Retail Stores

Lucas Brothers Inc. is privately seeking buyers for its retail operation.But shedding that division is simply a change of focus, not a signal of hard times at the nation's oldest independently-owned office supply and furniture distributor, according to its new chief executive officer and president."

I cannot believe retailers are now taking away another holiday by opening on Thanksgiving! It started years ago when they opened on Sundays and took away our family time. Then you took away New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July , and Labor Day. Do they not make enough on Black Friday that they want to drag more people away from their families? Please stop opening on Thanksgiving and don't plan on ruining our Christmas and Easter. They should all be ashamed of themselves for taking family time away from their employees and those stupid shoppers.

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple Computer Inc., maker of iMac personal computers, will boost the number of its retail stores by 35 percent over the next year by opening 19 more in the United States and one in Tokyo, its first overseas. The computer maker opened its first shop two years ago and now has 57 stores in the United States. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steven P. "Steve" Jobs has been looking for ways to boost revenue during the more than two-year slump in demand for personal computers.

Though Under Armour still plans to open a store at its Tide Point headquarters, the company felt it had gone too long without a retail space in the city it calls home. Under Armour announced Thursday that it will open a specialty store at Harbor East in February. Construction on the 8,000-square-foot store at 700 S. President St., not far from J. Crew, will begin this month. The company reported a 31 percent increase in direct-to-consumer revenue for the third quarter as it further transitioned from selling mostly in big-box stores.

Discovery Communications of Silver Spring is closing its 103 retail stores - including three in Maryland - and laying off 1,000 employees to focus on selling its products online and through mass-market retailers, the company announced yesterday. After studying its retail business this year, Discovery, which operates its namesake cable channel and other channels, said it could expand its merchandising and sell its branded products more efficiently through a combination of online sales and partnerships.

Construction workers building Canton Crossing toil at great heights to add metal decking, reinforce the roof and complete other projects for the 17-story tower. The building, developed by banker Edwin F. Hale Sr., will house the headquarters for First Mariner Bank as well as other corporate offices, restaurants and retail stores.

It was 1965 when Octavia Dugan, a local beauty with an eye for fashion, opened her elegant store in the start-up Village of Cross Keys. The shop, simply called Octavia, was an instant hit among Baltimore's fashionable moneyed set - women like Dugan, then nearing her 50s, who wanted a local place to buy classic suits and tailored ensembles for daytime wear and sophisticated dresses for the evenings. Forty years later, Baltimore's moneyed set wears designer jeans and jeweled flip-flops during the day and has stepped up the sexy quotient for nighttime affairs.

Salisbury's Route 13 will get another large shopping center in the summer of 1998, according to the retail brokerage firm of Hicks & Rotner Retail Inc.Named North Salisbury Plaza, the center will be leased to two or three large retail stores, such as a Hecht's or Hechinger, and three smaller, free-standing shops, said David A. Ward, vice president of Hicks & Rotner.Ward said his firm has not signed any leases with stores, but negotiations have begun. The smaller stores could be a gas station or fast-food restaurant, which rely on people spotting them easily from the road as they drive by.The center is one of two developed by Petric Dierman Kughn of McLean, Va., and Hicks & Rotner.

AAA, Goodwill offer "Luggage Trade-In/Trade-Up" program What's the deal? Donate your gently used luggage to Goodwill Industries retail stores and receive a discount voucher good for the purchase of new luggage from local AAA Mid-Atlantic stores. What are the savings? For every piece of gently used luggage dropped off at one of Goodwill's donation centers by April 16, donors will receive a discount voucher good for 40 percent off a piece of Antler Luggage or $25 off a luggage purchase of $50 or more.

Eras don't last long anymore. Take the era of direct sales of computers, for example. It was fun while it lasted, especially for entrepreneur Michael Dell. It spawned a notable case study in corporate innovation that was extolled in business school pulpits worldwide. Lectures, essays and test questions were built upon it, while competitors scurried to emulate it. Popular culture adopted it. From 2001 through early 2003, Steven the Dell dude was a phenomenon on commercial airwaves, proclaiming his catchphrase: "Hey, dude, you're getting a Dell!"

