Looking for some holiday deals? Check out Black Friday.info to see the ads coming out on Black Friday.
And if you want to hear some Christmas music while gearing up? Just head on over to the AM dial - 1470 AM is all Chirstmas music for the time being.
Downtown Clearwater is still working on their effort to find an identity. Their five step process?
Some of the plans in the five step process could be used in other areas seeking to find themselves.
Channelside Bay Plaza (formerly known as the “Shoppes at Channelside,” which was formerly known as “Channelside at Garrison Seaport”) is seven years old. The St. Pete Times says Channelside businesses are struggling, mainly because locals don’t frequent the place.
Nope - locals don’t go. But that is not the only thing - Channelside Bay Plaza has all sorts of problems.
First of all, Channelside businesses don’t really get along.
Remember, Hooters paid for a trolley to get downtown workers over to Channelside during weekday lunchtime. But after four years, and with trolley visitors spending money at several Channelside stores, none of the other businesses wanted to help with the cost, and so the trolley no longer runs.
Guy Revelle has an ownership stake in Stump’s, Howl at the Moon, Splitsville, and Tinatapas - four places that serve alcohol. When other drinking-only establishments attempted to open, Revelle, who never misses an opportunity to be quoted, whined about Channelside becoming a mini Ybor City.
Next on the list is Channelside’s terrible marketing. I only hear about Channelside around major events, and they seem to want to capture only downtown visitors (not locals). In fact, we don’t hear much of anything since Channelside marketing director Susan Martin over two years ago (found in a July 2006 tbt* column spelling out Channelside’s marketing problems).
But even worse than just limited advertising, are the individual businesses failure to provide any consistency. Unless there is something big going on nearby, many of the businesses don’t bother keeping their places open. Back to the Times article:
Business people walk over from their hotels only to find the complex half-closed.
“We get a lot of tourists who are in their hotels looking for something to do. They come down here during the day and say, ‘This is it?’” - Tinatapas bartender Jason Lewis
Area residents have all been there at least once. But not many are going back. Besides the fact that parking is expensive AND a pain in the ass, Channelside Bay Plaza is so visitor-oriented that it comes off as some lame-ass tourist trap:
“There’s nothing down there to draw you. It’s over-rated.” - Channel District resident Denise Becknell
“I really don’t go over there.” “It’s so young. It’s all clubs.” “I don’t think it’s high quality.” “It’s kind of cheesy.” - 36 year old Victory Lofts resdident Jill Lifsey
“It’s pretty plastic.” - Channel District dance studio owner Luisa Meshekoff
Yeah - Channelside residential buildings are full of empty space. But if the shopping center wants to thrive, they are still going to need local support. Tampa Bay residents need a good reason to go though the hassles of parking, and Channelside simply doesn’t offer much to fight that perception.
On Wednesday morning, Sticks of Fire reader Gayle left a comment on a months-old post about the Sweetbay credit card fiasco:
This is far from over. My credit card was one of the breaches and [Tuesday] I apparently popped up in Tennessee on a shopping spree!!!!
Sure enough - a quick google finds that there is a recent uptick in the use of Sweetbay’s stolen credit card data.
Gayle offers sage advice…
WATCHING is just not good enough. Cancel all your credit cards that you may have used as Sweetbay.
Some credit card issuers are no longer giving you the option of replacing them, they are re-issuing plastic for all breached accounts. Of course, not all of them are doing this, so you should take it upon yourself to prevent this - kill all your Sweetbay-used cards immediately.
But Sweetbay is not the only one to blame in the credit mess. Gayle’s credit card company allowed the thieves to change her address:
.. when asked for a zip code on one purchase, my investigator from the credit card company said the thieves they had changed it and was able to continue with the several hundred dollar purchase.
Shame on retail outlets that do not check for photo ID, and are only interested in making the sale.
Shame on all credit card companies who put you and I through telephone rigamarole just to DISCUSS our account, but allow thieves to change account information without much trouble.
You cannot count on any business to do the right thing - you must look out for yourself at every turn.
PS: And now grocery stores are trying to even more closely track shoppers habits!
Made up words beginning with the letter “i” are very popular these days: iPod, iMeem, IHOP. One of the most popular made-up i-words in the whole, wide world is poised to hit Tampa in 2009 but is already making a major impact: Ikea.
The Dutch home products retailer broke ground on their new store here in Tampa this past Wednesday with the intent of opening next summer. This news is apparently a very big deal as noted in the St. Pete Times:
“The field of dirt featured no sparkling showrooms, no cafeteria with Swedish meatballs, no stylish furniture to buy.
