Retailers

Retailers have been bemoaning the fact that consumers are spending less. People aren't shopping. If they do go into a store, they're not leaving with packages. If a purchase isn't need-based, it will have to wait. Well, I have a Mom Message to retailers, particularly those who sell clothes for children. Perhaps if you'd give us what we need, we'd be more willing to part with our hard-earned dollars. We don't need dresses that make our daughters look like indecently exposed Easter eggs.

As the Black Friday shopping phenomenon grows, pushing some post-Thanksgiving openings to Thursday evening, owners of many small, local businesses are hoping to cash in on the spending spirit. The U.S. Senate has designated Nov. 26 as Small Business Saturday, a day to patronize local, independently-owned stores in recognition of their importance to the national economy. Situated between the doorbuster sales of Black Friday and the typical spurt of online shopping known as Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is being promoted as a day to remember the Mom and Pop shops that rely just as heavily on holiday shopping to stay afloat.

By GUY FLETCHER Staff Writer Of all the things retailers must worry about this holiday season - from an uncertain economy to the possibility of bad weather - the most important might be the calendar. That's because there are only 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the shortest span possible between the two holidays. That translates to five fewer shopping days this holiday season than last year. "Not only are there five fewer days, but there's one fewer weekend," said Vaneta Rogers, a spokeswoman for Sears.

The science of shopping - I did not know there was such a field of study. I think every retailer who reads this book will be glad that Paco Underhill decided to study shoppers and put his years of findings in book form. The author uses his hours and hours of watching shoppers to give advise on such things as store layout, use of floor space, what draws customers in and why they don't buy. For example, Underhill was observing a women's dress department during the morning hours.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Five Below, a Philadelphia-based discount retailer that targets the teen market, will open its first store in West Virginia this summer at The Commons shopping center just outside the city of Martinsburg, a spokeswoman said last week. "We're targeting a mid-August opening," marketing manager Elizabeth Romaine said. Five Below is expected to join retailers Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, Books A Million, Dick's Sporting Goods, Michaels, PetSmart, Staples, T.J. Maxx and Target, which are expected to open in the coming months at the shopping center off Exit 12 of Interstate 81. Target will celebrate the grand opening of its sixth store in West Virginia on July 26, spokeswoman Anna Anderson said.

Coming Friday Two views Retailers talk about their expectations for Black Friday and shoppers weigh in with their plans.

Coming Wednesday On tap at home: Restaurateurs, bartenders and retailers are tapped for tips on what to buy and what to leave on the liquor store shelves when stocking a home bar.

Panel tackles ways to halt youth smoking By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer Officials given the task of determining how to curb underage smoking in Washington County discussed methods of sanctioning retailers and youths who violate anti-smoking laws. Representatives from Hagerstown City Police Department, the American Lung Association, Washington County Health Department and other organizations gathered at the health department for the meeting Wednesday. Lt. John Moulton of Hagerstown City Police told the committee that officers regularly make undercover cigarette buys to find out which retailers are selling to minors.

From the Midnight Madness Pajama Jam at Prime Outlets at Hagerstown to the early openings of Valley Mall and other retail stores, thousands of shoppers lined up to take advantage of bargains on Black Friday. Aside from incidents at the outlets and Circuit City at the Centre at Hagerstown, many Washington County retailers and police agencies reported a normal Black Friday. See Saturday's edition of The Herald-Mail for the full stories.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Retailers at a shopping center under construction near Martinsburg are on schedule to begin opening in July, according to sources familiar with the project. Berkeley County Development Authority executive director Stephen L. Christian said Wednesday that the developers of The Commons near Exit 12 of Interstate 81 had confirmed that all nine "anchors" of the shopping center had signed pre-lease agreements. Developer John M. Abernathy of AIG Baker Development LLC said Wednesday he could not announce the stores that would be in the plaza.

The Eastern Panhandle Bicycle Co., or EP/BC, recently opened its new flagship store at 805 E. Moler Ave. in Martinsburg. The new location retains the company's industrial-themed store and triples its floor space. It encompasses nearly 10,000 square feet, offering cyclists from beginner to professional a selection of bicycles and accessories. The new space also will house EP/BC Outdoors. The owners, Brian and Shannon Weber, are adding a dedicated space for outdoor enthusiasts. EP/BC Outdoors will offer products for watersports, hiking, climbing, camping and adventure sports.

