May 15, 2008

Three new businesses for Barefoot Landing

Several new stores are getting ready to open at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach.

American Vintage, a vintage clothing and accessories store; upscale restaurant LeGrand's Chophouse; and Go Fish Clothing and Jewelry Co., a retailer with items from other countries, are all in the works.

Marketing director Kim Kelley didn't have opening dates, but said American Vintage will open this month and the chophouse is under construction.

May 14, 2008

May opening for Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery in The Market Common will open for business before the end of this month and will hold grand opening events on May 31, according to Paul Trindel, an area developer for Cold Stone.

It could have a soft opening open a few days before May 31, Trindel said. Many businesses hold what they call soft openings to work out any potential kinks.

The ice cream shop serves ice cream, smoothies, cakes and shakes that are prepared using a frozen granite stone. The company already has three locations on the Grand Strand: in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet.

It's the latest addition to the shopping and housing hub, which opened in April on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

May 13, 2008

Meters proposal dead for now

The plan to put meters at The Market Common retail and housing complex has been put on hold for at least a year.

The shopping center's developers initially wanted meters placed in street spaces in front of stores to help keep people from monopolizing those spots, but they changed their minds after getting feedback from businesses and shoppers.

"We have only been open for six weeks, and I didn't believe that it was a good time to start doing this,'' said The Market Common's project manager Buddy Styers. "We talked to tenants and determined that it would be best for everyone concerned if the city postpone this for at least a year and give The Market Common a chance to be established, to give people the chance to get into shopping habits.''

Styers asked the Myrtle Beach City Council today if they would hold off on putting in meters, and council agreed to do so.

The Sun News reporter Lorena Anderson contributed to this report.

Read Wednesday's edition of The Sun News for the full story.

May 12, 2008

New stores coming to B&C centers

A laundry list of new stores are opening on properties owned by Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc., according to company spokesman Pat Dowling.

Some of the new retailers and restaurants have already opened and others are still setting up shop, but they'll all be open by July, he said.

University Commons in Conway is getting a Tropical Smoothie Cafe; the Grande Dunes Marketplace in Myrtle Beach will have a Lowes Foods; a Kaminky's New York Deli is opening at the Cane Patch Restaurant Park in Myrtle Beach; and the Power Center III on Pine Island Road in Myrtle Beach is getting a High Cotton Men's Apparel and La Pizza.

Still in the works are what Dowling calls a "significant replacement" for the Disney Store that was once at Broadway at the Beach, though he wouldn't give further details, and  is a store to replace the Barnes & Noble that was in Seaboard Commons in Myrtle Beach.

Here are some other new stores:

Continue reading "New stores coming to B&C centers" »

May 09, 2008

Coldwater Creek raises funds for charity

Coldwater Creek in Myrtle Beach has helped raise $100,000 to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit that raises money to find a cure for cancer, according to a news release.

It ran a fundraiser last month called Try It On for the Cure, which it plans on repeating Sept. 21.

Coldwater Creek donated $1 to the charity for every shopper who tried on clothes in The Market Common store that day and 10 percent of the day's sales.

May 08, 2008

Meters in the works for Market Common

The city is scheduled to vote on an ordinance Tuesday to put meters on the street parking spaces at The Market Common, the Grand Strand's newest retail and housing complex on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

The parking garages and lots in the complex would still be free.

Under the proposal, the meters would cost $1.25 per hour and would likely have a time limit of two to three hours, said city spokesman Mark Kruea. Operating hours would be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Market Common's project manager Buddy Styers said developers support the move because it helps cycle traffic.

"It's in our tenants' best interest to not to allow people to camp out right in front of our stores," Styers said. "Anyone that's going to go there for the long term can park in the free public parking garages and the parking lots."

City council will discuss the ordinance at its 9 a.m. workshop Tuesday in city hall's first floor conference room and at its 2 p.m. meeting at the Ted C. Collins Law Enforcement Center.

If approved, it would need a second approval at the council's May 27 meeting before meter installation begins.

For the full story, read Friday's edition of The Sun News.

Quality Shoppe to close

Conway clothing retailer The Quality Shoppe is holding its going out of business sale.

The store has been a mainstay in Conway shopping. It's at 325 Main Street and has been open since the 1930s.

Continue checking the blog for more details.

May 07, 2008

Shops pop up in live/work units

Shops are still cropping up in the live/work townhomes at The Market Common, the retail and housing hub on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.

The latest, called Back In 2 Style, opened Friday. The store is a '70s, '80s and '90s gift shop owned by Amy Leonard and Amy Harriman, the same duo that own the Retro Active store at Broadway at the Beach.

The store has a variety of retro music, movies, candy and jewelry, but its best seller is its T-shirts.

AC/DC, Star Wars, Saved by the Bell and Wonder Years shirts line the shop's walls.

Around the corner, L.A. Nazario Studio and Gallery could open in June on Howard Avenue, said owner Louis Nazario. The Long Island-based company will offer Web development, Web hosting, graphic design services, photography, custom portfolios and an on-site gallery to give local artists a venue to showcase their works.

Fabiolla Bella Hair Salon and Tee Time Cafe will also open soon in the bottom level of the townhomes.

Stores already open there include For Sale Options real estate company, Century21 Boling and Associates, Little Shop of Flowers and Beach Vacations Residential & Commercial Realty.

About 60 of the 80 live/work townhomes have been sold, said Larry Wilson, a sales agent for Century21 Boling.

Retailers want piece of rebate pie

Grand Strand stores have announced new incentives to try to get shoppers to spend their rebate checks with them.

AVAC Superstore, a Myrtle Beach electronics and appliance store, is giving $25 to $100 Visa cards to customers who spend their rebate checks at the store, said owner Keith Ferrell. The promotion is likely to last at least through June, he said.

At Myrtle Beach Mall, formerly Colonial Mall-Myrtle Beach, people who bring their mall receipts totaling $200 or more to the customer service center will get a $20 gift card.

The promotion started this month and lasts until supplies run out. The mall has 200 gift cards to give out, but it could get more if the promotion goes well, said marketing director Matt Morris.

"If we get a huge response from it, then we will increase that," he said.

Other area malls said they're not running special promotions geared toward snagging peoples' rebate checks, but continue reading to see what national retailers are offering.

Continue reading "Retailers want piece of rebate pie" »

Misses, petites shop BonWorth opens

Clothing retailer BonWorth has opened a store at Inlet Square mall in Murrells Inlet. BonWorth makes clothes in misses and petite sizes and specializes in embroideries. The chain is based in Hendersonville, N.C., and has stores in more than 36 states.

The addition brings the mall's store count to 35, according to the mall's general manager Heather Hensley.

Sound Shop and Gift Addict left the mall in recent months, but the mall has also added stores such as Steve & Barry's.

Renovations at the mall have been on hold since November because developers needed an extra $2 million and wanted to draw up new ceiling plans. Mall officials haven't released further information about when construction will resume.

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