Jackson Free Press

Royal Bleu Fashions
One University Place has opened its doors to a new boutique in the heart of Jackson.

Royal Bleu Fashions (1100 John R. Lynch St.) sells ready-to-wear and contemporary fashions. Sizes range from 0 to plus sizes. The boutique hosts local, national and international fashions. Shoes, purses and jewelry are also sold in the store.

"The store is not only catering to Jackson State students, but to the community," Marissa Simms, the boutique's owner, said. The store also sells official Jackson State apparel and paraphernalia.

Royal Bleu opened in October but will host its grand opening at One University Place Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

Openings and New Locations
Local 98, a Jackson-metro TV station that operates on Comcast Channel 98, will have its grand opening at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame this evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Randy Tinney is the owner and operator of Local 98.

Barefield Workplace Office Solutions will host its ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new health-care showroom Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. The company is located at 251 W. South St.

Nationwide chains are also making some changes in the Jackson area. Old Navy will host its grand opening in a new location Feb. 25. The clothing store is moving to 6238 Ridgewood Court.

New to the Jackson metro area is LongHorn Steakhouse, a casual restaurant open for lunch and dinner. The restaurant resembles a rancher's home, a statement about the opening said, and is known for its fresh, tender, juicy steaks.

The Golden Triangle
The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently recognized the Golden Triangle Solid Waste Management Authority as one of the nation's top renewable energy generation projects.

The landfill won the award for its gas-to-electricity project in northeast Mississippi. The Environmental Protection Agency honored the project for excellence, innovation, and environmental and economic benefits in landfill gas generation.

On Feb. 21 and 22, Golden Triangle Solid Waste Management will hold a symposium to identify economic opportunities for sustaining and growing Mississippi's transportation centers while preserving livable communities and environmental quality. The event begins at 12:30 p.m Tuesday, Feb. 21, and costs $100. For information, call Bill McAnally at 662-325-2809.

Previous Comments

ID

166027

Comment

Twitter and facebook are abuzz that a Whole Foods will make a metro location. Will keep my fingers crossed

Author

Anders Ferrington

Date

2012-02-08T16:55:58-06:00

ID

167029

Comment

This is a mixed blessing. They sell cool stuff, but they could shut McDade's and Rainbow down if we're not all careful about where we spend all our food money. Those locally owned stores have been here for Jackson through thick and thin, and we need to make sure we don't pull our support for them. I enjoy visiting Whole Foods when I'm traveling, too, but they are just as threatening as the Gannett Co. (Clarion-Ledger owner) and Walmart are to locally owned businesses. So bear that in mind, all.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2012-02-09T13:19:32-06:00

ID

167030

Comment

Case in point from the Christian Science Monitor: Whole Foods Killing off Small Natural Food Stores: After years of delivering organic produce to health-food enthusiasts in Washington, D.C., Scott Nash amassed enough money to open a small storefront in nearby Rockville, Md., in 1990. But a few months later, Mr. Nash's elation with the opening turned to misery when a giant health-food store opened just a mile away. The rival - called Fresh Fields, and later bought by Whole Foods in 1996 - lured customers into its supermarket-size store with advertising and a wide selection of fresh meats and seafood. Nash's store struggled. Two months after Fresh Fields' opening, he had to sell his motorcycle for $500 to pay his sole employee. Yet he managed to keep the store afloat thanks to what he calls his "scrappy" management style, two expansions that tripled his floor space, and an obsession with matching or beating Whole Foods' prices. Since opening his first My Organic Market, Nash has seen many of the area's small natural-food stores vanish. Whole Foods Market Inc. now operates 13 stores in and around Washington, and at least 145 nationwide. "They've pretty much stomped down all the competition," he says. The struggle of local shops to eke out profits in a megachain age is a classic retailing story. It was played out in the 1990s as Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and Home Depot blanketed the country, forcing thousands of mom-and-pop coffee, book, and hardware stores to shut down. But in the natural-foods industry, this story line has more twists and turns. Read more at the link.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2012-02-09T13:23:50-06:00

ID

167041

Comment

Interesting story. I actually patronized one of Scott's stores during a recent six week stay in the DC area. Still have a re-useable shopping bag from there. Had no idea what he went through to keep the doors open on his dream. Thanks Donna.

Author

redlion

Date

2012-02-09T21:50:29-06:00