Tag: shopping

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

The Early Golden Hour

Would you just look at that? (Photo: Shara Clark)

Well, folks, we’ve made it to the last stretch of 2024. I know my least favorite season of the year is settling in when 4 p.m. is the golden hour and the breeze starts biting. It’s so very cold (unless it’s not; Memphis winters are finicky like that). It’s damp and the fallen leaves lie decomposing on the lawn. You’d think being a January baby I’d enjoy winter, but it’s not just the weather outside that’s frightful. 

Target is packed! Every sweet grandma within a 20-mile radius has come to my Superlo to gather ingredients for this year’s holiday feasts, jamming the aisles as they stop to socialize. My biweekly food subscription box has been stuck on a FedEx truck for three days! There are way too many drivers on the streets looking at their phones! Did they even notice they pulled out in front of me? And stay away from Poplar Avenue! As my colleague Toby Sells joked on Slack the other day, “That right lane needs a surgeon general’s warning.” That goes for all year, but even more so now. The town is full of elves scrambling to find gifts for everyone on their “nice” lists, and I just want to buy dog food! Bah, humbug! 

I think that feeling hits for many of us this time of year. It’s counterintuitive to be out buzzing around when the sun sets at 5 p.m. and the temps dip near freezing. Our bodies want to rest and recover, hunker down and bundle up. But we’ve got to hurry! Christmas is just a few days away and heaven forbid Uncle Dan doesn’t get his gifted garden shears! If you click “buy now” it might make it to him in time! And then there’s that issue. This pressure to spend more money than you should on presents for people who love you whether you get them that gift card or not. As much as I love to see the holiday spirit alive in little ways — the lights, the yard Grinches and Santas — it pains me to know that these things trigger bad feelings, too. For those missing a spouse, parent, or pet; for those whose paychecks don’t allow the type of gift-giving they’d like to do; or those who will spend New Year’s alone longing for connection. So while you’re out spreading holiday cheer, remember it’s not so cheerful for everyone. Some are simply trying to get through.

Back to my rant above. I know I’m lucky to be able to buy my dogs’ food even if I have to fight through traffic and long lines to get it. I’m blessed to have loved ones to share the holidays with, even if some are spread across the states and all we can do is FaceTime. A phone call can be as good as a hug if it needs to be. I don’t even shop at Target very often, and my food box will arrive at some point. If it’s spoiled, oh well. The real elves — our USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and other delivery drivers — are busting their butts to ensure our many, many purchases make it to their destinations. If those gifts are late, guess what? Cousin Sue will still be delighted if her present lands in January. 

Speaking of January, this “double issue” of the Memphis Flyer will be on stands for two weeks while our staff enjoys a holiday break. Our writers have shared their thoughts on 2024 — and projections for 2025. On a normal year, I’d have done a recap as well, but as regular readers know, this year was a bit of a flop for me, with more than half of it spent recovering from a broken foot and three surgeries. I’m on the other side of that now with minimal lingering discomfort. After a roller coaster of a year, here’s hoping we can all enter 2025 the same way. May “minimal lingering discomfort” be 2024’s swan song. 

In the meantime, be kind, slow down, express gratitude, give yourself grace. We don’t have to do anything, really. We get to. Reminding ourselves of that when things become overwhelming can do wonders. For now, I’ll embrace the early golden hour that colors my chilly neighborhood walks, and the biting breeze that lets me know I’m alive and awake and all is well, however cold. I get to be here, with you and the migrating birds and the carolers and Scrooges. And that’s pretty darn cool. Wishing you all warmth and love this holiday season. See you here next year! 

Categories
We Recommend We Recommend

Shoppin’ on the River: Fall Night Market this Weekend

CREDIT: Fall Night Market/Facebook

Last November, River Garden Park opened along the Downtown riverfront where Mississippi River Park, a wide open field, used to be. Now with lots more to do within a beautiful setting, River Garden Park has been host to a number of events, such as Full Moon Kayaking, Tai Chi on the River, and the seasonal Night Market series.

Fall Night Market, the series’ fourth event organized by the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) and Memphis River Parks Partnership, will feature an outdoor market full of local vendors.

Fall Night Market/Facebook

Riverside Market

“Fall Night Market is uniquely Memphis with a beautiful riverfront setting,” says Penelope Huston of the DMC.

