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Post by heathwaldrop on Jan 21, 2006 21:13:41 GMT -6
Had intentions of posting this several days ago when I first heard about it, but in one of the open spots at Eagle Plaza, we soon will be getting a new pet store.
It is a chain but not one that I'm familiar with (not either of the really big-named ones, PetCo or PetSmart). I must say that that wasn't the type of business that I had been expecting to open up there, but at least it's something DIFFERENT for a change.
Also, a factoid: Did you know that Eagle Plaza is NOT named Eagle Plaza after the Crossett Eagles? In fact it is named after the Southern Mississippi University Golden Eagles...the owner owns several of these little shopping centers throughout the area and all of them are named "Eagle Plaza" because he's a Southern Miss grad. It's just happenstance that he landed one in a town where the local high-school mascot also is an Eagle.
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Post by Outlaw85 on Jan 22, 2006 11:01:30 GMT -6
Something different but I bet it doesn't last more than a year. I would rather see something similar to Hibbets or Champs, a store that has sporting goods but also carries clothing and shoes. I think a store of that nature would do well.
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Post by heathwaldrop on Jan 23, 2006 10:50:56 GMT -6
Hibbett was supposed to be in there originally. The Chamber confirmed it for us before the plaza ever even was finished. Don't know what happened with that. There wouldn't be a whole lot of competition for it in the area, however, Southeast Sports is here and of course Wal-Mart carries a similar range of sporting goods.
Pet Land is the name of the store. Since it's part of a chain it will hang around longer than a year. If it was some locally-owned deal I would agree that it would tank quickly. It should have some muscle since it won't be locally-owned. Plus there isn't anything at all to compete with it for at least an hour's drive around here.
That's the thing that just baffles me, that people can't seem to see the cause-effect relationship between consumer need and economic success. The last business that opened here was O'Reilly Auto Parts. We have, at my best guess, FIVE other auto-parts dealerships here. Before that the last place to open was Popeye's. We have two other fried-chicken restaurants in town already, and Popeye's was open here once already and failed. We had movie rental places opening when we already had four or five movie-rental places. And on and on and on.
What we really could use is more dining establishments. We're way short on those, and it makes no sense that with Wal-Mart, the hospital and the complex right there in the same area that before this month there were no fast-food places out on U.S. 82.
Wendy's originally was supposed to be where Popeye's is now, and I mourn that an agreement on the lease price couldn't be reached. A Wendy's would clean house right there at that corner and do much better than Popeye's ever could think about doing.
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Post by Outlaw85 on Jan 23, 2006 11:33:47 GMT -6
I was given a reason for O'Reilly's coming here. Can't comfirm whether it's true or not. Supposedly the man that heads the Autozone company was once married to the lady that heads the O'Reilly's company. Apparently there was a bitter divorce and the wife set out to ruin the husband. She started O'Reilly's and vowed to build her store within eyesight of any Autozone . Sounds farfetched but if you think about O'Reillys and Autozone are usually very close together.
As for Popeye's failure. It was due more to the financial problems of Halley's than anything else. I'm glad it's back because I prefer it over any of the other chicken places here. Although a Wendy's or Burger King would be more than welcome.
A store like Hibbett's would do extremely well, but not for the sporting goods. The professional and college apparel would be the big seller. Most of the guys like me that are involved in youth sports rarely buy our equipment off the shelf.
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Post by mzsmartypantz on Jan 23, 2006 15:41:02 GMT -6
Hibbetts is mecca to my son (and spouse too). They would be in there every day if we had one.
Academy sports in LR is pretty good too.
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Post by Outlaw85 on Jan 23, 2006 15:59:33 GMT -6
Hibbetts is mecca to my son (and spouse too). They would be in there every day if we had one. Academy sports in LR is pretty good too. Sports and Company and H. Mickel are my favs. |
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