Tag Archives: retail

Toy shop open in old Winslow Drug

A toy store is now open in the 290 Winslow Way space long home to Winslow Drug.

Calico Toy Shoppe, which had been located in Winslow Green, moved into the former pharmacy building late last month, adding a splash of color to the storefront:

Owner Elisabeth Dahl said the Winslow Way store is roughly double the size of the Calico’s Winslow Green space, giving the shop more room for toys and games.

Winslow Drug closed in May after 60 years in business.

You can see more photos of Calico’s new store on Facebook.

Poulsbo store hosts state’s first Walmart training academy

Tad Sooter

The inaugural class of Walmart’s first training academy in Washington will don caps and gowns in Poulsbo next week.

The new training center at the Poulsbo Walmart Supercenter is among 200 the retail giant plans to open in the next year.

The academies are aimed at helping department managers and hourly supervisors gain retail skills and the knowledge needed to run their specific departments, according to a news release. Participants receive two weeks of hands-on training in classrooms and on the sales floor.

A ceremony for the Poulsbo academy graduates is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Poll: Where will you get your Christmas tree?

Tad Sooter

Kitsap residents have a bounty of options when it comes to picking a Christmas tree.

There are, of course, no shortage of stores and tree lots offering pre-cut firs, pines and spruces.

For families who want to harvest their own, the county home to more than 500 acres of planted Christmas trees, with U-cut farms dotted across the peninsula.

More adventurous tree hunters can buy a $5 permit from the Forest Service and make a foray into the Olympics.

So if a tree is part of your holiday tradition, where do you plan to get yours this this year? (Or where did you already grab one?)

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If you need help finding a tree this year, the Kitsap Sun has a handy guide to u-cut farms and lots on the peninsula.

Photo by Larry Steagall. See a gallery of Larry’s Christmas tree shots here.

Poll: What are your Black Friday plans?

Tad Sooter

The National Retail Federation predicts more than 137 million Americans will shop during Thanksgiving weekend, topping last year’s retail frenzy.

But here in the newsroom the buildup to Black Friday has felt noticeably muted this fall.

Typically we’re inundated by press releases from retailers in November. E-mails pour in from big chain retailers touting extended hours and price-slashing sprees. Local shops give us friendly prods for coverage of Small Business Saturday. Online sellers send constant Cyber Monday reminders.

This year we’ve received a smattering of those promotions, but not the typical deluge. So we’re interested hearing your take on Black Friday.

Have the deals been hyped as much this year as in years past? Is shopping a part of your Thanksgiving week tradition? Do you have other ways you prefer to spend your post-turkey holiday?

Let us know by taking our poll (you can pick more than one answer) or dropping a comment below. And whatever your plans, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

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Marijuana grow approved in Bremerton; SK retailers on the move

Tad Sooter

The state approved a marijuana grow Wednesday off Auto Center Boulevard in Bremerton.

Producer and processor United Western Green will be located in a warehouse at 111 Bruenn Ave., according to Liquor and Cannabis Board records.

United Western Green is the 16th producer/processor licensed in Kitsap County.

Retailers on the move

Marijuana retailers originally licensed in South Kitsap are shuffling locations this fall, perhaps seeking less crowded markets.

po-pot_-stores — Eight marijuana retailers were approved in the Port Orchard area. Now some are moving out. Click to enlarge.

The board recently approved an address change allowing 21+ Recreational Marijuana to hop from Bethel Road in Port Orchard to 3062 SW Hwy. 16, Suite A in Gorst.

Two other South Kitsap marijuana stores have applied to relocate to Silverdale.

Fillabong, which also operates a shop in Silverdale, already shifted its license from Mile Hill Drive to 3249 Perry Ave., just outside Bremerton limits.

Here’s my map of Kitsap marijuana businesses. I’ll update the new retail locations once they’re approved by the board:

Sierra Trading Post announces opening date in Silverdale

Tad Sooter

Sierra Trading Post will open its first Washington store at 8 a.m. Oct. 27 in The Trails at Silverdale shopping center.

The 17,000-square-foot store will offer a wide range of outdoor gear and apparel, according to a news release. Interactive kiosks will allow customers to search the retailer’s in-store and online inventory while shopping.

