Shop Talk: Buying into Grand Strand retail

Candle shop opens third location along the Grand Strand

Yankee Candle has opened in Coastal Grand Mall near J.C. Penney Co. Inc.

The chain has grown from one to three locations along the Grand Strand in two years. The other area stores are at Broadway at the Beach and the Tanger Outlets off U.S. 17 Bypass.

``They are looking at expanding,'' said Marian Fredette, the general manager of the mall store. ``The stores in the area have been doing well.''

The store's number is 626-8737.

New shops open in budding south Strand shopping center

Two more shops have opened in the Shoppes at Tournament Boulevard.

In Style Hair Designs and Princess Nails have joined the anchor, Lowes Foods, and another recent addition, CVS, which opened in early August. Hours at In Style are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. 

The nail salon is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

The center, owned by Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc., also has a party supply store and several eateries, including a diner and pizza place. 

Halloween store opens in Myrtle Beach

Spirit Halloween has opened for the season in Seaboard Commons.

The 10,000-square-foot store, the former location of Boaters World, sells Halloween costumes, wigs, makeup and decorations.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

The store will close Nov. 2.

Call 839-9442 for more information.

Upscale, open-air center in the works for Litchfield

An open-air shopping center is coming to the south end, with an Asian restaurant, men's clothing store and optical shop signed on as tenants.

Construction is expected to start on The Promenade at Litchfield this fall, with the first phase -- 25,000 square feet containing between eight and 10 shops -- opening in the spring. At full buildout by fall 2010, the $15 million, upscale complex will be 60,000 square feet and have about 30 shops and eateries. The complex will be off U.S. 17 at Crooked Oaks Drive.

Three tenants have signed on so far: Jos. A. Bank, Lowcountry Vision and Red Bowl Asian Bistro, a chain that serves Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese food.

Charlotte-based Hill Partners -- which has had a hand in projects such as Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach and shopping centers in Asheville, N.C.; Charlotte and Columbia -- is developing the complex and is aiming to have two sit-down restaurants, clothing stores, home furnishings store and gift boutiques.

``We are trying to bring something new to the market,'' said Bill Rooney, vice president of leasing for Hill Partners. ``We want to go high-quality and something unique.''

The center originally wanted to be open by now, but the recession slowed it down. Construction was supposed to start in April 2008, but officials hit roadblocks trying to find retailers willing to expand during the tough economic times. 

That sentiment is changing, Rooney said.

``It's tough but we are running into a lot of activity,'' he said. ``This is a good area. We feel very optimistic that once we get under construction, activity will pick up tremendously.''

Experts: Start your holiday shopping now

Sure, we haven't even made it past Halloween yet, but some experts say it's never too early to start your Christmas shopping -- especially during these tough economic times.

So here's some tips compiled by The Associated Press to ease the financial sting of buying all those holiday gifts:

Holiday shopping may be a few months away, but some consumers are still paying for last year's purchases with interest and other fees tacked on. 

``Advance planning can help consumers enjoy the holidays without dreading the debt that can come with it,'' said Mechel Glass, director of education for Atlanta-based Consumer Credit Counseling Service. 

The nonprofit agency gives these tips for pre-holiday shopping: 

_Start shopping now. Many retailers offer early discounts or free shipping to encourage shopping before the December rush. 

_Earn extra money. If you can't make room in your current budget for holiday spending, consider getting a part-time job, working overtime or selling new and gently used items of your own. 

_If you make a list in advance, you'll be prepared to look for items on sale. Having a sense of your total shopping budget will also make it easier to set aside money out of each paycheck and cover the expense. 

_Shop online. Check coupon Web sites or bid for sought-after items. Collectible or hard-to-find gifts are likely less expensive before November. 

Postal Service eyeing five S.C. locations for consolidation

Five post offices in South Carolina are among the more than 400 nationwide that might close through consolidation, the U.S. Postal Service said today.

The locations under review include two in Columbia (on Marion Street and Two Notch Road), one in Greenville on E. Washington Street, one in Charleston on Mcmillan Street and one in Spartanburg on Pine Street.

A dozen locations are under review in North Carolina, including five in Charlotte but none in Brunswick County.

The Postal Service announced earlier this summer that it would be consolidating some of its locations to deal with the recession and consumers' changing habits, which include more interactions via the Internet instead of regular mail.

