are to blame, in part, for the poor showing.

 

"Markets with high exposure to the down housing market fall at the bottom of the index," according to the report.  The percentage of mortgaged Ohio homes in foreclosure climbed to nearly 3.9 percent at the end of 2007 - once again the highest in the country and almost twice the national rate, according to a survey released Thursday by the trade group Mortgage Bankers Association.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/BIZ01/803070352/1002/COL02

There is now a building permit on the front entrance of the building on the southeast corner of 4th and Race. The permit is for interior demolition and structural modification, so something is definitely in the works for that great downtown spot!

 

deviate is now open for business at 1010 Race Street downtown, just south of Central Parkway. For now, they offer hair/nail care, but will soon be a full-service spa. They will host their grand opening later in April or May. More info at: http://www.dv8salonandspa.com/.

 

Here is a picture of the salon. Go check them out! The owner is super nice and not only did she open a new business downtown, but she also moved in the city with her family.

 

I have heard a few rumors that the Bass Pro Shops have a plan to move to the West Chester area by the new Ikea store. Word has it that cincinnati mills will be going under again within the next two years and Bass Pro will be looking to be a foundation for a new shopping area along I-75.

Discussion ongoing on the last page of the Cincinnati Mills Mall thread:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2614.0.html

I have heard a few rumors that the Bass Pro Shops have a plan to move to the West Chester area by the new Ikea store. Word has it that cincinnati mills will be going under again within the next two years and Bass Pro will be looking to be a foundation for a new shopping area along I-75.

 

OMG !!!

I called it.

I talked to a buddy of mine yesterday about it. He is in the top management there at that Bass Pro. He says that the sales are steady but the store does not want to be associated with a declining shopping center. They want to stay in the area and prime locations being looked at are West Chester either by the Ikea or by the Rave Theatre. (this is confidental info yall)

I've heard this exact same rumor for several years. I've also been told Cabellas is coming to Union Centre. Not that either are impossible, but I'm not holding my  breath at the moment.

We probably have a better chance of Bass Pro moving to Union Centre than Cabellas coming into the market, since Cabellas is now on a construction freeze do to the decline in the US economy.

Rumor is Cabellas does want into this market!!

what is cabellas?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/home/home.jsp?cm_re=store*topnav*CabelasLogo

 

 

I am kind of wondering why Bass Pro Hierarchy would not consider a move toward either NKY or the Indy line.

And why hasn't Mallory or any other Cincy politician approached these guys (Bass Pro or Cabellas) with maybe relocating somewhere within the city borders?  (Norwood, Western Hills, or even a downtown locale [broadway Commons/etc. would be a big draw.)

 

Nothing against it, but West Chester is not what I would consider that type of customer base (suburbs).  Plus, I am curious as to when the population of West Chester is going to say enough is enough with all of this extra, non resident traffic that they in turn HAVE TO PUT UP WITH. 

 

Wouldn't the extra traffic start affecting the quality of life (plus property values) for the average Liberty Twp/West Chester Twp residents?

 

I will admit that Ikea was a boon for the area, but I am curious if there are any area residents on this board and what their thoughts would be?   

 

This may be a silly question and I think I know the answer but are their any resistance organizations in that area promoting "Smart Growth" or at least questioning these developers plans?

 

 

 

I think it is safe to say that Bass Pro and/or Cabelas will never locate in the center city.  I don't think the city population base is the clientle that they're after, and after that what else is the draw than that for these guys.  I would hate to see the City offer any kind of subsidies/incentives to these types of retailers.  They provide very little to the bottom line.

 

Bass Pro is a magnet store, much like Ikea, and does not need to be on the Indiana border or in Nky to be successful.  They just need to be somewhere where those individuals can easily access their store.  Plus it is probably also desirable to be in a destination retail hotspot - i.e. with Ikea.

 

I say build a new Bass Pro by Ikea, and then tear down Cincinnati Mills.  Rebuild a much smaller retail footprint in the form of a lifestyle center with Kohls, Guitar Center, and some others...and then let the rest grow along the interstate with trees.  That would be much healthier for not only the environment, but also the retail market in that part of the region.

The demographics of cincinnati does not appease to the Bass pro formula. People from SW Indiana drive over and people from NKY drive up as well as those from middle and SE ohio. My Buddy said they draw customers from an average of 80 miles with a larger target range of 150 miles or roughly a 2 hour drive. A move to West Chester puts them on a Major US highway plus they will not lose its existing customer base.

^ Yes, the Cincinnati area is known for its terrible fishing. A lot of people do hunt here, but not very many ride quads as compared to say Columbus/SE Ohio or West Virginia.

^Dude, your crazy!!!     I think 8 houses on my street own quads.  And I am in a suburb. :wink:

What is a quad? Do you mean 4-wheeler?

a quad and a 4-wheeler is the same thing. 

*are the same thing.  damn grammatical errors...