Yet Claire Pustarfi, Kelly Hickman and Charlene Beverly were giddy over the possibilities as they scurried across a dusty lot to attend Wednesday’s Ikea store groundbreaking ceremony.”
Here’s another i-word for you: iDon’tgetit.
I’m not being critical. Seriously. I don’t know enough anything about the Ikea phenomenon to criticize it so that wouldn’t be fair. But when the rubber meets the road, it is just a store…right? And a store that isn’t even going to open for more than a year shouldn’t inspire rational people to scurry giddily around construction sites and lovingly create blogs about the subject, should it?
Yet when I ask questions like these (strictly in an attempt to become informed, not to create mockery…honest) to those who do know, I sort of feel like I’m facing down Donald Sutherland at the end of “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers“:
“So what’s the big deal?”
“It’s Ikea! It’s amazing! The Ikea experience is coming to Tampa!”
“‘The Ikea experience’?!? Now I’m getting scared.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’re not afraid of Target, right?”
“I guess not. Target is a fine store.”
“Okay, Ikea is like Target on steroids!”
“Well, why didn’t you say so? You know there’s no endorsement that carries more weight with me than association with a substance that has done so much for so many people!”
“Why do you hate Ikea, Clark?”
“I don’t hate Ikea! I just don’t understand. I mean, it’s a furniture store, right?”
“No, it’s not just ‘a furniture store’. It’s a complete marketplace environment that is going to feature 10,000 exclusively designed items, three model home interiors, 50 room settings, a 300 seat restaurant and a supervised play area for children.”
“Wow. You sure know a lot about Ikea.”
“And it’s going to employ 400 people, Clark. And I’m going to be one of them! I’m going to work for Ikea. For free. That’s right! They don’t have to pay me. It will be reward enough to just be there, letting Ikea wash over me like golden rays of light.”
“I’m…going to leave now.”
“Have a meatball, Clark. You’ll feel better. Ikeabots, seize him!”
Cross posted at Ridiculously inconsistent trickle of consciousness
If you paid with plastic at a Sweetbay Supermarket between Dec. 7 and March 10 - even once for a pack of gum - you are going to want to double-check your card or bank statements. Contact the card issuer if you see something goofy.
The Home Depot - You can do it. We can help.
Help increase the unemployment rate, maybe. 750 layoffs will save The Home Depot an estimated 18 million dollars per year. Less than one tenth of the $200 million severance package given to the CEO earlier this year.
Tourists leave more than just their money here. It’s time for the airport to get rid of all the stuff that you left behind.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AVIATION AUTHORITY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION OF SURPLUS AND OBSOLETE PROPERTY AND LOST AND ABANDONED PROPERTY FOUND AT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a sale by public outcry will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2007. Bidding begins promptly at 9:30 A.M. Pre-registration is available online at TampaAirport.com. Bring the printed form to the registration table on the morning of the auction. Individuals searching for lost items must call (813) 801-6086 prior to November 1, 2007 or arrive and register between 7:30 A.M. and 7:45 A.M on the day of the auction.
For those wishing to view items for sale, doors will open at 8:00 A.M. Sale will be located inside the Airport Maintenance Hangar located at 4102 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa, Florida (South on Westshore off Hillsborough).
Items for sale include: Clothing, Jewelry, Luggage, Electronics, Computers, Cameras, Sporting Goods, Airline Club Room Furniture, Office Furniture, Office Equipment and other miscellaneous items. All sales are cash currency, Master Card, and Visa only, “AS IS” condition and all sales are final. Some items may be subject to a reserve price.
Oh boy! I’ve never been to “a sale by public outcry” put on by the airport. Shop Victoriously!
Take a look at this bay area commercial from 1987:
Yes, the Bay City Plywood (watch the volume) guys have been screaming and laughing at the camera for decades. And no, Clark, we still don’t know why they are laughing.
Weatherguru76 has a bunch of old Tampa video, and posts the stuff he finds now and again. We certainly appreciate all the videos he posts at YouTube. If you like seeing this old local TV, you may want to take a look at these promos for NewsWatch 8 (WXFL) from 1986. You’ll see that Steve Overton was On Your Side, Irene Maher would give the latest in health updates, Dennis Roper was on NightWatch, and you can see what Gayle Sierens and Bob Hite (and Tom Brokaw) looked like 20 years ago. Oh, plus the Rockford Files is coming soon Monday afternoons.
Sticks of Fire proudly supports local businesses. When you choose to spend locally, more of your money stays right here in Tampa Bay. Check out these local sponsors:
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