IV, Najee Strickland Designs, and Mili’s Flowers and Gifts are just a handful of vendors that will be selling their wares.

A performance by Relay of Voices will help provide a unique Bluff City experience. The collaborative group and relay team, led by executive and artistic director Victoria Bradford Styrbicki, has spent some time running (yes, running) 2,400 miles down the Mississippi River, stopping in and exploring around 100 communities to conduct “movement research” to study how people within those communities live around the body of water.

To show what they’ve learned, Relay of Voices will be performing a storytelling piece about their experiences on the Mississippi River and in Memphis. “We love showcasing local talent in this way,” Huston says. “We really like the idea of demonstrating how flexible the River Garden space is and how the park can be used in so many ways: fitness space, educational classroom, shopping and entertainment center, dance studio, kayak launch point, and more.”

Fall Night Market, River Garden Park, Friday, September 20th, 5-8 p.m., Free.

Categories
Special Sections

“Shop Local”

You’ll have to excuse us for saying so, but the Flyer has always been a bargain. Now we’re bringing readers — and retailers — even more of a deal.

The Flyer asked readers to pledge to spend $100 at locally owned shops during the holiday season. In exchange, readers received weekly e-mails with “deals and steals” from area retailers. The program was so successful that it’s being continued through 2009, the Flyer‘s 20th-anniversary year.

“Right now, when the economy is what it is, it makes sense for people to spend locally as frequently as they can,” says Penelope Huston Baer, the Flyer‘s advertising director. “We know it might be convenient to shop online or to shop the big-box stores, but if you do, fewer of your dollars stay in the community.”

1. Dogeared Canvas Tote: Delphinium Boutique, 107 G.E. Patterson, 522-8800

According to Civic Economics, 68 cents of every dollar spent at a locally owned business stays in the community, versus 43 cents if that same dollar is spent at a national chain.

If 1,000 people pledge to spend $100 at locally owned stores, the economic impact is $25,000 greater than if they spend that same $100 at a national chain. Considering the Memphis area has more than 500,000 adult consumers, the economic impact of shopping local would be considerable.

2. True Religion jeans: James Davis, 400 S. Grove Park, Laurelwood, 767-4640

“We’re not trying to encourage people to spend money they don’t have,” Huston Baer says. “Part of what we’re telling everyone is to spend responsibly. If you’re going to spend, spend locally. It means so much to the community.”

Shopping locally also can encompass area artist markets, consignment shops, and antique stores. Not to mention that eating at locally owned restaurants also can impact the economy in a significant — and positive — way.

3. Bloom Fresco highchair: Mango Street Baby, 2055 West Street, Gemantown, 755-8055

“I was talking with a local retailer, and she said so many people in Memphis wear the ‘I shop in New York’ as a badge of honor. She wanted people to be proud to say they got something in Memphis,” Huston Baer says. “We’re just trying to help our readers and our local retailers and restaurants find each other.”

To make the pledge and get signed up to receive great deals, e-mail “I pledge” to shoplocal@memphisflyer.com.

4. Betsey Johnson shoes: Strut Boutique. 524 S. Main, 522-9722

Categories
Fashion Fashion Feature

Shop This

All economic meltdowns aside, shopping is not life or death. There’s nothing inherently highbrow or meaningful about the exchange of cash for a new pair of must-have shoes, a spiffy new coat, or a lush new sofa. On the other hand, shopping responsibly (defined as locally and within one’s budget) is good for the economy and the soul. So, in the mutual interest of slowing the slowdown and forging new relationships with local retailers, shop well, shop smarter, shop this.

• Anyone who’s read a recent issue of Vogue, or Memphis magazine for that matter, knows that black is, well, the new black. That’s right, black’s back in everything from clothing to makeup. (Beyond mascara, Yves Saint Laurent is showing a classic black lip-gloss this season.) Not quite ready to go all black? Then try this dress from Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. Royal blue and basic black strike the perfect balance. Available at Isabella, 4615 Poplar. Twelfth Street dress — $350

• Big bang, little buck. Oversized and bold, this ring makes quite the statement without making much of an impact on your wallet. Acrylic ring, $9 at Francesca’s, Avenue at Carriage Crossing in Collierville and Saddle Creek in Germantown.

