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We quickly got on the horn today after reading reports that Circuit City was considering closing at least 150 stores in a bid to avoid filing for bankrtupcy. And now we're glad we placed that call, if only for selfish reasons.
The news was good, but that's not our point. James Bengal, manager of...
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Shoe Pavilion is on its way out.
Reporter Courtenay Edelhart is out talking to customers, but here's what we know so far.
The stores plan to clear inventory in liquidation sales lasting about 10 to 12 weeks.
And that means one more store at the Bakersfield Plaza on California Avenue will bite...
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PartyWorks, the stor at 4440 N. Ming Ave. that says it's "closing forever," is boasting sales of up to 90 percent off original prices.
As we've previously reported, the store, next to Food Maxx, is closing after 15 years in business.
Last day: Aug. 10.
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A new children’s furnishings, apparel and accessories store will open this fall in downtown Bakersfield, in the spot that housed a similar retailer.
Ellie Jaye’s is named after owner Jason Martin’s 9-month-old daughter. He’s a new dad.
The store will be at 1608 19th St....
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News from reporter Courtenay Edelhart:
After 15 years, party supply store PartyWorks is going out of business.
Owner Rob Fox said the store lost its lease, and “the economy is just too unpredictable to move the store to another location.”
The store is best known for transforming...
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It appears Gottschalks has completed its main store transition at East Hills Mall. Read about all the changes in John Cox's story from late May.
This weekend, the spot at the east end of the mall was a fully operational department store. It has an open and airy feel, and a pretty big shoe...
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It's sale time at J.C. Penney.
One deal the store is running right now is buy one, get the second one for 88 cents, on all kinds of items.
I can be skeptical of that — who wants two of the same shirt or shoes? Or, alternately, is the price of the first item so high that a second...
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On Saturday, we ran a piece about V Heritage Plaza, an under-construction shopping center on South Union Avenue that slid into foreclosure.
Newly recorded docs filed with the Kern County Recorder's office show V Heritage developer William Lee also lost his completed shopping center, Little...
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Sandi Truman has had enough of rumors; she wants action.
As the owner of Juice/Java and More, a sandwich and gift shop situated near what had been the main Gottschalks at East Hills Mall, Truman has as much reason as anyone to be nervous now that the Fresno-based retail chain has moved clearance...
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It's nearly graduation time. Know a grad? What are you spending to say "hey, good job!"
Some numbers to ponder:
• The average American who is buying grad gifts this year will have two lucky recipients.
• The givers are spending an average of $55.12 on each gift.
That's...
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After my blog last week about a colleague sharing the joys of 99 cent and dollar stores, I pretty much had to go check one out.
So Sunday, I ventured to the 99 Cents Only store on Mount Vernon Avenue. The first thing that struck me? All the slips of paper flying around the parking lot. Seemed...
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What woman does not like to receive beautiful flowers?
Here's a smattering of good buys for Mother's Day flowers:
• I was in the Albertson's on Mount Vernon Avenue last night. They had a rather large selection of bouquets and the flowers appeared nice and fresh. Bunches of five tulips were...
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Life's not fair. You shouldn't have to entertain a newspaper's business reporting staff in order to get your point across. But it helps, as Urner's demonstrated this week with a press release about its new Z's Please sleep center at 4110 Wible Road.
The actual news is significant if not...
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Reporter Courtenay Edelhart dug up this fine little nugget today:
High-end handbag maker Coach Inc. plans to open a store at Valley Plaza Mall this fall.
Until the Bakersfield store at 2701 Ming Ave. opens on Aug. 15, the closest Coach store is in Fresno.
In addition to designer...
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Looking to be one of the first to have the new “Grand Theft Auto IV?”
For the benefit of the curious (not me!!!) I did a quick phone survey of stores.
Looks like your best bet is the Wal-Mart at 2300 White Lane. It's the one place I found that plans to stay open past midnight to...
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Yesterday I was at a department store to buy some shoes for summer. Specifically, I have been planning to buy some decent sandals to wear with skirts or shorts.
The ad in the Sunday paper had what I wanted — quality sandals for good prices — $19.99 or $29.99 or $49.99, depending on...
