Retail Rumblings
Californian retail reporter Ryan Schuster discusses what's going on with local restaurants and stores.
Real Name: Ryan Schuster Gender: male Member Since: March 17, 2006 Last Signed In: August 23, 2007 Profile Views: 7276 Blog Views: 28581 Workout machine without weights? Car dealerships move north Got fruit smoothies? Do you still use cash, checks? Would you support a grocery strike? Padre holds open house Holiday Inn Select to become Marriott? Padre Hotel up for sale again Local economy among fastest growing in nation Bob Marx out as head of visitors bureau August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 
RSS 2.0    Share!
|
|
|
Honda to sell cars at Valley Plaza
Barber Honda will temporarily sell cars out of the former Robinsons-May store at Valley Plaza mall over the holidays — which is believed to be one of the first such arrangements in U.S. Shopping mall history. Barber Honda will occupy the vacant space from October through December. The arrangement is not expected to affect the mall’s ongoing search for a permanent replacement for Robinsons-May, which closed earlier this year (see bakersfield.com news alert for more details).
What do you think? Is this a good idea? Shoppers often stop to look at the cars that are raffled off at malls. Would you buy a car at a mall? 19 comments from 13 users
1
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Sep 22, 2006 at 11:35 AM
Is there room to test drive them up and down the Valley Plaza? I guess you could turn around in the food court. posted by
randomfactor
on Sep 22, 2006 at 11:39 AM
Oh, I see the remake of "Blues Brothers" shot right here in Valley Plaza...
posted by
anonymous
on Sep 22, 2006 at 11:41 AM
No, but you can drive them to the top level of the parking garage to test for power.
posted by
tbj
on Sep 22, 2006 at 12:31 PM
I think that it is a wonderful idea. It's about time a company has set forth new and creative ideas for Kern County residents. It's different, but it should increase the number of Valley Plaza shoppers while improving its reputation, since the notorious stabbing. Good luck Honda.
posted by
llindsey17
on Sep 22, 2006 at 01:32 PM
Bloomingdale's should go in the vacant spot! However, Honda is a great temp thing. I am a proud Honda driver myself, and displaying some of the more fun cars (like my 2006 Honda Civic SI, I love that thing! or the S2000 convertible!) would be an Awesome idea! Hope it goes well!
posted by
mattloch
on Sep 22, 2006 at 04:01 PM
Damn! I was thinking the same thing as you guys. Is there anything the Blues Brothers did that didn't look like the most fun in the world?It would be great if they put bald tires on them to let you cruise around the mall like a giant "slick track" spinning doughnuts and power-sliding around corners. Hell, I might even be willing to buy one of those things if they did (hint, hint)... posted by
NancyII
on Sep 22, 2006 at 07:24 PM
Adam..that's a great point. Is it economically better to have empty spaces than to rent a a low amount? How much of a tax break do they get for lost revenue and how long can they take that loss on their taxes? Hasn't the limit been met..like 15 years ago or more? Like the rest of the folks, I don't understand the reasoning behind idle space. One other thing about the Zody's store..that building is just about the ugliest one around. I guess the design was ok for it's time but whoooeee...they need to do something. I also wonder if any businesses would even be interested in the location given that the retail market has moved west. Maybe it needs to be torn down and replaced with a skate park or a dog park or a used car lot or a go cart track, or........ posted by
anonymous
on Sep 22, 2006 at 07:52 PM
Ah yes, "Bakersfield, Life as it should be....." It just continues to get classier by the minute, doesn't it?
posted by
NancyII
on Sep 22, 2006 at 11:20 PM
Waal heck far good buddy...what would y'all like to see?
posted by
RickWorth
on Sep 23, 2006 at 07:42 AM
Oh great... just what this CONGESTED town needs... another car dealership.