The amount of mail is expected to top 170 billion pieces this year -- about 20 billion fewer pieces than last year, according to the postal service.

There are 37,000 branches and locations around the country, 18,000 automated vending machines and 56,000 locations in grocery and other stores.

Consolidating nearby branches is one of the postal service's cost-cutting strategies, which have included cutting work hours and post office operating hours, closing six district offices, freezing wages, adjusting routes and selling unused or underused facilities.

Officials are expected to decide which of the 413 branches will be consolidated by Oct. 2.

``Reducing over-capacity in retail and delivery operations is a good business move,'' according to a statement from the Postal Service. ``Every effort will be made to maintain and improve customer access to postal services.''

Blockbuster store closes

The Blockbuster in Carolina Forest has called it quits.

The store, off Renee Drive, was operated by a franchisee, who closed the store to focus on other business interests, said Randy Hargrove, a Dallas-based Blockbuster spokesman.

The store closed Aug. 23.

Blockbuster has six stores in Horry County, and two are within nine miles of the location that closed, Hargrove said.

Blockbuster has launched several strategies to keep up with growing competition such as Redbox, a machine where shoppers can rent DVDs for a buck. Blockbuster has its own vending-machine program, dubbed Blockbuster Express, which is in 500 grocery, drug and convenience stores across the country --with plans to have 2,500 to 3,000 machines by the end of the year and 7,000 by August, Hargrove said.

Customers also can rent movies via mail and downloading from the company's Web site, he said.

A third Tuesday Morning opens along Grand Strand

Tuesday Morning -- which sells a variety of items including women's accessories, cookware and decor -- has opened a third location along the Grand Strand.

The store in Surfwood Plaza, 240 U.S. 17 North in North Myrtle Beach, opened Saturday, with grand opening events today.

The chain has had a store in Myrtle Beach for about six years at 6908 North Kings Highway and also has a location in the Pawleys Island Plaza, 10225 Ocean Highway Suite 362.

Tuesday Morning, which has more than 800 locations in the United States, specializes in upscale closeout merchandise.

New program helps you save for Christmas now

Think it's too early to think about Christmas shopping? Not for retailers. Check out this story by The Associated Press on a new program Sears has started aiming to get holiday shoppers thinking earlier than ever:

Sears Holdings Corp. aims to get an edge over its competition this holiday season by getting shoppers to start saving for Christmas presents now through a new card that mimics an old-fashioned Christmas club account. 

Shoppers can put aside money on a regular basis through Nov. 14 to add value to what it calls its Christmas Club card, according the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer, which operates Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart stores. 

When activated between now and Oct. 31, card holders can earn a 3 percent reward, up to a maximum of $100, based on the card's value.

 

The launch follows Sears' move last holiday season to resurrect its layaway program at its namesake department stores after a two-decade hiatus. 

National Retail Federation's spokeswoman Ellen Davis said that while banks have Christmas Clubs to encourage customers to put aside money for Christmas, it's a ``rare'' move for retailers and reflects shoppers' worries that they don't want to rely on credit cards to finance their purchases amid financial concerns. 

Based on research conducted for NRF, ``I think shoppers like the idea of saving ahead for Christmas,'' Davis said. 

Customers can activate or add value by visiting any Sears or Kmart location or by visiting www.sears.com/christmasclub or www.kmart.com/christmasclub. 

No purses policy causes a stir in liquor store

The Associated Press reported this week on a strict new policy one Colorado shop owner has started to fight shoplifting. What do you think? Good idea or too extreme?

Here's the details:

 Leave your purse in the car, or you won't get service at one Colorado Springs liquor store. 

Colorado's Liquor Outlet has imposed a no-purse policy to combat skyrocketing losses from shoplifting. Owner Wayne Harris also outlaws backpacks and bags men carry. 

He says he imposed the ban because shoplifters use bags to stash their favorite beverages. 

Harris says his typical weekly loss to shoplifting used to be about $300, but the problem has escalated this year, resulting in losses as high as $2,000 per week. He says thefts have dropped since he adopted the new policy. 

The purse prohibition has angered some people, and some vow to boycott the store. But Harris says his figures show the number of customers coming in is about the same as it was a year ago.