Isn't that the icing on the cake....

ICING by Claire's is the latest shop to go bust at Tanglewood. During today's walk I noticed that the store is almost completely empty. Personally I never shopped there but it seemed to attract lots of teens on the weekends. One shop I have been loyal to since moving to Roanoke 6 years ago, Lee Nails, is now under new management. I did not see my familiar technicians there this morning and I don't know if I can bring myself to continue to patronize the shop in their absence.

It also appears that MLC Furniture is not moving upstairs but simply using the Steve & Barry's former store entry way as a window display for their current store on the first floor. It's a shame that they aren't actually moving up there because their current space seems very crowded and it's hard to imagine what a piece of furniture would look like in your own home because it's difficult to block out everything else around it.

Good bye Tomorrow

The snow-covered roads delayed my trip to Tanglewood for a walk, but I finally managed to get there before noon. Another store is closing up shop. Tomorrow's Treasures, which opened around November is packing up. I have no idea what their total sales were, but I hope it was worth the hours they spent unpacking and hanging items over every square inch of wall space. Personally, it made me feel a little claustrophobic just looking into the store. More is not necessarily better. It's kind of the same feeling when I look into MLC Furniture so I am hoping that will improve when they occupy their new space on the 2nd floor. Chee Burger was fairly busy for a Monday and it's probably due to the MLK holiday and kids being out of school. The smell of fries was thick in the air, but I resisted as I didn't want to ruin all of the good I did by walking around the mall.

Movin' on up!

Some good news for Tanglewood Mall for a change. MLC Furniture appears to be moving into the recently vacated Steve & Barry's space on the second floor. It was no surprise that the number of walkers increased today, probably due to the chilly temperatures outdoors. The 70% Off signs that were seen outside of Goody's have been replaced with signs for 40 - 60% off. On Monday there were people waiting for the store to open and that is something I had not seen before. A store that had opened only a few months ago, Montie's, is now empty. One vendor that looks to be doing well is Chick fil-A. One day while Christmas shopping I was handed a coupon to try out their chicken strips but I haven't been there during lunchtime yet to try them out. I usually stop in the morning for coffee which isn't bad. For the best coffee, you will need to try something brewed with beans from Star City Coffee. I tried one of their custom blends at a wine tasting at Wine Gourmet last December and it was really delicious. I have been back to the Wine Gourmet just to get more coffee. Star City makes custom blends for their clients and that's the blend that I happen to like. Perhaps I will need to have them make me a "It's a Mall Mall World" blend.

Empty spaces

During today's walk at Tanglewood I noticed some additional empty stores. Sam's Warehouse that sold men's suits is now empty as is Raquela's (I predicted that store closing right after it opened). The mall walker activity was light today and there weren't many shoppers there either. Of course, I arrived just after 10 so it could have just been too early for the crowds of shoppers who would want to take advantage of Goody's 70% price reductions - or not.

During the Christmas shopping season, Valley View Mall was distributing coupon books to encourage people to spend at their stores. I am surprised that Tangelwood didn't do something like this also. I see travel sites on the web that combine offers for airfare, rental cars and hotels so that the end result is a savings for the consumer. I wonder if the store owners at Tanglewood have ever discussed combining their product/service offerings in a way that would encourage business and provide a savings for the consumer in the process. For instance, if I am going to get my hair done at Hair Plus, couldn't they give me a discount coupon to use at Lee Nails for a manicure too; and vice versa? If I am in GNC buying a diet aid, how about a coupon to use for a healthy salad selection at Applebee's for lunch? Referral programs generate business and it seems to me that these trying economic times demand some new ideas for increasing business. I hope that someone can come up with something before the mall turns into a ghost town.

Clean Sweep!

The elves have been busy cleaning up after Santa and packing away all of the decorations. I didn't see so much as a shred of tinsel when I walked through Tanglewood Mall today. I got a few gifts of Hickory Farms goodies but I will miss not seeing their display again until next year.

A fairly new maintenance worker was cleaning the hallway walls near the lower level restrooms and the solution smelled great. She did a fine job of removing wall marks and grime and actually looked to be enjoying the results of her efforts. You go girl!

The One Stop Cellular store had just a few boxes remaining in the store as I walked by and noticed that they were vacating the premises. The Regis Hair Salon is also empty along with the former Steve & Barry's space on the upper level. Surprisingly, the mall itself looked relatively busy for a Wednesday afternoon perhaps due to the rainy weather. There were plenty of folks lunching at K&W cafeteria but according to my parents their attendence has been down lately too. It's one of the best bargains around though, so I hope they will survive our economic downturn. I would hate to think that I wouldn't always be able have one of their crab cakes or coconut custard pie.

Over the last week I was able to walk the river greenway several times. There were plenty of fishermen joining the ducks in the river. A Great Blue Heron was also looking for his lunch to swim by. I wonder if he is as eager for Spring to arrive as I am.