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Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1999

Disney coming to Padre Staples Mall

Also: Padre Island gets new video store; Fitness Center opens at Meadowbrook

By Jeffrey Tomich
Staff Writer

   Corpus Christi will soon get a taste of the Magic Kingdom as Walt Disney Co. prepares to open a retail store at Padre Staples Mall this summer.
   Jim Baxter, the mall's general manager, said Disney has leased more than 4,000 square feet on the first floor in space previously held by The Avenue.
   Disney operates nearly 700 stores worldwide, including 47 that opened last year.
   The Disney Store is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co., the media conglomerate that generated $23 billion in revenue in 1998.
   

Island video store

   Padre Island residents can now rent movies and video games without traversing the JFK Causeway.
   The hassle of having to drive across the bridge is what led owners Judi and Gary Graham to open the store at 14613 S. Padre Island Drive, they said.
   "We used to go in town all the time (to rent videos), and for islanders, no one likes to go across the bridge," Judi Graham said.
   The 1,300-square-foot store opened Jan. 15. It has more than 4,000 videos as well as digital video discs, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation games, VCR accessories and parts and blank tapes.
   

Fitness center

   Platypus Inc. has opened The Fitness Center, a 7,500 full-service workout facility, at Meadowbrook shopping center, 4719 Alameda St.
   The center offers group exercise classes, including spinning and aerobics as well as free-weights, exercise machines and other services, such as personal training and cardiovascular training, owner Wade Spenst said.
   The center works on a membership basis and has about 25 instructors and trainers, most of whom are certified or cross-certified.
   

Nutritional products

   Vitamin Explorer, a new health products retailer, has opened at Town & Country shopping center.
   The 1,200-square-foot shop sells vitamins, nutritional supplements, loose and encapsulated herbs and teas. The shop also has a library with a sit-down area.
   Owner Joe Garza has been in the natural foods business for 10 years and was store director for Sun Harvest Foods in San Antonio. He also spent time working for a health food distributor.
   

Eckerd relocates

   Eckerd Corp. has relocated its Portland store from 1516 Wildcat Drive to 1627 Wildcat Drive.
   The new 10,900-square-foot store features has a drive-through pharmacy window, photo center with one-hour processing and a food mart with snacks and drinks.
   The store also has a health and beauty aids department with Eckerd's expanded line of skin care and bath items, cosmetics and designer fragrances.
   

New tenant?

   Keith Schiff, general manager of Sunrise Mall, said negotiations are ongoing with a national retailer that would occupy 30,000 square feet.
   Without mentioning the possible tenant by name, he said the retailer "has a value orientation and would complement the existing five department stores' pricing and merchandising strategy."
   On Retailing is published every other Tuesday in the Staff Writer business section and includes information on new, relocated and expanded businesses and trends in retailing. Items for consideration should be submitted to: On Retailing, Corpus Christi Staff Writer, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, Texas 78469; e-mail Jeffrey Tomich at tomichj@caller.com; fax items to (512) 886-3732; or call (512) 886-4316.

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  © 1999 Corpus Christi Caller Times, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.