Best Buy to cut costs, close 50 stores, though list not finalized...What about Riverrdale Utah

 

As  Best Buy remodels the Circuit City building and plans to relocated to the new location the corporate office announces the closure of 50 Best Buy Stores which could effect this new location.

This could  be leaving 2 large building in the Riverdale vacate. If you look around Riverdale there are a number of buildings  left vacate due to the economy or lack of new business want to relocate to an older building.

With that in mind there are a number of new business that will are have moved to Riverdale

Shoe Carnival has announced that they will open a store next to Pier One Imports in the Riverdale Family Center.

The Boot Barn Western and Work Ware has announced plans to open a store in Riverdale at 5320 S. Freeway Park Drive

Gordmans retail store has announced plans to open a store that will be located in the current FYE store space at the Family Center.

Zurchers Discount Party Supply has announced that it will relocate to occupy a portion of the old Toys-R-Us building. The building is currently being remodeled.

n-N-Out Burger is remodeling the old Toys-R-Us building. Plans call for the space to be divided into two stores. Zurchers will occupy the one of the two spaces.
Construction of the In-N-Out Burger restaurant is scheduled to take place in the spring

Crazy 8 children's clothing store is planning to open at 4089 S. Riverdale Road. Plans have been submitted and are now under review.

Best Buy to cut costs, close 50 stores, though list not finalized

Electronics » Company plans to cut 400 jobs, open smaller locations.

By MAE ANDERSON

and MICHELLE CHAPMAN

| The Associated Press

First Published Mar 29 2012 01:51 pm • Last Updated Mar 29 2012 09:30 pm

IIn order to grow, Best Buy is shrinking.

The largest U.S. specialty electronics retailer for years expanded quickly by opening big-box stores across the country. But shoppers have started using the hulking stores as showrooms where they can test out products before buying them cheaper elsewhere.

To revamp the struggling chain, Best Buy said Thursday it plans to close 50 of its U.S. big-box stores, cut 400 corporate jobs and trim $800 million in costs. The company, which has about 1,400 U.S. locations, also plans to open 100 smaller and more profitable Best Buy Mobile stores throughout the country.

The company has not yet finalized the list of stores to be closed, said spokeswoman Susan Busch. In Utah, the retailer has stores in South Salt Lake, Murray, Sandy and West Jordan in Salt Lake County, as well as in Riverdale in Weber County and American Fork and Orem in Utah County. It also has one store in Park City, Logan and Washington in southern Utah.

"How do we position the company so we’re where our customers need us to be?" asked CEO Brian Dunn in a call on Thursday with analysts. "We’re clearly going to have more doors and less square footage."

Best Buy is trying to avoid the fate of its rival Circuit City, which liquidated in 2009 after it struggled with the changing electronics landscape. Sales of TVs, digital cameras and video-game consoles — once the bread and butter of electronics retailers — have weakened, while sales of lower-margin items like tablet computers, smartphones and e-readers have increased. The rise in competition from Internet rivals like Amazon.com and discounters like Target also has hurt electronics retailers.

To better compete, Best Buy is shaking up its business. In addition to closing some of its big-box stores, the company said it will focus on what sets it apart from its rivals: trained sales staff that can help shoppers get the most out of their tablets, TVs and other electronic devices, including tech support from its Geek Squad service and repair unit.

But even as Best Buy announced its changes on Thursday, the Minneapolis-based company also posted a $1.7 billion fiscal fourth-quarter loss that’s partly due to restructuring charges. Despite the loss, Best Buy’s adjusted results for the quarter topped Wall Street’s expectations. But as investors worried that Best Buy’s restructuring didn’t go far enough, its shares slid about 7 percent to $24.66.

Best Buy’s loss amounted to $4.89 per share for the period ended March 3, compared with a profit of $651 million, or $1.62 per share, a year ago. Results included $2.6 billion in charges mostly related to its purchase of Carphone Warehouse Group PLC’s interest in the Best Buy Mobile profit-sharing agreement and related costs, as well as an impairment charge tied to writing off Best Buy Europe goodwill and restructuring charges.

Taking these items out, adjusted earnings were $2.47 per share, above the $2.15 per share that analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast. Revenue rose 3 percent to $16.08 billion, but missed Wall Street’s $17.18 billion estimate.

Spring - A great time to get your game on!

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;
If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” –Anne Bradstreet

The year is off to a great start and by all accounts, activity is showing great signs of upward movement across the country. We’re hearing reports of multiple offers, properties going into contract in mere weeks, and buyers finally coming out of their long hibernation.

Many parts of the country did not experience the typical cold, snowy winter they have in recent years. Some may blame it on global warming or it just might be a forecast that things are heating up in 2012. As the winter fades away and the second quarter arrives, here are some things that Realtors can learn from spring.

1. Spring training

Every year, beginning in February, the best baseball players in the world begin arriving in Arizona and Florida to get ready for another season. And what is they are reporting for?

Training.

That’s right. The best players in the world show up each year to go back to the basics. They’ll spend six to eight weeks practicing, throwing, catching, hitting, fielding, running and all of the other things that most people assume they should all know how to do.

Yet, because baseball is their business, they all need to be at their best because … well, their job depends on it.

