Mattress chain springs back

Richmond can sleep a little easier tonight. Sleepy’s, a New-York based mattress store with 700 stores, will be opening about 10 locations in the area. They’ve not signed leases just yet but are close on at least one location with plans for about nine others.

Malls lure new types of tenants

Richmond’s mall operators are less choosy in selecting tenants now, and that’s helped them boost occupancy compared to six months ago. Some have added stores like nail salons, dollar stores, and tattoo shops. In April, BizSense counted empty storefronts at six area shopping malls, and found that about 15 percent of the storefronts at malls around the region were vacant.

Flat is the new up

Local businesses and big-box retailers aren’t increasing seasonal hiring – and in some cases, they’re cutting back. The reason: Analysts expect retail sales across the nation to drop for a second consecutive year. “We anticipate we are hiring less than last year,” said Target Corp. spokesperson Kyle Thompson. Instead of hiring more seasonal helpers, Target is allowing its current employees to earn extra pay this holiday season by undergoing cross-training and working additional shifts, taking on different responsibilities as needed.

Monday Q&A: Does sex still sell?

Alison Miller didn’t plan on getting in the business of selling adult toys and DVDs, but now she runs what was recently voted the best adult store in the country.

We had heard that adult stores do better business during a recession, but Miller says that isn’t necessarily the case — but she’s not doing too badly, either.

BizSense visited Taboo, at 6021 W. Broad Street, to ask Miller about the business and her plans.

Kroger ups ante in grocery fight

There’s a food fight brewing in Carytown, where Kroger is about to make a not-so-subtle push to lure customers from the Ukrop’s across the street. The chain has new carts for bag boys to use when they shuttle customers’ bundles to their cars.

Short Pump shop for pampered pooches

Just because you have cut back on luxuries, doesn’t mean your dog has to. Husband and wife team Don and Chris Vondriska are preparing to open Fido Park Avenue at the Shoppes at Westgate, located across from the Short Pump Town Center.

Menswear startup to hold warehouse sale

Enough with the going-out-of-business sales. Call this one a getting-into-business sale.

An online men’s clothing business started by several former S&K executives will be having a warehouse sale Sat. as a way to unload extra inventory and make room for a shipment of new suits.

BizSense wrote about Direct Menswear in August, which is taking the S&K model for selling lower-priced men’s dress clothes and trying to move it to the Internet. You can read that story here.

Suits will start as low as $25, with polos at $4 and dress shirts at $10.

Fan retail strip gets pumped

In spring 2007, the Wilton Companies transformed a used car lot and garage at the intersection of West Cary and Lombardy streets in the Fan into retail space.

More than two years later, the first tenants are moving in. Nirvana Salon & Spa arrived in September, and Fitness Together, a personal training studio, is planning a grand opening Nov. 13.

“It took a long time,” said broker Chris Francoise. “We entered at the high time of the market, and starting out the rates we were asking were a little high.”

And then the recession hit.

But since prices have adjusted and the economic outlook has improved, Francoise said things are looking up.

“People are still kicking tires and comparing rates, but there has definitely been a lot more activity,” he ...

Dress like it’s 1899

Businessmen are dressing sharper in the recession — that is according to men’s tailor Larry Wood, one of the founders of Leviner Wood Customer Clothier.

“We’ve had an increase in people who had normally been not as cautious with their clothing, more relaxed with their apparel, now considering interview suits and looking for something more professional,” said Wood.

“Things are tougher, and they are being careful to bring their A-game.”

Wood and his partner-in-tailoring, Jeff Begin, run a studio on Monument Avenue. Wood founded the firm 20 years ago with Tom Leviner, who has since died.

Ukrop’s sale speculation getting more solid

The rumors are probably true.

Ukrop’s has been shopping around its chain of grocery stores, according to several sources close to the family who spoke on the condition of anonymity. But the current recession is lowering the price potential acquirers are willing to pay, and that could put the kibosh on a deal.

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