THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 30, 1994 TAG: 9411290118
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY BILL REED, PAM STARR AND GARY EDWARDS, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Long : 187 lines
ONCE THEY GOBBLED their Thanksgiving Day dinners, Virginia Beach shoppers swarmed over local retail centers like hungry ants to start their Christmas spending as they haven't done since the mid-1980s.
``All indicators are that 1994 should be the best Christmas season in the last five years,'' said Mike Zarpas, vice president for retail sales for Goodman, Segar, Hogan, Hoffler, which manages more than 15 midsize shopping centers in the city.
``From what I've seen, shoppers have a better comfort level and are inclined to spend a bit more this year.''
Mark Schofet, spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers, based in Washington, saw the spending trend coming even before the Thanksgiving holiday.
``What we're seeing so far is a 4 to 7 percent increase in sales nationally over last year,'' he said. ``And I'm hearing that this is going to be a bigger year than last year.''
Big ticket goods - television sets, home computers, household appliances, digital sound equipment, jewelry, clothing - are the hot items in stores across the country, said Schofet. And the recent hike in interest rates hasn't slowed credit card spending by consumers so far.
In Virginia Beach, managers at Lynnhaven Mall - the largest enclosed mall between Washington and Atlanta - have been optimistic enough about the upswing in retail business to plan another major renovation, beginning next spring. And the mall is looking for another up-scale department store to help anchor the 1.25-million-square-foot property.
``We're finding - especially in the second half of the year - that people are happier, more optimistic,'' said Sarah Goodrich, who manages the mall for the Simon Property Group of Indianapolis.
``We usually look at jewelry and back-to-school sales to gauge how the rest of the year is going to be,'' she said. ``And this year sales have been good - nationally as well.''
Lynnhaven Mall has filled most of its 165 retail spaces and Goodrich anticipates keeping its share of the buyers market, most of which comes from Virginia Beach. Lynnhaven is undisputably the biggest and busiest of all the area malls, especially during the holiday season.
Christopher Kemp can attest to that.
He was sitting on a bench outside of JC Penney the Saturday before Thanksgiving, waiting for his wife, Norma, to finish shopping.
He held packages in one hand and tried to keep his head propped up with the other, fighting the urge to snooze. It was close to noon, and the Kemps had been shopping since 9:30 a.m.
``I like going to the malls,'' he said wearily, ``but they should always have chairs and lounges inside stores for husbands.''
The Kemps visit the mall at least once a week and always make a day of it, said Norma, who met her husband a few minutes later.
``This mall is delightful,'' she said. ``I like the themes that they have, the eateries are very nice. Everyone is so warm and cordial. It's been a pleasure.''
Bride-to-be Mary Wade, 30, lives in Norfolk, but she and friends Denise Slater and Liane Leide drove to Lynnhaven Mall to search for Christmas presents and gifts for Wade's upcoming bridal shower.
``I come here every week,'' said Leide. ``I make money, then I spend it here. We go to Hecht's, Leggett. I like the atmosphere.
Wade, who will marry Jorg-Peter Theissen Jan. 14 and move to his native Germany, added: ``I'm buying gifts to take to Germany. Shopping puts me in the holiday mood.''
The mall attracts couples of all ages, but also families with young children. In fact, going to the mall is a family outing for many. The Cramer family of four regularly visits Lynnhaven Mall together. Mark and Kathy Cramer live in the Lake Trant area with sons Michael, 13, and Elliott, 18 months.
``We choose Lynnhaven because of the location and the selection of stores,'' said Mark Cramer. ``It's a nice mall - but if Norfolk opens that MacArthur Center, that's going to be hard to resist.''
Real estate broker Gerald Divaris sees little likelihood of Beach shoppers deserting their traditional Beach buying haunts to patronize a new $270 million complex planned for downtown Norfolk.
``Basically, the largest market in Hampton Roads resides here in Virginia Beach,'' he said. ``Customers will go to the most convenient and most available outlets. I think Lynnhaven Mall is in a better position to service (Virginia Beach) clients than MacArthur Mall.''
Planned renovation work at Lynnhaven Mall will indeed affect MacArthur Mall, insists Divaris, who has long campaigned for the development of the Pembroke area as the ``downtown central business district'' of Virginia Beach.
Pembroke Mall, the city's first enclosed retail center, also has spent some money to upgrade its lighting, landscaping and parking and recently leased space to five or six new tenants, including David's Bridal store, said leasing agent Bob Renard of Pembroke Square Associates.
Renard foresees a banner year for his tenants based on shopping trends leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
John and Cathy Wilcox got an early start on the shopping season at Pembroke.
