Grocery Store

For this week's blog, we were told to go to a retail store and analyze its location, parking, etc.

I chose the Harris Teeter in my hometown which is Burlington.  There is only one Harris Teeter in Burlington and it is located at the intersection of the two busiest streets in Burlington.  It is located in a large building that has other stores attached, so I guess it would be considered a shopping center. It is a shopping center because it shares CAM costs with the other retailers and a well thought out assortment of retailers.

There happens to be a TJ MAXX next door, Anna's Linens, a party store, three restaurants, an ice cream shop, a Verizon store, a jewelry store, a nail salon, and a dry cleaners.  This assortment of retailers can provide shoppers with a convenient experience.  They can eat, drop off their laundry, buy some groceries and things for the house, and pay their cell phone bill all in one trip.  The shopping center also offers a very large parking lot so that there is rarely a completely full lot.  It also offers great visibility from the road, with two entrances from the main roads.

Blog 4

Claire's is a retailer that sells accessories such as jewelry, cosmetics, hair accessories, purses scarves and shoes.  It also offers ear piercing services.  As you could imagine, this is a very popular concept aimed at tweens.  Claire's stores are located in malls across America with some 18,000 employees.  They have done pretty good business in the past.

However, with the way that the economy has been in the past few years, sales have plummeted and the company has gone into substantial debt.  The famous private-equity firm, Apollo Management tried to save the company by buying it out for a hefty $3.1 billion in 2007.  They thought the market's status would improve but it didn't.  Now Claire's has followed another company, Linens 'N Things, which happens to be another Apollo company, and filed bankruptcy.

Sources:

Newman, Rick. "15 Companies That Might Not Survive 2009." U.S. News and WorldReport 6 Feb 2009 4 Mar 2009 <http://www.usnews.com/mobile/blogs/flowchart/2009/2/6/15-companies-that-might-not-survive-2009.html>

McCracken, Jeffrey and O'Connell. "Wave of Bankruptcy Filings Expected From Retailers in Wake of Holidays." The Wall Street Journal 12 Jan 2009 6 Mar 2009

Blog Post 2

In my last blog, I wrote about my favorite retailer Firefly.  Firefly started a couple years ago.  There was one other designer boutique about twenty minutes away.  However, that was too far and most people did not feel like driving that long.  There was also places like Nordstrom in Durham, Neiman Marcus in Charlotte, and Rebecca's in Greensboro, but nothing in Burlington.  The need for designer fashion was strong in town.

So, Laura Creech, a business student straight out of Elon University, along with her mother Phyllis, decided to open up a small boutique in the center of downtown Burlington on Spring Street.  Upon my first visit there, I asked Laura what her reason was for opening up a designer shop here in Burlington was and she replied, "My mom and I got tired of driving out of town to find the clothes we wanted."  Since the opening, the store has been absolutely thriving.  The duo have remodeled several times, which seems to keep the customers rolling in.  They also offer great sales and events to get people in the store and they both seem to have a good sense of business and fashion.

My Favorite Retailer

Firefly's Website

My favorite retailer is a little less known than most others.  You can't find this store in the mall or any other place in town.  It is a little place called Firefly.  It is located on Spring street in the heart of downtown Burlington (about thirty minutes from Greensboro).  It is a very unique boutique that carries select designs.  Sure, you can find retailers that carry some of the same brands in neighboring cities, but service and quality does not compare anywhere else to what customers receive at Firefly.

Since downtown Burlington is mostly research and government buildings, Firefly's location is prime.   It is close to everything, and it has really presented my little town with new fashion. Since designer fashion doesn't seem to be a  priority in Burlington,  Firefly thrives with little competition.  The owners, a mother-daughter team, are always present.   They always greet returning customers by name and new ones with a smile and great eyes for fashion. 

 

Firefly carries many designer fashions such as Ella Moss, BCBG, Habitual, Lucky, Seven for All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity,  Milly, and more.  I can't find these brands anywhere else in town, especially for an affordable price.  Besides clothing, Firefly also offers jewelry,  shoes, bags, and beauty products.  I think that it is important that the owners ask their customers what they would like to see at Firefly.  This gets the customers involved.  Other ways consumers can get involved is by modeling for the store's website or attending parties and regular sales.  Sometimes at special request, the owners will open the store after hours so that they can extra special attention to the customer.  I think the owners have succeeded in building a great relationship with their customers and it makes me want to show at Firefly because I feel like I'm getting the help and quality that I look for in a retailer.