Category Archives: Retail

Material Comforts Home Studio to close

Thursday3:06 p.m.

WICHITA — They say marriage is about compromise. It looks like that’s why Jan Hoffmann is closing her Material Comforts Home Studio in Comotara Center at 29th and Rock.

For several years, the former Wichitan and her husband — he’s retired and she’s mostly retired — have been living in South Dakota and North Carolina.

“We’re footloose and fancy free, and he wants to be even more footloose and fancy free,” Hoffmann says. “He’s been after me for a year and a half.”

Last week, she made the decision to close her shop, which originated as Decorator Fabric Warehouse in Delano.

Hoffmann says inventory is 40 percent off, but she’s taking her time closing the shop, which sells furniture, lighting, rugs and accessories.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Comotara Center, East side, Retail | Comments (9)

Fairchild Interiors and Design to open at the Waterfront

Tuesday3:13 p.m.

WICHITA — Jan Colvin’s design career is, in a way, coming full circle.

Colvin started in the business by dressing windows for a shop in Augusta when she was 14.

She eventually went to the University of Kansas for interior design and went on to have a more than 20-year career in the business, including the last eight in Denver with Fairchild Interiors and Design.

Now, she’s returned to the Wichita area and is continuing her Fairchild Interiors, this time with retail space at the Waterfront at 13th and Webb.

“I have always wanted to have a shop,” Colvin says.

Fairchild will open in 4,200 square feet next to GM Clothes Horse shortly after Thanksgiving. (Colvin temporarily is in some space next to Doc Green’s to receive supplies.)

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Retail, Waterfront | Comments (0)

Mike’s Wine Dive to open in former Caffe Posto space

Monday4:05 p.m.

WICHITA — Coffee and sandwich sales weren’t enough to keep Caffe Posto open near Douglas and Oliver, but new owners are hoping wine and food will be a hit.

Jimmy’s Egg franchisee Whitney VinZant and some undisclosed partners plan to open Mike’s Wine Dive in the former Posto space by March 1.

They’re also taking the Hair Connection space next door for a total of 2,650 square feet.

That business, which is still open, lost its lease after 24 years.

“I’m really sad to see Hair Connection go,” says James Smits, who owns Aspen Boutique and bought the center three years ago with his wife, Monica.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Filed under Retail | Comments (2)

Hoffmann’s Green Industries sues Epic Apparel owners for breach of lease agreement

Monday6:29 a.m.

WICHITA — Hoffmann’s Green Industries has filed a lawsuit against Epic Apparel and store owners Corey and Julie Rau.

Barbara and John Hoffmann of Green Acres Market & Deli are the Raus’ landlords.

According to the lawsuit, the Raus signed a lease with the Hoffmanns in 2005 to locate next to Green Acres in Bradley Fair.

Then, in 2007, the Raus subleased to Lavish Boutique and moved to a larger space in Bradley Fair.

Lavish closed earlier this year.

The lawsuit says the Raus’ original lease doesn’t expire until June 2010 and that the Raus have breached that lease agreement by not paying $6,250 a month in rent for August through November.

In addition to back rent and penalties for late payment, the Hoffmanns are asking for more than $20,000 in damages for failure to operate a business on the premises, which they say the lease dictates.

In all, the suit asks for more than $48,000.

Neither the Hoffmanns nor the Raus could be reached for comment.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Lawsuits, Leases, Legal, Retail | Comments (1)

Dwyer’s Hallmark to close in Andover, but sister stores in Wichita, Derby and Emporia will remain open

Nov. 11, 20095:37 p.m.

WICHITA — The Dwyer’s Hallmark store at 420 S. Andover Road is closing at the end of February, but the Dwyer’s Hallmark stores in Wichita (at Brittany Center at 21st and Woodlawn), Derby and Emporia will remain open.

The Andover store is closing because the Dillons that used to be near it moved farther away.

“That’s really killed our business there,” says Scott Dwyer, who manages the businesses for his parents, Sue and Harold.

The store has been there for 10 years. Dwyer says his family isn’t moving to be closer to the new Dillons because rent would be higher.

The family already has closed its Nifty Fifty store at 321 S. Andover Road. That store used to sell the Hallmark shop’s close-out items along with other close-out merchandise.

“It just didn’t work out, either,” Scott Dwyer says of the store, which opened in 2006. “We started out OK, and the sales just really fell off.”