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We'd heard there was a sign in a window hearalding the coming of a Williams-Sonoma at the Marketplace. True!
Check out this report from John Cox:
A Williams-Sonoma cookware store is expected to open in southwest Bakersfield at the Marketplace shopping center this summer, the San Francisco-based...
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Painted window signs along downtown Chester Avenue tell a sad but urgent story.
"Our loss, your gain!"
"We quit you save."
Classic Interiors, at 1918 Chester Ave., is closing for good after more than five years at Timeless Design Center. And while its exit is part of a...
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Ross too pricey for you? Then you may be pleased to hear that parent company Ross Stores Inc. is opening a new, more budget-conscious retail concept right here in Bakersfield.
Come Saturday morning, a 25,000-square-foot dd's DISCOUNTS debuts at 2693 Mount Vernon Ave. There you'll find clothing,...
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In addition to the Chick-fil-A, two more businesses are planned for the northeast corner of Stockdale Highway and California Avenue.
They're a CVS and The Vitamin Shoppe, assistant editor John Cox found out.
Read the full story.
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The Bakersfield Planning Commission gave an OK to preliminary design plans for Panama Grove.
It's a shopping center slated for the southwest.
The 50-acre center on the southwest corner of Panama Lane and Gosford Road would bring 580,940 square feet of retail options to neighborhoods that...
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Shhhh. Get in on the secret!
Developers will share what's being planned for about 50 acres in the southwest at Thursday's Bakersfield Planning Commission meeting.
Plus the commission will look at maps for the Shops on Brimhall at the northeast corner of Brimhall Road and Jewetta Avenue, across...
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During my second trip to the northeast Bakersfield Albertson's in two days, I noticed signs for a new store at the adjacent big-box location.
Apparently a dd's DISCOUNTS is moving in. That's what the signs say, anyway. Right now there's a chain-link fence around the store entrances.
The big-box...
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Two new car dealerships are set to open next to each other next month on Industrial Parkway Drive off Merle Haggard Drive (formerly 7th Standard Road) near Highways 99 and 65. Bill Wright Toyota will add its second Toyota-Scion location and Three-Way Chevrolet will add a commercial trucks...
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As Americans search for more healthy options and take less time for meals, fruit smoothie shops have gained in popularity both locally and nationwide.
Fruit smoothie sales in the United States have shot up more than 80 percent in the last five years, topping $2 billion last year, according to...
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It's not a tremendously exciting article, well, it's not really exciting at all, I just thought that it was ironic that Liz Claiborne just died last week and they're already firing people and changing stuff around that she probably wouldn't have had any of while she was alive. Gotta...
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The union representing grocery store workers at Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs stores in Southern California have rejected the most recent contract proposal from the supermarkets and authorized a potential strike. Both sides have said they intend to return to the negotiating table. If that...
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The Padre Hotel in downtown Bakersfield is up for sale again for $5.6 million. Pacifica Enterprises LLC purchased the historic landmark building for $1 million five years ago, but the company's plan to add condos to the building never materialized and construction stopped halfway through a...
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Bakersfield explosive growth has again placed it on a list of the fastest growing economies in the nation. Bakersfield was ranked 11th in the nation among midsize cities and 47th overall among the nation's 393 largest metropolitan areas in a recent Inc. magazine listing of the best cities...
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Target has applied to the city's planning department to add a more than 200,000 square-foot SuperTarget along with three other retail buildings to a vacant lot on the northwest corner of Gosford Road and Panama Lane. Target is in the process of purchasing the land from Castle & Cooke and...
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A Famous Dave’s BBQ restaurant is expected to open later this year at the site of the former Pizza Market on Rosedale Highway just east of Coffee Road.
Famous Dave’s has established a reputation as one of the better BBQ chains and has drawn good reviews from Californian food critic...
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What is your favorite coffee shop and why? Since I work downtown, I often visit Dagny's on breaks. My wife likes Starbucks, especially because of the convenience of its drive-thru windows. What do you prefer, small mom and pop store or corporate franchise?
