I'm doing some brainstorming about retail (or lack thereof) in the west end of town. I need some advice and counsel from those of you who might be more familar with this situation than am I. Here are my questions.
1) How do you think the Weigel store does? Why do you have that opinion?
2) Assuming hypothetically that a retail center existed along the Turnpike in the vicinity of say Montana and Baylor, what retail services would be the most important ones to have in that center?
Ray,
It really depends on its purpose. Is it to meet vital local needs like fuel, milk, bread and eggs? Is it to take away from trips to the center of town, like a full service grocery store or fast foods? Is it to be a center that will draw shoppers who otherwise must go to Knoxville?
That would help focus our thoughts.
Ray,
It really depends on its purpose. Is it to meet vital local needs like fuel, milk, bread and eggs? Is it to take away from trips to the center of town, like a full service grocery store or fast foods? Is it to be a center that will draw shoppers who otherwise must go to Knoxville?
That would help focus our thoughts.
We definitely need a Gentlemens club that serves Cocktails and Hot wings. a BEER SERVING lAUNDRYMAT WITH 24 HOUR bIG SsCREEN sPORTS WOULD DO WELL ALSO.
Emile:
We could move CHUMPS out there and he can attract the Roane County crowd. He has a lot of friends there but some are already in prison, so maybe that isn't a good idea.
Ray:
No, now seriously I think anything would be better than nothing. A grocery store and gas station would help the west end people from having to travel all the way into town. Maybe something like the Food Lion shopping center on the East end.
You don't need a new Grocery Store. You have "Doomsday Food" located at Bruners.
Ray,
It really depends on its purpose. Is it to meet vital local needs like fuel, milk, bread and eggs? Is it to take away from trips to the center of town, like a full service grocery store or fast foods? Is it to be a center that will draw shoppers who otherwise must go to Knoxville?
That would help focus our thoughts.
Regarding my second question, it's really about the needs of the west end residents not the City in general. I don't want to bias any opinions by sharing my thoughts yet but I don't foresee this being a center that would draw shoppers that might otherwise go to Knoxville.
How about the Weigels question?
Ray, it's about five miles (and many, many traffic lights) from the Montana Avenue area to the nearest full-service grocery store. That's our biggest -- and most immediate -- need. To avoid taking away from existing Oak Ridge businesses and draw customers from other parts of town, one good thought would be a grocery store along the lines of a Fresh Market (or better yet, Trader Joe's).
Our Weigels does really well. A few years ago, the manager told me it was the highest-grossing Weigels in the Knoxville market. I don't know if that's still true, but it's likely in the upper tier. Their gas and milk prices are usually among the lowest in town. Other items are more costly, but if it's the difference between paying an extra dollar for something I can get in five minutes versus thirty minutes to go all the way to Kroger and back, the time and cost of gas tips the scale in favor of convenience.
A liquor store, dry cleaner, and post office would also draw west end traffic.
As an aside, I know where Montana is
, but I think Baylor Drive is in Emory Valley. Did you perhaps mean Bradley Avenue (just across from Weigels)?
I buy milk, bread and fuel at Weigels. They seem to fill a needed niche and usually have several customers buying at any time of day. They usually have the lowest fuel prices and that brings in customers.
I dunno about a retail development. A grocery would probably charge higher prices than say, Walmart, Krogers etc. and would have a tough time making it, I suspect. Westenders grumble about lack of a grocery etc. but I really doubt if enough of them would support it to make it viable.
I am on the east end and am happy I do not have to go into town everytime something is needed. The Food Lion is great and does enough business to keep it open. The food is fresh and everything is there at my disposal like Krogers has. I make my trips into Wal-Mart also but since fuel has gone up I limit my trips with a larger list.
It costs about $2 (at 20 MPG) to drive to Kroger and back from Montana Ave. -- even more from Oak Hills or Country Club Estates. Any major grocery chain would be sufficiently competitive to draw business from the west end, and a store that offered something different (like Trader Joe's) would pull business from all over town.
I strongly believe that people would support a local grocery store. If not, the Food Lion in Briarcliff would have already gone out of business.