January 21, 2009
8:45 am
Some Thoughts on Roanoke and the Economy
I’m optimistic at the start of a new presidential term, but I also realize that these are tough times. And they may get tougher before they get better.
Even Roanoke has felt some of the effects of the weakened ecomony:
Circuit City Going Out of Business
I was genuinely saddened by this news. I’ve always liked Circuit City and shopped there many times going back to when it used to be over at Crossroads. I’m in the market to finally upgrade from my old tube TV to a new HDTV set so I may have to make a stop there and see what they have left. I drove by on Sunday and it looked very busy. Nothing like a store closing down to drum up business I guess.
Mill Mountain Theatre to Shutdown
I was frustrated by this news, mostly at myself. For years I kept telling myself I was going to take in a performance at the theatre, and it just never happened. Now, the time has run out.
Ukrop’s Picking up Some Business?
Since I read a Roanoke Times article about Ukrop’s not having enough business, it seems that they have had at least a little increase in business the times I have been there. I hope so. I’m doing about 99% of my shopping there now.
Many Deals at Some Stores Still Around
I was in need of some new shoes and clothes so I went to Tanglewood Mall this past Sunday. Belk had sale signs splattered all over the place. After several minutes I had picked out a pair of jeans, pants, and a few shirts. Based on what I could gather from markdowns and sales I estimated the total price to be about $115 for everything. Good deal I thought. When I got to the register it turned out being only $85, so I just smiled.
Then, it was off to JC Penney for a couple pair of shoes and they were quite busy in particular. I even ended up driving out to the Valley View store to get the shoes because they didn’t have my size at Tanglewood.
I plan on going back and buying more when I get my tax refund.
Final Thoughts
The state of the economy of course concerns me, but it doesn’t control me. I still work as hard as I ever have. I’m spending less than I used to, but I believe before now I was in fact over-spending. If I go out to eat or get a haircut I still tip well over 10%. I’m more conscious about paying down debt and saving for the future in my 401k. Most importantly, I live within my means.
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how about the co-op support a local biz. that supports local folks? i saw the building of ucrops the lot was full of ohio and other out of state tags, i will never shop @ ucrops. also +10% is not very much of a tip to be bragging about it. thank you for the blog, i realy enjoy it, im just saying..
Comment by john — January 21, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
I’ve had my head in the sand, I guess, and had no idea that Mill Mountain Theater was closing. That makes me so sad! I think the children’s theater moved to the new art museum so that’s a good thing.
I’ll give my business a little plug here if you don’t mind, since you mentioned spending less but still eating out. My husband and I own a local emarketing business and many local restaurants and other merchants offer coupons (free…no strings, no spam) to anyone through our website. You can find it at roanoke.suddenvalues.com. We’re in the process of getting new offers today to send the update out. We have a number of great restaurants like Annie Moore’s, Fiji Island, Village Grill, the Isaacs and some other non-restaurant businesses.
Ok, commercial over. We’re just pretty excited about it and want to get the word out. We never eat out without a coupon anymore. lol
Comment by Lisa — January 21, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
John, I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I was born and raised in Roanoke and that won’t change regardless of where I shop. In the grander picture, when I made the choice to live in Roanoke instead of move away to a bigger city (as did many of my fellow classmates) then all of the money I make and I spend goes into the “Roanoke” economy. That’s important also I think. But, I do see your point.
I didn’t intend for the statement to be bragging about tipping and I apologize if it came across that way. I just wanted to convey that in the weakened economy I try to live the way I always have. Typically, I tip around 25-35% for eating out and as high as 50% for exceptional service. If I don’t have the money to tip a minimum of 25%, then I just don’t go out.
Comment by Steve — January 21, 2009 @ 5:29 pm
Lisa, do you have a small banner for your business that would fit in the sidebar here? If so, please email it to me and I will link to your business.
Comment by Steve — January 21, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
[...] A relatively new blog, NokeNews.com, is the creation of Steve Holden. He features some amazing photographs of the Valley and is emerging as an interesting commentator on local economic issues. [...]
Pingback by Roanoke’s emerging media: Enlightening the Valley one hit at a time : Star City Harbinger — February 11, 2009 @ 9:54 am