• Black has long been the gold standard of sports watches — at least since the Timex Ironman first hit the streets in 1986. Sports watch technology has no doubt advanced a few light-years since, but the classic black watch remains very much in fashion. The basic, steadfast Ironman can still be had for 40 bucks, but this one comes with a 50-lap memory, two interval times, three alarms, AND it controls your iPod (if only it could program the TiVo). It retails for just under $100 and is perfect for the serious runner who wants to look seriously cool. Outdoors, Inc., Midtown, 1710 Union; East, 5245 Poplar; Cordova, 833 N. Germantown Parkway. Timex Ironman — $99.95

• Black Sheep? Hardly. Downtown’s newest shoe boutique carries L.A.M.B., Vince Camuto, oh Deer!, and more. These gorgeous Betsey Johnson pumps will definitely elevate one’s style — and the gold buttons make them far from basic. Found at Strut, 524 S. Main. Betsey Johnson pumps — $395

Shop This is compiled by Shopgirl. E-mail shopgirl@memphisflyer.com with tips and suggestions for items to be promoted. Please send a daytime phone number and print-quality digital images for consideration.

Categories
News

New Target Slated for Ridgeway and I-240 Development

PRNewswire – Weingarten Realty Investors announced today Target will be the anchor store for its Ridgeway Trace development in Memphis. Weingarten Realty recently sold 10.1 acres to Target to develop a store which is expected to open in March 2009.

Ridgeway Trace is located at the intersection of Poplar Avenue and I-240 and will be the first retail development of this size in east Memphis in more than 30 years.

The 26-acre project will include an additional 150,000 square feet of retail space with a mix of “lifestyle tenants and national retailers.” The center could include a national bookstore and a national home electronics retailer.

Ridgeway Trace is scheduled to open in spring 2009, with the development being handled from Weingarten’s Atlanta regional office.

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

Letter from the Editor: Disheveled and Indifferent

This week marks the beginning of the annual “celebration of buying stuff” or, as some call it, “the holidays.” It starts with the consumer orgy known as “black Friday,” which is celebrated by going to the parking lot of any major chain retailer before dawn and standing outside in the dark for hours in order to be one of the first to get inside and, well, buy stuff. Why this is appealing to certain humans, I have no idea. It’s not like the stores are going to run out of things to buy.

For years, I prided myself on doing all my Christmas shopping inside the Parkways. I never ventured to mall-land. Ever. Then, a couple years back, things got even easier when I started buying everything online. Three hours in front of a keyboard and — voila! Holiday shopping done!

The only drawback is that you can’t actually see the stuff you’re ordering, just pictures of it. Which means you have to rely on descriptions of the merchandise when making your decisions. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, not so much. For instance, I saw this corduroy jacket that I thought my son might like: “Sport-coat styling in a comfortable, unstructured fit that’s compatible with your disheveled indifference.” Perfect. He is totally disheveled and indifferent.

A fleece pullover for my dad was more problematic: “Wear it from predawn waxing sessions through afternoon corn runs.” Hmmm. He’s 84, and I don’t want to think about his “afternoon corn runs.” But, what the hell. Merry Christmas, Pop!

A shirt for my boss? “This suave polo can put in a hard-riding chukka at the Hurlingham Club, then go on and rise to occasions where ordinary polos have to mumble their apologies.” Perfect. If he doesn’t like it, hopefully he’ll accept my mumbled apologies.

A sweater I was considering for my brother really stumped me: “When the day’s crux smear has finally been freed, follow the darkened trail back to your car and retreat into the warmth and comfort of our classic cardigan.” I was afraid Chris Hanson of To Catch a Predator might follow my brother back to the car after he freed the crux smear. I sent him a gift certificate.

Happy holidays! And caveat emptor.

Bruce VanWyngarden

brucev@memphisflyer.com

Categories
News

Beat the Black Friday Crowds

You could freeze your ass off waiting in line at Wal-Mart at 5 a.m. Friday morning while some lady with a mullet and a Tweety Bird tattoo stands next to you talking about her new double-wide.

Or you could sleep in and head to the Le Bonheur Christmas Cottage at the Agricenter. The expo runs Friday, Nov. 23rd through Sun., Nov. 25th. All proceeds go to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center’s new “Clubhouse” resource center, which will feature computers, laundry and kitchen facilities, lounges, and sleep rooms for patient families.

Shoppers at the Christmas Cottage can choose from jewelry, clothing, pottery, and toys. Santa will be present for pictures with the kids.

For more, go to the LeBonheur website.