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How does customer service impact your shopping habits? Have you stopped shopping at a particular store or restaurant after a bad experience or hearing about somone else's bad experience? What's your best or worst shopping horror story? Check out a story on customer service in...
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According to a market research firm Bakersfield now has nearly 50 fitness clubs, ranging from chains like 24 Hour Fitness and Body Xchange to smaller mom and pop operations and niche operators like Total Woman and Curves, which cater to women. Is that enough? Do we really need that...
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A Valley Plaza Mall official confirmed that General Growth, which owns and operates the mall, has held negotiations with an undisclosed retailer to fill the vacant Robinsons-May department store space. A decision on a new tenant for the space could come soon. There have been many...
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Banana Republic will soon add a store at Valley Plaza.
What do you think?
National upscale chains P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and California Pizza Kitchen recently added Bakersfield restaurants. With the addition of a Banana Republic, is Bakersfield starting to attract more high-end...
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The Home Depot will move into the long vacant building formerly occupied by Zody’s department store on Ming Avenue near Stine and Akers later this year. Click here to read story.
What do you think about finally having a permanent tenant for the building, which also housed Builders...
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Comments [43] - Views [767]
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Does the honeymoon stop after the wedding?
According to a recent poll, unmarried men are four times more likely to purchase jewelry for their girlfriends then married men are to do the same for their wives.The same poll says four out of five married men claim to be "lost" when shopping...
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What do you think of gift cards? If you're like me, you got a few in your Christmas stocking this year. Are they a great gift that allows you to go out and buy what you really want or a thoughtless cop-out, a sign the gift giver didn't spend much time looking for gifts for you?
I...
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A recent blog about California's minimum wage increase predictably expanded into a discussion about everything from Vietnam, feminism and illegal immigration to Monica Lewinsky. It also led to debates over the benefits and drawbacks of capitalism.
So why not debate (hopefully in a civil...
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California’s minimum wage will increase from the current $6.75 an hour to $7.50 an hour on Jan. 1 and to $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2008.
Worker's rights groups say the increase is needed given the state's high cost of living and will help out working families. Pro-business groups warn the...
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I was at Valley Plaza today talking to day after Christmas shoppers. Do you like shopping on the day after Christmas? Do you shop that day for the sales, to return an unwanted clip on tie or to get a jump start on next year's holiday shopping? Or do you do whatever possible to...
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What's the worst gift you've ever given or received? Socks from grandma? Breath mints from a co-worker as a not-so-subtle tip? Did you give your wife a vacuum cleaner for your anniversary?
As a kid, I gave my aunt and uncle a tiny ugly ceramic squirrel for Christmas one...
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A recent study commissioned by the Kern Economic Development Corp. and compiled by local appraiser Gary Crabtree appears to give us the best picture to date of local homebuyers. The report included more than 1,000 new construction and existing home sales between January and June, comprising about...
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What do you think of re-gifting, or giving a second-hand gift? Have you ever done it? Have you received one? If so, what was your reaction?
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A gigantic $90 million, 57-acre shopping mall is planned for the southwest corner of Gosford Road and Panama Lane in the southwest. It would likely not be finished until 2009. Combined with the Gosford Village development, which includes a Kohl's and Sam's Club, it could create a big...
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It was still dark and some shoppers huddled near heat lamps in the Valley Plaza parking lot at midnight with a live band rocking away on the stage behind them. Just before 1 a.m. Friday the doors swung open ushering in a large crowd of hard-core shoppers and teenagers just looking for something...
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I spent some time talking to people in the middle of the night last night and this morning waiting in line to get their hands on the coveted PlayStation 3. If you weren't in line or about two days chances are you didn't have much of a chance of getting one.
Many I talked to planned to sell...
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Seeing people camped out in tents outside Circuit City waiting to buy a PlayStation 3 on my way to work today reminded me of the time I stayed up all night outside a store to get a PlayStation 2 a few years back. Here's an old blog I wrote last year thinking back on that night when the Xbox...
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What are your favorite old school guilty pleasures? Have you held onto an old Atari video game system? Do you search through vinyl record collections at garage sales? Do you miss the lava lamp you had in your dorm room (I do)? Do you still pull out your hair trying to...
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