They will work on things hundreds of times that may happen only rarely in actual games. They practice “pickles” (also known as “rundowns,” when a base runner is caught between two bases) and the “suicide squeeze” bunt play, which is intended to get a runner from third base to home plate.

They will turn double plays until their hip muscles hurt, and field enough ground balls that they will need ice and Motrin to ease their aching backs.

They do it in the spring so when the teams start playing “for real” in late March and early April, they don’t need to think about what they’re doing in a game situation. They instinctively react and make the play.

They also connect with their fan base — some of them new but many of them lifelong followers — during spring training. They sign autographs; they talk to the fans over the railings and from the bullpens in these smaller, more intimate stadiums; and they often meet face-to-face with people away from the ballpark because they may be staying in the same hotel or resort.

What can Realtors learn … ?

When things get challenging, how often do we say, “It’s time to get back to the basics”? If the basics work so well, why must we always get back to them? We should just keep doing the things that help us become successful. Baseball players are good at hitting, fielding, throwing, catching and running. What are the basics you need to be successful in real estate?

Some of the top players in baseball throughout history have been referred to as “five-tool players.” These players excelled in:

• Running for speed.
• Arm strength.
• Fielding.
• Hitting for average.
• Hitting for power.

True “five-tool players” are few and far between. A player like the great Willie Mays is considered one of the best all-around players ever, and modern-day stars like Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are also what many would consider a “five-tool player.” Because they help their team in more ways than other players, they demand and receive higher salaries.

Could you be a “five-tool agent”? What if you excelled in the following five areas of real estate and could demand the highest fees from your clients because you help them succeed in their real estate needs?

• Prospecting. Do you have an array of systems, methods and processes to focus on business-development activities that will help you secure appointments with people who have a real estate need or might know someone who does?
• Personal marketing. Do you leverage all the available methods to create and maintain a consistent “connection” with your network? This includes social media, direct mail, local “top of mind awareness,” and a mix of personal and brand recognition. When people see one of your company’s yard signs, do they think of you?
• Property marketing. You promised your sellers maximum exposure of their property in order to secure the “best buyer.” How do you feel about your ability to capture the most eyeballs regardless of price range, location or condition?
• Transaction service. It really boils down to this: Do you under-promise and over-deliver? From start to finish, are you providing truly remarkable service to each and every client you work with?
• Client follow-up. It costs more to build a new relationship than it does to maintain an old one. Are you satisfied with your systems that you have in place to insure that people who have done business with you in the past will be able to consider you “their Realtor” on their next transaction or for that next referral?

via next.inman.com

This article has some great tips for making the most of this season as an agent!  See the full post here: http://next.inman.com/2012/03/9-things-realtors-can-learn-from-spring-part-i/

A kitchen is the heart of a home - Kitchens Sell a House

Kitchens Sell a House

by Carla Hill

A kitchen is the heart of a home. This is true all across the globe. The old saying that the "stomach is the way to the heart" carries a lot of truth. Kitchens are where we spend much of our time and most of that is with our families. It's the room where we nourish our bodies and our spirits.  

Kitchens are integral to entertaining and in today's age of open floor plans, they're a focal piece of many family rooms. It's because of this that kitchens play such an important role in the buying and selling process.  

This one room is the showpiece of the house. You'll see it every day and your guests will see it during most visits. This means buyers want homes with up-to-date kitchens.  

Kitchens, however, can be one of the most expensive rooms to renovate. These projects can also be the most labor and time intensive of all home renovations. It's not just a new layer of paint.  

Instead you find a complicated array of flooring, tiling, cabinets, and counters. This means buyers may want a home with an up-to-date kitchen but they aren't willing to tackle this problem themselves. Most buyers want a kitchen that is ready to use the day they move in.  

What do buyers look for in up-to-date kitchens? A lot of this depends on what price range your home is in.  

The main thing to remember as a seller is to not price yourself out of your market. If homes in your neighborhood are selling for $100,000 with tidy, but not luxury kitchens, then this is no time to upgrade to granite, travertine, and marble at the price tag of $40,000+. You simply won't find a buyer.  

Scope out the competition. Use open houses in your area or MLS listings to find out what your competitions' kitchens look like.  

Do area homes have new solid wood cabinets and granite counters in today's designer colors? You'll be wise to consider making the same move. Are they including new stainless steel appliances and add-ons like dishwashers, wine-coolers, and trash compactors?  

Are you in a higher-end neighborhood? It's time to think high-end. Your older home may have a highly functional kitchen, but a buyer will take one look at your formica counters and white appliances and become lost in the stress of how much money and time it would take to remodel. If you don't want to put in the time yourself to make upgrades then you'll have to make concessions in the price.  

Don't become overwhelmed, though. Sometimes a kitchen update can mean doing just a few minor changes. Change the paint color to a warm, neutral tone. Get rid of any clutter. Update your appliances, paint your cabinets, change the pulls, or get a high-end looking counter for a fraction of the cost (faux-granite or lower end granite). You might even save a bundle by doing much of the work yourself.  

The bottom line is a kitchen can sell a home. Do a little research and find out what your kitchen needs to make it competitive with area listings.