Business at the other stores is all right.

“I’m not going to say it’s great right now,” Dwyer says. “It’s been a pretty tough year. We’re just hoping for a good Christmas.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Andover, Closings, Emporia, Leases, Retail | Comments (0)

Remodeled, consolidated Gap opens Thursday

Nov. 11, 20093:39 p.m.

WICHITA — The newly remodeled Gap opens Thursday at Bradley Fair.

The company consolidated all its Bradley Fair stores — GapBody, GapKids and BabyGap — into one 12,000-square-foot location.

That’s where the Gap and GapBody previously were.

The new store has the latest Gap interior design and features individual areas for each brand.

During remodeling, the stores have been in the 7,800-square-foot GapKids and BabyGap space.

Look for possible news on a new tenant there early in 2010.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Retail | Comments (0)

Accent Bridal & Tux is moving to Delano

Nov. 11, 20093:03 p.m.

WICHITA — Accent Bridal & Tux is moving, but it will remain on Douglas.

In fact, each of the store’s three moves have always been to space on Douglas.

“Douglas is our address, I guess,” says Tricia Bell, who owns the business with her brother-in-law, Scott, and mother-in-law, Vivian.

Bell’s daughter-in-law, Audra, also works there.

When Accent Bridal opened more than 23 years ago, it was at 3540 W. Douglas. It’s been just down the street from there at 3940 W. Douglas, which is at Douglas and West, for the last 16 years.

Now, it’s moving to 817 W. Douglas in Delano where Rewound Sounds used to be. That store is now across the street at 810 W. Douglas.

“We just think the Delano district is an up-and-coming place, and we think it’s going to be a great place to have a bridal shop,” Tricia Bell says.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Bridal, Delano, Leases, Retail | Comments (0)

Sunflower Restaurant Supply to close showroom but not leave Wichita

Nov. 11, 20092:39 p.m.

WICHITA — Sunflower Restaurant Supply is closing its retail shop at 432 N. Washington, but it’s not going out of business.

The Salina-based company is looking for new office space that won’t include a showroom.

Facility manager Rod Baumberger says issues related to rent and maintenance are forcing a move, and it made sense to no longer have a showroom.

The company has been in Wichita 16 years. These days, Baumberger says, most people fax, e-mail or call in orders.

“The focus of our business has changed,” he says. “The walk-in traffic was just a nice bit of gravy or dessert on the side.”

Baumberger is happy to get the news out about why Sunflower is moving.

“People think business is bad,” he says. “We’re not losing money. We’re actually still profitable down here.”

Also, he says, some customers are panicking thinking the business is closing.

“I’ve had schools that we’ve done business with freaking out, ‘We’re losing our supplier!’ ”

The company will be open in its current space until the end of the year. All items are on sale now.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , Filed under Restaurants, Retail | Comments (0)

West-side Play It Again Sports to move to Westlink Shopping Center

Nov. 9, 20092:57 p.m.

WICHITA — The west-side Play It Again Sports is moving to the Westlink Shopping Center at Central and Tyler in early February.

That’s a mile from the store’s current location at 13th and Tyler.

“We’re just going to a little bigger spot,” says owner Scott Martin, who is unaffiliated with the east-side Play It Again.

The new space actually is much bigger, but not all of it will be retail space.

The current store is 3,100 square feet.

The retail portion at the new store will be 4,000 square feet. There also will be 5,400 square feet for new batting cages, which Play It Again doesn’t currently have.

The addition of the cages is partly to attract more people to the shop, which sells new and used sporting equipment.

Martin doesn’t want anyone to think he’s making this move because his business is booming.

“It’s been tough out there for a while,” he says. “It really has.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , Filed under Real estate, Retail | Comments (0)

Sea Dreams to remain open despite tax trouble

Nov. 9, 20092:28 p.m.

WICHITA – Sea Dreams, which has been on East Harry in front of Office This for four of its 10 years in business, is more than $76,000 behind in state taxes.

“I’ve been trying to work it out with them for about two years now,” owner Lynne Penny says.

She thinks she’s finally come to an arrangement.

Her 10,000-square-foot store is a large space to keep operating, but Penny says that’s her plan.

“I’m going to try.”

By Carrie Rengers | Filed under Retail, Taxes | Comments (1)