Tag: retail

Categories : Fresno RetailTags : 4 Comments

Is the Manchester Center Food Hall Really Coming?

On By jamesinclair

I love food halls, or em, an “artisan food community”. I’ve enjoyed them in Los Angeles, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. So naturally, I was excited when one was announced for Fresno back in September 2016. Especially because the location was to be inside the Manchester Center Mall.

The plans include a new mall entrance, a redesigned facade with signage, a marketplace or “artisan food community” for chefs, food trucks and restaurants, an exterior shopping area and an outdoor events plaza.
Fresno Bee

At the time, it was supposed to be ready “a long way off, probably opening in late spring of 2017, Bagunu says, though construction has started.” Click to read more!

Categories : RetailTags : 2 Comments

Is the “retail apocalypse” only a suburban problem?

On By jamesinclair

There has been a lot of talk in the press recently about brick and mortar retail being on the way out. The culprit, supposedly, is Amazon, and other online retailers, who can offer so much more convenience than physical shops can, and also offer lower prices.

Business Insider is calling it the retail apocalypse. 

Thousands of mall-based stores are shutting down in what’s fast becoming one of the biggest waves of retail closures in decades. More than 3,500 stores are expected to close in the next couple of months.

Department stores like JCPenney, Macy’s, Sears, and Kmart are among
the companies shutting down stores, along with middle-of-the-mall chains
like Crocs, BCBG, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Guess. Click to read more!

Categories : UncategorizedTags : 13 Comments

Is Walmart changing the way they plan their new stores?

On By jamesinclair

There was a surprising announcement in the Bee today: A new Walmart store in Fresno.

Walmart will open a supercenter in the former Mervyn’s that has sat empty for five years at Blackstone and Ashlan avenues in central Fresno.

The retail giant plans to open the store — which will include clothing, electronics, a full grocery department, but no auto center — this summer. At 107,000 square feet, the store is slightly smaller than a typical Walmart Supercenter, but larger than the average Walmart store.


Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/02/04/3749886/walmart-coming-to-central-fresno.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/02/04/3749886/walmart-coming-to-central-fresno.html#storylink=cpy

It wasn’t so much a surprise that we’re getting yet another Wamart (Fresno sure does love them), but the location was very unexpected; it’s the last place I would have thought a Walmart would open, because it goes counter to what the company is so well known for. Click to read more!

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New coffee shop choices in Fresno

On By jamesinclair

When it comes to unique coffee shops, Fresno is sorely lacking. There’s a Starbucks on every corner, but if you want something else, then it’s hard to find a good place. Not only are there few to begin with, but many are open for limited hours, such as 6am-2pm.

So what’s one to do when they want somewhere to go for an evening?

Fortunately, there are three new options.

Fresno Brewing Company

While it sounds like a beer place, right now, it’s strictly a coffee and hot chocolate joint.

Opening on December 1st, this new coffee shop brings life to the Fulton Mall. While their target are the many employees in the area, at least for now they offer evening service. Click to read more!

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Retail on Thanksgiving

On By jamesinclair

When I was in Boston last week, I read a Globe article on how various national retailers scheduled their Black Friday opening this year at midnight…and then quickly had to change plans when someone told them doing so in Massachusetts would be illegal.

You see, in Massachusetts, working on Thanksgiving (and I believe Christmas) is generally not allowed (there are exceptions for restaurants and such). So opening at midnight would require workers to clock in on Thanksgiving to set up, and that is illegal. They’ve all moved their opening times forward to around 1am, store depending.

While many scoffed at these blue laws interfering with the private market place, I applaud this particular regulation. Quite frankly, the US has a horrible work culture when it comes to giving people time off, and a huge portion of this is how retail workers and all their support staff (cleaners etc) are generally invisible to huge portions of the population. Click to read more!