They were there Nov. 17 for the mall's Holiday Symphony of Lights and to grab up a few gifts four days before John, a 12-year Navy veteran, boarded the USS Shenandoah for a six-month cruise.
``We wanted to see the Christmas lights and maybe do a little bit of shopping before John left,'' said Cathy Wilcox. ``We live a couple of blocks away, so it's very convenient. This was going to be our first Christmas here.''
The Wilcoxes were among the many shoppers who spoke about the mall as a neighborhood shopping center. Unlike the regional malls, such as Lynnhaven or Military Circle, Pembroke Mall's main attraction appears to be proximity.
``This is close to where I live,'' said Danita Heard as she strolled through Sears looking at clothing for her two preschool sons, Quentin and Xavion. ``I don't have to get in traffic tie-ups, and they have sales.''
Heard said that her husband is an amateur photographer who buys equipment at a Pembroke Mall specialty shop.
``I go all over the mall when I come here. I can buy shoes, clothes, infant stuff, hardware, and can shop for everybody in the family,'' she said.
Frances Zibikowski may be the queen of Sears patrons.
``I've been to Sears in Mexico, Florida, Maine, Canada,'' said Zibikowski. ``The one in Halifax (Nova Scotia) is twice the size of this one.''
Zibikowski travels from her home in Springfield, Mass., to visit her daughter, Mary Crocker, in Virginia Beach two or three times a year. They always make a Sears shopping excursion.
Zibikowski pulled out a sheet of paper with a lengthy list of names. The grandmother of 12 and the great-grandmother of 16 starts Christmas shopping early of necessity.
``I only have about three presents to buy . . . for now,'' she said.
Shoppers such as Heard and Zibikowski put a smile on Buck Weedon's face.
Weedon manages the Pembroke Mall Sears store, the No. 1 outlet in sales volume in the region, he said.
Weedon explained that Sears has beefed up its holiday inventory, hired extra sales people and expects a brisk year-end business.
Mall retailers aren't the only ones ready to ring up the results of the seasonal onslaught of shoppers.
Last Friday at Hilltop, Dan Ryan looked out at the full parking lot in front of the men's clothing store that bears his name. He smiled.
``People hit the malls early in the morning and get the sales there and then come in here in the afternoon,'' Ryan said.
Gloria Hogan and her granddaughter, Jennifer Flora, live in Portsmouth. They were shopping for the men in the family.
``It's not early anymore,'' said Hogan. ``There are only three weeks until Christmas.''
Hogan had seen Dan Ryan's clothing in a Lady Shriners fashion show in in Chesapeake in October. She was impressed enough to brave tunnel and toll road traffic to buy some.
She and Flora were on their way to Stein Mart in Pembroke Mall and then to Norfolk.
Dan Ryan expects a good holiday season from early indications. Sales have been brisk since the first week of November.
``Our store is a destination store,'' said Frank Ryan, Dan's brother and partner. ``And we have a loyal clientele.''
Hilltop is actually a collection of shopping centers, and they are trying to become more solidified, said Robin Tuite, owner of the Bella Monte Restaurant in Hilltop East.
``Hilltop East, North and West - we're all getting together to tie in advertising, decorations, work together more,'' said Tuite.
``When you think about it, we have something for everyone, from discount stores to upscale.''
Others agree.
John Sedel of Sedel & Associates Realty Construction Co., which developed the upscale shopping center La Promenade on Laskin Road just east of the Hilltop shopping centers, has witnessed a willingness of shoppers to part with their cash for top-dollar fashions and jewelry at stores like Talbot's and Facets.
``Last year, we had a 17 percent increase in sales,'' said Sedel. ``This year, it looks like '94 will be even better than '93.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by CHARLIE MEADS and PETER D. SUNDBERG
Color cover photo
[inside shot of Lynnhaven Mall]
``We're finding - especially in the second half of the year - that
people are happier, more optimistic,'' said Sarah Goodrich, who
manages Lynnhaven Mall.
``I like going to the malls,'' said a weary Christopher Kemp, who
had spent 2 1/2 hours shopping with his wife, Norma, ``but they
should always have chairs and lounges inside stores for husbands.''
Replied an energetic Norma: ``This mall is delightful. . . .
Everyone is so warm and cordial. It's been a pleasure.''
Going to the mall is a family outing for many. Kathy Cramer with
sons, Michael, 13, and Elliott, 18 months, chose Lynnhaven for its
location. But ``if Norfolk opens that MacArthur Center, that's going
to be hard to resist,'' Kathy said. At left, Darrin Mallick was
having a tiring day of shopping with girlfriend Patrice Willett.
KEYWORDS: RETAIL SALES by CNB