Fair’s Shoe Store to close by March

Jan. 8, 201312:21 p.m.

WICHITA — One of the city’s oldest retail outlets is closing.

Fair’s Shoe Store in the Indian Hills shopping center at 13th and Meridian will go out of business by March.

“It has, unfortunately, been less than profitable for us over the last four years,” says general manager Andy Warren.

He says his family had planned to close Fair’s, which he thinks has been in business since the 1940s, in 2010 when it opened a New Balance and a Heads shoe store in the former Blockbuster space at 10231 W. 21st St. near Maize Road.

The family decided to keep Fair’s open and continue selling comfort shoes at a more moderate price.

“It just turned out to be a strategy that didn’t work,” Warren says.

He thinks there’s still a market for moderately priced comfort shoes.

“It’s probably being served at places like Famous Footwear, Shoe Carnival, Target and Walmart.”

Warren says the family’s other four stores are doing fine.

“The one out west has been kind of a bumpy road since they did the road construction over the summer, but it’s picking up where it left off.”

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Inside Out Fitness opens at Brushcreek shopping center at 37th and Woodlawn

Sept. 19, 20125:00 p.m.

WICHITA — Caleb Schroeder was a popular personal trainer with the YMCA, but when he refused to sign a noncompete agreement last month, he says he lost his job.

Since then, he’s been planning his own training business. Now, it’s happening.

Inside Out Fitness is taking the final piece of former Blockbuster property in the Brushcreek shopping center near the southeast corner of 37th and Woodlawn.

“I’m planning to change people’s lives one at a time,” Schroeder says.

He says a lot of people have desires such as looking better or losing weight.

“Basically, a lot of people show up,” he says. “They just think it’s what they’re supposed to do.”

He says it takes more than that.

“Wellness and fitness comes from the inside out,” he says. “You must be tenacious.”

For now, he’ll offer a variety of group and personal training and some sport-specific training.

“We’re in the process of possibly doing a cardio (program),” he says.

Inside Out Fitness is in 1,400 square feet. Leisa Lowry with J.P. Weigand & Sons handled the deal.

Since he left the Y, Schroeder has been holding small boot camps to keep in touch with customers. Now, they can work out with him and two other trainers at Brushcreek.

In addition to trying to help people from the inside out, Schroeder says he particularly wants to help people who don’t enjoy working out.

“I’m trying to show people we can make it fun.”

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Cox retail center at Shops at Tallgrass near 21st and Rock to move, but not far

Feb. 1, 20125:00 a.m.

UPDATED — Cox Communications Kansas/Arkansas is moving its retail center at 21st and Rock, but it’s not going far.

The store will move from the Shops at Tallgrass near the northeast corner across the parking lot to the north of Dillons.

“We are just keeping in line with the Cox retail marketing strategy,” says spokeswoman Sarah Kauffman.

At 3,000 square feet, the new store will be larger than the existing one.

“We really want consumers and customers to have an experience when they walk in a Cox store,” Kauffman says.

The new store will be especially hands-on with technology, she says, “where customers can test or try out the products.”

That includes high-speed Internet, digital cable and home phones.

Ish Tamas of J.P. Weigand & Sons handled the deal.

In about a week, Cox will start remodeling the space, which was where Supplement Giant and Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Co. used to be.

Last summer, owners Wayne and Lisa Ragsdale made their own short jaunt across the parking lot to new space where a former Blockbuster was.

The new Cox store should open in a couple of months.

 

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Filed under East side, Real estate, Retail, Shops at Tallgrass | Comments Off

Supplement Giant and Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Co. to move to Rock Road frontage

July 20, 20115:11 a.m.

WICHITA — Supplement Giant and Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Co. are taking a short jaunt across the parking lot at Tallgrass Plaza at 21st and Rock Road to larger space in the former Blockbuster store there.

“Front-row visibility” was the draw says Wayne Ragsdale, who owns the business with his wife, Lisa.

The Ragsdales opened their first Supplement Giant at the intersection 21 years ago. They also have one on the west side at 2556 N. Maize Road and one in the Denver area.

The 5,200-square-foot former Blockbuster space is 1,000 square feet more than the Ragsdales currently have.

Wayne Ragsdale says this will allow them to have better displays and expanded product lines.

That wasn’t their main reason to move, though.

Vitamin Shoppe is opening in a new retail center under construction on the northeast corner of 21st and Rock Road.

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Blockbuster stores continue to close; New Balance, Heads Village Shoe Store and Mattress Firm are possible replacements

Oct. 12, 20103:02 p.m.

UPDATED – Blockbuster stores around the Wichita area continue to close — and more closings are planned — but neither the local owner nor anyone with corporate will discuss it.

“Legally as per our franchise agreement with Blockbuster Corporate I am not allowed to comment on any issues regarding Blockbuster,” Ryan Wasinger of Major Video of Kansas said in an e-mail.

Major Video is part of Fugate Enterprises.

Patty Sullivan, a spokeswoman for Blockbuster nationally, said in an e-mail: “Blockbuster does not comment on any individual store closings. We have previously stated that we are in the process of recapitalizing the company and reducing the number of stores in the U.S. is part of that effort.”

There are several new stores planned for various Blockbuster spaces.

It looks like Cindy Warren is planning to bring two shoe stores to the former Blockbuster space near 21st and Maize.

Warren owns Heads Village Shoe Store at Douglas and Oliver, Fair Village Shoe Store at 2407 W. 13th St., the New Balance shoe store at 1720 N. Webb, and the Little Feet Boutique children’s shoe store adjoining Heads.

It sounds like the store at 21st and Maize will be divided into a New Balance and possibly a Heads store. It does not look like any of Warren’s current stores will be closing.

Across town at Kellogg and Rock, the Blockbuster on the southeast corner apparently will be closing, and Mattress Firm is negotiating to take the space.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Filed under Closings, Real estate, Retail | Comments