Total Wine & More, America’s largest independent retailer of fine wine, spirits and beer, today announced it is officially opening its first store in Washington state on the eastside of the Puget Sound, in Bellevue, WA.  The new location at 699 120^th Avenue (formerly Larry’s Market) in Wilburton Crossing is slated to open in late June.

“With the opportunities presented last November, we knew we had to bring our concept to Washington state to meet the needs of this region’s consumers,” said David Trone, who co-owns Total Wine & More with his brother Robert.  “We know that with our vast selection of more than 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 beers, we will exceed the demand for not only hard-to-find labels, but locally produced products as well.”

The new Bellevue store marks the 81st location in the U.S. for Total Wine & More.  With 30,000 sq. ft. of space, Total Wine will offer an unparalleled selection, greater than any other retailer in the Seattle-area.  Consumers will also find low prices and excellent service from the company’s expertly trained staff.  In addition, Total Wine will feature a climate-controlled wine cellar for rare selections, a walk-in humidor for fine cigars, as well as provide space for private tastings, consumer education courses, community meetings and special events.

Total Wine regularly features wine, spirits and beer tastings with a focus on wine-producing regions and seasonal topics.  All employees go through an extensive three-week training program covering the various regions, production methods, varietals, brew styles and tasting analysis before stepping onto the sales floor.  The company also offers ongoing training and a chance to meet with the world’s key wine producers.  Once a year, Total Wine treats top staff to a trip to California’s major wine regions for a six-day training session, as well as a 12-day trip to Europe’s key wine regions every other year, to further enhance their overall knowledge.

The Bellevue location of Total Wine & More is accepting applications for all position levels, from cashier to manager.  To learn more about Total Wine and apply for employment, visit www.totalwine.com.

About Total Wine & More

Total Wine & More operates 80 wine superstores in 11 states, with expansion reaching 14 states by year’s end.  The company’s vast selection of products, combined with low everyday prices and expertly trained wine associates, brings a unique shopping experience to the consumer.  Total Wine & More has the distinction of being Beverage Dynamic’s 2008 Retailer of the Year, Market Watch’s 2006 Retailer of the Year, and Wine Enthusiast’s 2004 Retailer of the Year.  Since opening its first store in 1991, Total Wine & More has been committed to being the premier wine retailer in every community that it serves.  For more information and store locations, please visit www.totalwine.com.

Cat Brimhall, Retail Manager, 21 Acres Market, preparing product for opening, Thursday, May 3.

The long anticipated 21 Acres retail Market opens Noon, Thursday, May 3, featuring sustainable local, farm product. Located in the new green-built Center for Local Food and Sustainable Living at 13701 NE 171st Street, Woodinville, WA  98072, the 21 Acres Market will be open year-round giving shoppers affordable options for fresh and value-added products and the opportunity to support local farmers.

Starting small with offerings reflecting the early spring season, products will become more abundant through the summer and into the high farming season in the Northwest. According to Cat Brimhall, Retail Manager, in addition to fresh product, the 21 Acres Market will also sell flour, eggs, cheeses, dried beans, hummus and other staples.

Brimhall has spent recent weeks talking to farmers, on the phone, by email and in their fields and kitchens, to develop a sourcing plan that will provide products that the local community needs and that farmers can provide in reliable quantities. “The fact that the 21 Acres Market will start small, will mean that we can provide special items grown by area farmers who are not producing large volumes and wholesaling regularly to other much bigger stores,” Brimhall said. “We are committed to paying farmers fair prices and being flexible in our needs,” she added, “so we can take advantage of working with producers who are growing the most beautiful and flavorful farm product available. This will likely mean that it will make sense for us to source things to offer customers that other grocers cannot. Each week will showcase some very special things.”

Opening day events throughout the day from Noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, May 3, include: tastings of recipes from the new Culinary Course Program; samplings of farm products; special treats for children; and, tours of the 21 Acres green-built building. Special remarks at 5 p.m. by celebrity chef and author, Graham Kerr.

The 21 Acres Market will be open Noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays weekly. As feedback is received from community members, market hours may be adjusted. For more information about the Market and a peak at the current product list, visit 21acres.org/Market. You can also find 21 Acres on Facebook and Twitter @21acres.

The store’s design and seasonal trend vignettes transport shoppers to a relaxed, stylish destination. A Bikini Bar features the latest must-have swimwear, and enables the expertly-trained sales associates to help each woman feel beautiful and confident in her selection. The 1,592 square foot store has decorative details that include grey driftwood slats on the exterior, cabana curtain accents in the fitting area, and oversized, scene-setting photography from Everything But Water’s fashion shoots.

“The new Bellevue Square store transforms the swim and resortwear shopping experience. Our Bikini Bar and seasonal vignettes will highlight top trends and make it easy for women to see our gorgeous collection,” said Sheila Arnold, President and CEO of Everything But Water. “We want to give her a luxurious me-moment while she’s shopping great resort looks.”

Everything But Water is known and beloved for its fit and fashion-savvy sales associates, who help women find swimsuits, cover ups and accessories that feel amazing and look fabulous. The Bellevue Square’s store’s large, comfortable, private dressing rooms allow customers to try on a variety of styles and easily engage with sales associates. The store will offer complimentary personal shopping appointments and host shopping parties for groups of friends, bridal parties and others.

The year-round swimwear inventory includes Vix’s Brazilian-inspired styles, Nanette Lepore’s bright prints, Robin Piccone’s cutting-edge tailoring, La Blanca’s shirred solids, Vitamin A’s California chic looks, and exclusive styles from sought after brands such as Trina Turk, Betsey Johnson, L*Space, Becca and others.

