Colorado Springs Retail Briefs: February 1, 2008

Theresa Preston, co-owner of three Plato's Closet stores in Colorado, finished the year with a 51 percent increase in sales compared to last year at her Colorado Springs store.

The increase was the highest of any of the 200 Plato's Closet locations nationwide.

Plato's Closet buys and sells the latest looks in gently used clothing and accessories for teens and young adults from brand name designers such as American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Aeropostale.

Preston's Littleton and Fort Collins stores also had a great year, ending 2007 with a 20 percent increase.

Preston's newest venture will take place in Cheyenne, Wyo., where she will open a fourth location in June 2008.

Wish gets Midas touch

Midas' Denver area stores, 22 locations situated along the Front Range, are teaming up with Make-A-Wish in Colorado to grant the wishes of 12 children during 2008.

All told, more than $78,000 in wishes will be granted.

January's "Wish Kid," Kailey, a 12-year-old cancer patient from Arvada, will handle the monthly selection process.

"Most of our customers live and work in our own back yard, so this is a welcome chance for us to boost the spirits of courageous kids in our neighborhoods who have a big fight on their hands," said Curtis Goodman, owner and operator of three regional Midas franchises who spearheaded the program on behalf of his group.

Since its inception during 1983, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado has granted more than 2,800 wishes to seriously ill children.

The campaign is part of a larger venture between Midas International Corp. and the national Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For more information about how to share the power of a wish, visit www.wishcolorado.org.

Quality time beats gifts

Consumers are planning special ways to celebrate with their loved ones this Valentine's Day.

The National Retail Federation's 2008 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, shows that almost half (48.2 percent) of all consumers plan to celebrate Valentine's Day with a special night out, compared to 45.3 percent last year, and 12.3 percent will give a gift card, compared to 11.3 percent last year.

Traditional gifts, such as candy, flowers and jewelry will see a slight decrease in popularity this year with more consumers preferring gifts of experience and gift cards. Greeting cards still remain the most popular choice, though the number of people planning to purchase one is down from last year (56.8 percent vs. 62.8 percent). Nearly 48 percent of consumers will buy candy, 35.9 will buy flowers and 11.8 percent will buy clothing.

According to the survey, the average consumer plans to spend $123 on Valentine's Day, similar to last year's $119. Total spending on Valentine's Day is expected to reach $17 billion.

"Valentine's Day is a great time to get creative with gift options," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. "Most people agree that it's the thought that counts, but shelves will also be filled with traditional gifts for those who want to celebrate the old-fashioned way."

Six of 10 consumers plan on celebrating this year, and of those celebrating, the majority plan on spending the most on their significant other or spouse ($79.99). The survey also found that consumers plan to spend slightly more on friends ($5.75 vs. $4.93), children's classmates and teachers ($4.05 vs. $3.35) and co-workers ($3.02 vs. $2.40) than they did last year.

When it comes to real puppy love, 17.2 percent of celebrators also plan to lavish their pets this Valentine's Day. Spending on pets for the holiday is estimated to reach $367 million.

Not surprisingly, men will again dish out the most this year, spending an average of $163.37 on gifts and cards, compared to an average of $84.72 spent by women.

Fortune's 'Best Companies'

Wegmans, Starbucks and Whole Foods were among the retailers featured on Fortune's 2008 "100 Best Companies to Work For" list, according to Chain Store Age.

Other retailers that made the list include Nugget Markets, eBay, The Container Store, Stew Leonard's, Recreational Equipment, Nordstrom, CarMax and Publix.

Of the retailers listed, Wegmans was the only one that retained its position (No. 3) from the previous year. Starbucks (No. 7), Nugget Markets (No. 12) Whole Foods (No. 16), Stew Leonard's (No. 26), and CarMax (No. 46) all jumped to higher positions on the list. Recreational Equipment (No. 34), Nordstrom (No. 36) and Publix (No. 91) dropped from their previous spots.

The Container Store, which was included in the top 10 during 2007, fell to the 20th position for 2008. EBay, which did not appear in 2007, was No. 68.

Copyright 2008 Dolan Media Newswires
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