Hagerstown-based ThompsonGas said Friday it has acquired three propane marketing companies in two southern states, making it the 16th-largest retail propane company in the United States. The ThompsonGas subsidiary, ThompsonGas-Smokies LLC, purchased Drivers Energy of Dawson, Ga., the Quality/Ideal Gas group in Griffin, Ga., and Tarheel Oil and Propane in North Wilkesboro, N.C., a company news release said. “We are continuing to greatly expand our presence in the Southeast and the whole East Coast of the United States,” President J. Randall Thompson said in the release.

Frontier Communications showcased its newly remodeled retail store and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with community leaders Nov. 16 at 1108 N. Mildred St. in Ranson, The store, which has been part of the Ranson community for 15 years, is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Door-busters, bargains and sales - oh my! Black Friday is just hours away and area retailers - including most stores at the Valley Mall and Hagerstown Premium Outlets - are gearing up for midnight openings on the biggest holiday shopping day of the year. But some will be opening up even earlier, operating with extended hours on Thanksgiving Day as a direct result of the tendencies and demand seen in recent years from shoppers eager to find the best deals on holiday gifts, according to some area retail officials.

The  Washington County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the county commissioners' meeting room at 100 W. Washington St. to consider amendments to the Building Excise Tax Ordinance. A proposed amendment would waive the $3-per-square-foot excise tax when the use of a nonresidential property changes from nonretail to retail. The county commissioners also have said the $1-per-square-foot fee should be waived when the property use changes the other way, from retail to nonretail.

As the Black Friday shopping phenomenon grows, pushing some post-Thanksgiving openings to Thursday evening, owners of many small, local businesses are hoping to cash in on the spending spirit. The U.S. Senate has designated Nov. 26 as Small Business Saturday, a day to patronize local, independently-owned stores in recognition of their importance to the national economy. Situated between the doorbuster sales of Black Friday and the typical spurt of online shopping known as Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is being promoted as a day to remember the Mom and Pop shops that rely just as heavily on holiday shopping to stay afloat.

Bowman Development plans to build a commercial retail center in Hagerstown's south end, not far from Premium Outlets. On Aug. 10, the Hagerstown Planning Commission gave site-plan approval for the project, which is called Oak Ridge Mills. A site plan shows several buildings near Sheetz at South Potomac Street and East Oak Ridge Drive. The planning commission's approval lets Bowman Development Corp. grade the property, preparing it for future use. Bowman Development hasn't decided what stores will be at the center, President David C. Taylor said Friday.

When Mike Osborne heard about Maryland's decision to drop its sales tax for a week to coincide with back-to-school shopping, he knew he would be visiting some stores. “(It's) one of the few breaks I'll get on taxes in my lifetime, that's for sure,” Osborne said as he shopped for clothes for his 17-year-old son in the crowded Aeropostale store at Valley Mall Sunday afternoon. Shop Maryland, which began Sunday and continues through Saturday, allows shoppers to avoid the state's 6 percent sales tax on apparel and footwear priced at $100 and less.

After months of dormancy, the former Hollywood Video space in the Waynesboro Walmart shopping complex is buzzing and ringing again. Cellular Sales, an authorized premium Verizon wireless retailer, moved into the spacious location off Washington Township Boulevard and opened its doors for business on Dec. 21, according to Tommy Lucas, regional director for the company. "We're very excited to be in the Waynesboro community," Lucas said Tuesday. The proximity to Walmart and Lowe's makes for a prime location for area shopping traffic, but the size of the store was also a big selling point for the company, Lucas said.

Last year, on the Saturday before Christmas, Hagerstown was still. A major snowstorm had relegated most people to their homes, where they could only try to dig out and wait for crews to clear the roads. Meanwhile, retailers at Valley Mall lost out on the profits of what typically proves to be its busiest shopping day of the year. This year was a different story. Thousands of people poured into the mall Saturday, clamoring for hot items and sales events. Michele Wills, Valley Mall's marketing director, said she was unsure how many shoppers visited the mall.