Hall's Sports a Winn winner

Hall’s Sport Center, headquartered in Muskegon, was the recipient of the Winn Award at the Four Winns National Dealer Meeting held in St. Petersburg, Florida. The award was presented to Hall’s for outstanding contributions to Four Winns and the marine industry. The annual event brings together the Four Winns professional marine retailers from across the country.

After 101 years of business, Meister’s Yard-N-Garden Center in Muskegon is closing its doors. Owners Bill and Gary Meister cited the retirement of their father, Red Meister, and other business opportunities for them, as reasons for the decision. They stated that stiff competition from three home improvement centers that have just entered the area is not the reason they are closing up shop.

A more than two-year renovation project came to a close in October for the Lansing Mall. The construction cost $20 million and took over 326,000 worker hours to complete.

The changes were designed to refresh the look of the mall, originally built in 1969. Along with the new look are several new stores, including Best Buy and Younkers. Younkers, an upscale department store owned by Saks Fifth Avenue, will occupy the former Montgomery Ward’s space.

Meijer Stores Inc., has opened a pilot-test technology department in its Knapp’s Corner location. The new department features everything from CDs to flat-screen televisions and computer monitors. Depending on the success of the test-store, Meijer plans to roll out the new department to the entire chain by 2003.

Mr. B’s Jeans for Life is opening up in Kalamazoo. The new retailer will occupy the 9,900 square-foot former Plaza 2 Movie Theatre. Bermo Enterprises, the parent company of Mr. B’s and Max10, is the largest clothing wholesaler in the Midwest. Sales for Bermo Enterprises are projected at $40 million for 2002, including 60 percent wholesale and 40 percent retail.

Grand Rapids development company Jade Pig Ventures has purchased the Brenton Village Shopping Center. The complex, originally built in 1961, houses stores such as Talbot’s, D&W Food Center and Fitzgerald’s. Jade Pig plans to remodel the shopping center in an attempt to revitalize the Gaslight Village of East Grand Rapids.

In an attempt to further solidify itself as an urban retailer, Kmart Corporation is releasing an all-Spanish-language magazine. Called La Vida—“The Life”—the magazine will feature entertainment news and discount coupons on products available at Kmart.

The Kensington Valley Factory Shops in Howell Township was recently purchased by the Greensboro, N.C.-based Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. The 325,000-square-foot mall was purchased for $37.5 million and will now be called the Tanger Outlet Center at Kensington Valley.

Marshall Field’s is throwing its hat into the fiercely competitive catalog business. Thousands of the new Marshall Field’s Direct catalogs began hitting mail boxes last month, with 85 percent being delivered outside the eight-state area where Field’s stores are located. Executives with the Minneapolis-based chain believe catalog business is the best way to expand without the cost of opening new stores.

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