The store is handing out prizes customers in line early on Oct. 27 and will make a $5,000 donation to Seattle Adaptive Sports.

Sierra Trading Post is hiring full-time and part-time staff Silverdale store. Click here for details.

Central Kitsap is suddenly rich in sporting goods and outdoor stores. DICK’S Sporting Goods opened at Kitsap Mall last week, joining Big 5, REI and Sportsman’s Warehouse in Silverdale.

State predicts an increase in holiday season hiring

Tad Sooter

The holidays should be brighter this year for seasonal workers in Washington.

State economists predict increased holiday hiring by retailers this fall and winter, after two years of decline.

Employment Security Department projects 12,726 holiday hires statewide in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with 10,542 in 2015.

The same report forecasts 375 hires in Kitsap county this year, up from 333 last year.

General merchandise stores do the bulk of the hiring.

“Healthier wage growth amidst an improving employment situation should help raise holiday sales to a level that boosts hiring,” Turek said in the release.

Fourth quarter retail sales surged in the past few years, but seasonal staffing didn’t followed suit.

Turek told me statewide holiday hiring peaked in 2013 at 16,500. Hires dropped to 14,753 in 2014 and plunged to 10,542 in 2015, falling well short of the state’s forecast.

The decline was partially attributed to retailers moving away from brick-and-mortar storefronts to focus on online sales. Downsizing by food stores like Haggen also took a toll, Turek said.

This year, Turek sees fewer stores restructuring and believes improving employment and wages will bolster seasonal hiring.

Purpose Boutique opening at The Trails

Tad Sooter

unnamed Bremerton-based Purpose Boutique will open a store at The Trails at Silverdale on Monday, becoming the first Kitsap-based business to join the Greaves Way shopping center.

“We could not be more excited for our launch in Silverdale which will create new opportunities for our customers who want to shop and at the same time, change lives around the world,” Purpose CEO Christie Johnson said in a news release.

“We are dedicated to being a business that gives back to the global community and we feel very welcomed at the Trails.”

Purpose, which sells apparel and accessories for “women of all shapes, styles and backgrounds,” first opened in Bremerton in 2013 and added a Kirkland store in 2014. The boutique donates a portion of its sales to charities that combat human trafficking.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for noon on Sept. 30, followed by a grand opening celebration Oct. 1.

The Trails also will welcome a discount outdoor gear store and burger joint this fall.

Sierra Trading Post is slated to open in October. Silverdale will be the first Washington location for Sierra, which does most its business online.

The Habit Burger Grill is expected to open in November, adding a sixth dining option to the development. The California-based fast-casual chain has one other restaurant in Washington.

Opening date set for DICK’S Sporting Goods in Silverdale

Tad Sooter

dicks DICK’S Sporting Goods plans to open its Silverdale store by the end of the month.

DICK’S will hold “preview days” on Sept. 28 and 29, followed by a grand opening celebration Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, according to a post the store’s website.

Former Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg will appear at the store from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 1. You can click here to see additional grand opening promotions.

The athletic and outdoor gear retailer is setting up shop in a 45,000-square-foot space on the west side of Kitsap Mall. About 30,000 square feet was added to the mall’s footprint to accommodate the store.

DICK’S recently announced it would hire about 70 employees to staff the Silverdale location.

This is the first DICK’S store west of Puget Sound.

Stalled Poulsbo apartment project may be moving again

Tad Sooter

It’s been a few years since we’ve had any news to report on the Edward Rose project, a massive residential development planned for the corner of Highway 305 and Bond Road in Poulsbo.

0630_LOC_RoseDevelopment_KS copy — Kitsap Sun file art | Click to enlarge

That changed this Thursday, as the city announced pre-application materials had been filed for the development, which would create 552 apartment units, 160-units of senior housing, a commercial plaza, and 34 acres of landscaping and open space, spread across 57 acres.

Access would be from Bond Road and Highway 305, with a connection to Vetter Road also planned.

A pre-application meeting is scheduled for Oct. 4. The pre-application process allows developers to informally discuss plans with city staff because filing a land use application.

A master plan for Edward Rose was approved in 2011, but the project never broke ground.

Edward Rose & Sons is a development company based in Michigan.