J.C. Penney Overhauling Cda Store In Attempt To Gain Edge On Rivals
To some people, it may be a case of “keeping up with the Joneses.”
To the folks at the Coeur d’Alene J.C. Penney store, it’s more than that; it’s getting ahead.
The 40,000-square-foot Penney’s in Silver Lake Mall is not even eight years old. However, with mall competitor Sears remodeling and the new, giant Fred Meyer down the street in the hiring stage, Penney’s isn’t holding still.
Penney’s $1 million renovation includes new “departmentalization,” a new flooring package (carpets and tiles) and an expanded hair styling salon. Former nonsale space is being converted into added sales space in the women’s and men’s clothing departments. The expansion of the salon and sales areas will add about four employees to the existing 100.
“By relocating departments and optimizing their sizes, we’re putting our focus where the customers’ spaces are,” explained manager Dave Jensen. “We’re updating our merchandizing concepts as well as the fixtures in the store.”
The modernization and space-utility effort will include installing “slat wall” (on department walls and around support columns) that allows more options in product displays. Jensen calls them “high-capacity fixtures.”
General contractor is Steve Thompson & Associates of Coeur d’Alene. Work should begin in mid-March and be completed by July 1.
With the demise of Ernst hardware last month and Pay ‘n’ Pak a few years ago, fast-growing Eagle Hardware is testing the waters in Coeur d’Alene.
This isn’t a small undertaking. The typical Eagle store is nearly 100,000 square feet with a 65,000 square-foot covered lumber yard attached and employs more than 50 people.
Sites rumored for a possible Eagle store include two parcels on Appleway and the former Ernst store with property available on three sides.
Owners of the two Appleway sites (one on the northwest corner of Ramsey Road and Appleway and the other in the northwest corner of Julia and Appleway, across from Coeur d’Alene Tractor) evidently have not been contacted.
The Ernst site might seem to be the more viable option because of lower impact fees since street improvements already exist, but the price may be too high. The Appleway sites may have a lower price tag on land (or lease), but the Julia site probably could require major street improvements, and a rebuilding of the Ramsey-Northwest Boulevard interchange with I-90 may hamper immediate building on that site.
These roadblocks may not deter Eagle, however. The Renton, Wash., company has built 28 stores and hired 5,062 employees in its eight years of existence. President Rich Takata said Eagle is investigating building sites in the Coeur d’Alene area.
With the prom and wedding season not far away, The Tux Store has opened a new shop in Coeur d’Alene’s Ironwood Square. The 1,000-square-foot store opened Saturday next to Sea of Subs on the Lincoln Way side of the shopping center.
Owner Sheila Jones and Manager Ruth Purvis sell and rent a variety of tuxedos and accessories, including most anything to do with a wedding except for the bridal gown.
Jones has been in the business for 20 years and also owns two stores in Spokane. Her Coeur d’Alene store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Phone 765-8129.
Doubling his space to four auto stalls, Jack Hargrave has moved his Independent Auto Service & Repair to 2304 N. Fourth in Coeur d’Alene.
Hargrave, who started the business in 1994, specializes in American and Japanese-made vehicles. Boasting 35 years of auto repair experience, Hargrave was raised in Richmond, Va., and came to North Idaho from Santa Anna, Calif.
Providing temporary labor on demand is the job of Labor Ready, which will open at 2502 N. Fourth in Coeur d’Alene. The business primarily finds unskilled laborers for area businesses.
Manager is Linda Bauman, who comes to Coeur d’Alene with Rick Groff from the Spokane office. Labor Ready, based in Tacoma, has about 200 outlets. Phone 765-7778.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Nils Rosdahl The Spokesman-Review