A Walmart Supercenter is scheduled to open Oct. 17 on Liberty Road in Randallstown, and Baltimore County officials hope it will give a boost to a corridor targeted for revitalization. County officials and community leaders expect that the store at Liberty Plaza will attract attention from other major chains to the area. Consumers in Randallstown have high levels of education and income, they say, but the area has struggled to draw national retailers and restaurants. Residents complain that there are too many fast-food restaurants and low-quality stores.

During the upcoming 2012 Baltimore Grand Prix, downtown Baltimore may not be as congested with traffic as people expect ("Downtown streets to close for Grand Prix of Baltimore," Aug. 30). The event's promoters say that attendance is expected to be lower than last year, and many residents of nearby neighborhoods are leaving town for the weekend. Baltimore Police will be keeping the traffic moving and everyone safe. Retail stores, eateries, pubs and bars in the area will be open. And when I was there last year, none of those businesses were crowded, even though you can see and hear some of the race from outside of the paid entrance areas.

Under Armour is hoping to double the size of its Baltimore headquarters to accommodate additional employees, a retail store and a company museum. The sports apparel company wants to build an additional 400,000 square feet at Tide Point, an office complex in the Locust Point neighborhood that the firm, which had rented there for years, bought earlier this year. The company envisions a 20,000-square-foot store opening in 2013, with offices and the museum to follow. Underground and surface parking are also planned.

Gas prices are definitely lower but not as low as they were last summer, which is why some retailers --- even Walmart --- have started offering gas discounts to their customers. Now, most Consuming Interests readers are probably not taking advantage of the Walmart offer to save 10 cents per gallon, because it's only available in 18 states, the closest being Virginia. But perhaps you have been lured by the promise of free gift cards at CVS or gas rewards points at Safeway or Giant ?

AAA, Goodwill offer "Luggage Trade-In/Trade-Up" program What's the deal? Donate your gently used luggage to Goodwill Industries retail stores and receive a discount voucher good for the purchase of new luggage from local AAA Mid-Atlantic stores. What are the savings? For every piece of gently used luggage dropped off at one of Goodwill's donation centers by April 16, donors will receive a discount voucher good for 40 percent off a piece of Antler Luggage or $25 off a luggage purchase of $50 or more.

A celebrity wedding would probably be daunting to many stylists. Not to Khalilah Williams-Webb. The 29-year-old is downright calm just days from what might be the biggest project of her career: the wedding of NBA superstar — and Towson Catholic High School standout — Carmelo Anthony and television personality LaLa Vasquez. The wedding has the added pressure of being a part of the couple's soon-to-be-released reality show on VH1. "These are things that I handle on a everyday basis," Williams-Webb said with a laugh.

This Connecticut-based company, which has its administrative and distribution headquarters in Glen Burnie, reported record sales and earnings for its fourth quarter and fiscal year.Revenues for the fourth quarter, which ended Jan. 31, jumped 28 percent and net income was up 39 percent, compared to the same period a year earlier.Duty Free is a leading operator of duty-free retail stores -- which sell liquor, tobacco products, perfume and other luxury items at 20 percent to 60 percent off average retail prices -- in U.S. airports.

I cannot believe retailers are now taking away another holiday by opening on Thanksgiving! It started years ago when they opened on Sundays and took away our family time. Then you took away New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July , and Labor Day. Do they not make enough on Black Friday that they want to drag more people away from their families? Please stop opening on Thanksgiving and don't plan on ruining our Christmas and Easter. They should all be ashamed of themselves for taking family time away from their employees and those stupid shoppers.

Consumers might want to check the closing and opening times of their favorite stores or mall next time they head out to shop. As retailers and malls deal with one of the worst sales climates in years, many are shortening their hours to save money during times when fewer shoppers are coming in anyway. Financially troubled General Growth Properties told merchants at several of its malls Monday that it will cut from a half-hour to two hours off its daily operating times beginning in May. It follows mall companies Simon Property Group and Westfield, which previously announced they are closing malls earlier and opening later.

A group that includes AEG Worldwide - one the world's biggest producers of sports and entertainment programming - says that it wants to build a new arena in Baltimore across from M&T Bank Stadium, on the west side of Russell Street. The project would include clubs, restaurants, local and national retail stores, and residential units. It is one of several proposals that would link a new arena with the city's football and baseball stadiums. Seven development groups have submitted proposals for an arena to replace the 45-year-old 1st Mariner Arena downtown.