posted by
NancyII
on Sep 23, 2006 at 07:58 AM
It's not ANOTHER car dealership, it's Barber just using another location. That shouldn't add to congestion. Besides..the mall is ALWAYS congested..unless you go when the mall walkers go. :-)
posted by
anonymous
on Sep 23, 2006 at 08:25 AM
In order to keep the dealership top of the line, Barber has said that they are going to hire that guy on the bakersfield.com personals adverstisement who looks like a child molestor. You know the one... Change that ad bakersfield.com, that dude scares me. posted by
anonymous
on Sep 23, 2006 at 10:17 AM
Wouldn't that be perfect for this upscale concept! Maybe he could announce "Blue Light Specials" and broadcast them thoughout the mall! posted by
sevenoaks1
on Sep 23, 2006 at 11:20 AM
Hello, i think the dealer in the mall idea is a great! one, ive had experiance with this kind of set up in Lompoc Ca in 2001.2002, and 2003, i ran a small new and used car franchise out of a Kmart strip mall, we were able to sell 25-40 cars a month for over two years, the only problem we had was with city issues and the other dealers in town being jealous of us, we didnt pay much rent and we did well out of that location, so after fighting the city over and over they won and we had to shut down the location, it ran under our main mother store in Santa Maria Ca, but it was good while it lasted, and i would just caution anyone doing this or thinking of it, to consider these possible problems with this kind of set up, make sure you know where you can park your inventory if the cars are going to be outside at all,and make sure you know where to tell your customers to park so you dont have problems with other businesses in the mall, or mall managers,meaning get along and be friendly to your businesses around you, and last but not least, make sure you have security for the lot if you leave cars out overnight, this could be a problem for people or kids walking by after hours at night, etc, so good luck Honda!!, Chris
posted by
anonymous
on Sep 23, 2006 at 12:02 PM
Its a good idea, let the rich get richer on an overpriced product, and "I bet that the valley plaza wont discriminate against a small independant dealer try to make a few bucks there either"?
posted by
anonymous
on Sep 24, 2006 at 03:34 PM
Oh lovely, now we're comparing the only mall in town (as pathetic as it may be) to a K-Mart strip mall. Herein lies the problem with this town. In a real city this ridiculous idea would never even be considered! And "ya' all" wonder why you will never see upscale shopping here? posted by
Lotus24
on Sep 24, 2006 at 09:19 PM
Nancy II Is the old Zodys location big enough to hold my new ballpark?
posted by
NancyII
on Sep 24, 2006 at 10:03 PM
Lotus..if you changed it around like arena football it would be. ;-)anny..and your definition of a "real city" would be? Has it not occured to you that maybe we don't want all the garbage, traffic, and congestion that goes on in what you apparently feel is a "real city'? We have enough already thank you. Tell me...why are people from "real cities" flocking to this rural little hick town? Tell ya what...I'll move into your quaint little village and immediately start to complain about what it doesn't have that I want. I'll run it down to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that I come across. I'll moan and groan and curse the lack of culture, entertainment, restaurants, and shopping. I left all that behind but I can't seem to let it go so I'll just badmouth the town I CHOSE to move to. Or the town I CHOSE to stay in. Yeah..that's what I'll do. Yeah...that makes perfect sense. Amazing...simply amazing. posted by
anonymous
on Sep 26, 2006 at 08:55 PM
Well, I hate to break it to you, but the only thing Bakersfield is #1 in is polluted air! Don't worry..... no chance that we'll ever be overrun with culture, the arts, or five-star dining..... (And NO! Five-star dining does not mean you wear your best pair of jeans and boots!!!)
We talk of our "Vision" for Bakerfield. We've spent thousands and thousands of dollars on the 2020 Vision plan through the Chamber of Commerce. And for what? If anyone comes into town with "outside" ideas that might actually improve this place, heaven help them! Who do they think they are? Don't they know we like our town dirty, polluted, brown,ugly and completely void of any class? We've worked hard to keep it this way!!! And - being a native, I have every right to be critical. Unfortunately, My career is tied to an industry based in Bakersfield. But, that does not give me tunnel vision. I am an educated, well traveled individual. And, let me tell you....There is a big wide world outside Kern County lines. A world that demonstrates that it DOES NOT have to be like this!!!!!!!!!
1
Our readers recommend: |