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Tuesday, Sep. 29, 1998
On Retailing
Trend House building new, larger store
Franchising consulting firm, The Entrepreneur's Source, opens branch on Peoples Street
After many years as an anchor tenant at Country Village shopping center, the Trend House is building a larger store.
The new Trend House will front on Spohn Drive just off South Staples Street on the Southside. It is expected to open in early 1999, according to Bill and Phyllis Pruet, owners of the 22-year-old interior design and floor covering center.
The move will more than double the size of the store, from 3,200 square feet of office and selling space to about 7,100 square feet. The larger, free-standing building also will provide improved access and better visibility, Bill Pruet said.
``It's (near) the corner of Saratoga and Staples, which we feel like will be the No. 1 business location for the next three or four decades,'' he said.
Pruet said the two-story stucco building, being built at a cost of about $1 million, will resemble a southern mansion.
The added space will allow the 22-year-old Trend House to add new product lines and expand and better display some of their existing lines, Pruet said. The store also will add a full-scale commercial floor covering division.
Entrepreneur's Source
The Entrepreneur's Source, an independent franchising consulting and developing firm based in Southbury, Conn., has opened a regional office at 402 Peoples St., Suite 4E, in downtown Corpus Christi.
Formed in 1984, the firm works with individuals and companies who are considering starting or expanding businesses through franchising.
Services include help with franchise placement and development, said Maggie Guscott, a principal in the Corpus Christi office. And unlike a franchise broker, the firm has no ties to specific franchise companies.
Franchises account for more than $800 billion in goods and services sold in the United States each year, according to The Entrepreneur's Source.
Bankruptcy reform
Retailers cheered the U.S. Senate's passage of the Bankruptcy Relief Act of 1998 last week, calling it a major step toward meaningful reform.
``This bill does the right thing by preserving bankruptcy relief for those whom the system was designed to protect while ensuring that those who have the means to repay their debts do so,'' said Tracy Mullin, president of the Washington D.C.-based National Retail Federation.
Specifically, the bill outlines a process to determine a person's level of need and ability to repay their debts.
The retailers' group says the measure won't affect the majority of consumers who file for bankruptcy but will target the growing number of consumers who choose to file for full bankruptcy relief by filing Chapter 7, rather than opt for a repayment plan under Chapter 13.
On Retailing is published each Tuesday in the Caller-Times business section. On Retailing items include new, relocated and expanded businesses. Items for consideration should be submitted to: On Retailing, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, Texas 78469; e-mail Jeffrey Tomich at tomichj@scripps.com; fax items to (512) 886-3732; or call (512) 886-4316.Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web