As stores open, close Retail landscape shifts

Harry’s Army Surplus is scheduled to open a new location in Southfield in mid-June. The store closed its Ann Arbor location earlier this year after business in the downtown location fell off. Owner Irv Zeltner says the store’s main location in Dearborn continues to do a strong business.

Carol Larson, owner of Carol’s Hallmark in Adrian, Tecumseh, Saline and Lambertville, received a fifth Retail Excellence Award from the Hallmark Gold Crown Retail Excellent Program. Carol and her husband enjoyed an all-expense paid trip to San Diego to receive the award, which evaluates stores on marketing, retail technology and retail operations. Only 200 Hallmark Gold Crown stores nationwide—the top 10 percent—win this honor each year.

In a major expansion of Twelve Oaks mall in Novi, Taubman Centers Inc. will add Nordstrom department store, expand the existing Marshall Field’s and add 60,000 square feet of space for 25-30 more stores, for which no leases have yet been signed. The 165,000-square-foot Nordstrom will be the mall’s fifth anchor store and the second Nordstrom in the region. Construction is expected to finish in early 2007.

After 50 years in business, Wyoming retailer Rogers Department Store closed its doors in May. The store’s legendary customer service and quality turned Wyoming, on the outskirts of Grand Rapids, into a shopping destination. Recently, however, competition from nearby malls and large chains grew too intense.

Rogers was one of only 30 independently owned department stores left in the country. The family also owns Daniel’s, a men’s wear store in Grand Rapids, and plans to open other specialty stores that may carry the most popular of Rogers’ merchandise.

City officials in Chelsea are considering forming a Principal Shopping District for its downtown and “southtown” area businesses. The idea is still in the planning stages and no boundaries have been drawn, but as many as 400 businesses could be included.

The PSD would raise money through special assessments, and spend its budget to promote the area and pay for events that draw people to the area. The move would help distribute more evenly the costs of such events among local businesses.

Meijer Inc. launched two new stores this spring, and another seven are planned for 2005. In mid-June, a store in Marysville is scheduled to open. A Southfield location, which opened mid-May, is the first to feature the retailer’s new store design.

The new store design is part of an ongoing restructuring effort, which is also reflected in major changes in leadership. On April 1, former president and chief operating officer Paul Boyer was promoted to vice-chairman and co-CEO, a title he shares with the founder’s grandson, Hank Meijer. Larry Zigerelli, who came to Meijer from CVS in 2002, was promoted to president.

JGA, a nationally recognized retail design, brand strategy and architectural firm in Southfield, is moving its corporate headquarters from Northwestern Highway to Inkster Road (still in Southfield). The move will take place the third week of June. The company’s main phone number will not change.

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