The in store experience is complemented by the redesigned everythingbutwater.com, where videos and style stories offer fashion inspiration and highlight top trends. A Perfect Fit guide educates women on the most flattering designs for each body type.

To celebrate the opening of the Bellevue Square store, Everything But Water will host an afternoon of tropical play on Saturday April 21, from 1pm to 5pm. Customers will have their hair styled with fresh flowers, enjoy island-inspired drinks and can create their own getaway souvenir – a custom-designed threaded bracelet. Shoppers will receive a brightly colored bangle with every purchase while supplies last. Everything But Water is located on the upper level, NE end of the shopping center.

About Everything But Water

Everything But Water sends a woman off in style, feeling beautiful and confident for her next getaway – be it a tropical vacation or me-time by the pool. Our 62 stores coast-to-coast and online at www.everythingbutwater.com are luxurious resort lifestyle shopping destinations. Fashionable women love Everything But Water’s extensive collection of well-curated, designer swimwear, resortwear and accessories, and the staff’s expert eye for flattering every curve.

Preface:  It should be noted that this is a very convervative estimate.  It does not include the value and impact of construction for the two sites, nor does it include management and part time workers.

Conclusions:

The new Walmart stores will have an immediate direct impact on the economy by creating jobs.

Walmart projects that the two new stores will combine to employ a total of approximately 220

people. This new employment will cause more money to flow through the economy, creating an even stronger impact that can be estimated using IMPLAN economic modeling.

By employing approximately 60% of its workforce as full‐time, or about 132* employees working at an average wage of $12.79 per hour, an estimated of $3,511,622 per year in wages will be paid to local consumers. The majority ($3,450,010) of this money will be spent in the local market. This will create an indirect effect of $1,328,446 per year from inter‐industry purchases stimulated by the increased consumer demand. This additional money in the economy will cause increased household income and associated increases in spending, creating an induced effect of a further $1,210,125 million per year.

In total, the jobs created by the Bellevue Walmarts will add an estimated $5,988,581 per year to the local economy.

Walmart’s two new Bellevue locations will also have additional impacts on the local economy. Indirect effects will create 8 more jobs, and induced effects will employ another 9 people. This amounts to another 17 jobs.

Combined with the direct employment of workers at Walmart, the two new Walmart stores will create a total of 149 jobs in the Bellevue area, a significant step forward in otherwise harsh economic times.

The data for this study came from several sources.

1. Washington State Departments of Employment Security, Revenue, and The Washington State Auditor

2. Neilsen Claritas

3. U.S. Census Bureau

4. Walmart Corporation (for square footage of facilities, number of employees, and retail offerings)

“We think our stores can be part of the solution for residents who need a job or want more affordable options close to home,” said Matti Havener, Walmart Senior Director and Regional General Manager for Washington and Oregon. “At the same time, we have the opportunity to revive two, dormant retail properties and deliver an added economic boost for the area.”

Walmart will renovate the former Kmart at the Kelsey Creek Center and the former Mervyn’s space at the Factoria Mall.  Details of the projects include:

• The Kelsey Creek location will be a 64,000-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market, which is a smaller format than Walmart’s full-service stores, will focus on providing groceries and general merchandise. It will feature a wide variety of products, including: fresh produce, meats and dairy products, frozen foods, dry goods and staples, deli foods, bakery items, canned and packaged goods, condiments and spices, pet supplies, household supplies and one-hour photo center. It will employ approximately 95 associates and join an LA Fitness to replace the empty Kmart building at 148th Ave. and Main St.

• Walmart also will renovate the former Mervyn’s space at Factoria Mall. The 76,000-square-foot Walmart will offer a full range of general merchandise. When completed, the store will employ approximately 125 associates.

Both stores will feature energy-efficient technology and environmentally-sound features designed to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste, including skylights and LED lighting.

Walmart currently employs more than 19,000 associates at 57 Washington locations.  The retailer’s average wage for regular, full-time hourly associates in Washington is $12.79 per hour.

Publisher’s Note:  This is GREAT news for Bellevue in so many ways.  Thank you Walmart!

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

“This store will deliver a broad assortment of products at an everyday low price,” said Matti Haavener, Walmart Senior Director and Regional General Manager. “Plus, the store size and format fits seamlessly into the existing retail corridor.  At the end of the day, we want our stores to reflect the communities where they are located and serve real customer needs.”

The new Walmart Neighborhood Market will provide up to 95 new jobs and a range of other benefits to the Bellevue community. The store, which is a smaller format than Walmart’s full-service stores, will focus on providing groceries and general merchandise. It will feature a wide variety of products, including: fresh produce, meats and dairy products, frozen foods, dry goods and staples, drive-through pharmacy, deli foods, bakery items, canned and packaged goods, condiments and spices, pet supplies, household supplier and one-hour photo center.

The Walmart Neighborhood Market will also incorporate energy-efficient technology and environmentally-sound features designed to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste, including skylights and LED lighting.

Havener noted that Walmart has long-standing partnerships with Bellevue-based suppliers, foundation partners, associates and customers. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have supported a number of area organizations in recent years, including Overlake Hospital and the Eastside Emergency Feeding Network, to name just a few.

“We look forward to sustaining those critical community partnerships in the years to come and forging new relationships along the way,” Havener added.

Publisher’s Note:  Matti – please contact me at Joe(at) BellevueBusinessJournal.com regarding sponsorships for BellevueBusinessJournal.com and Eastside Entrepreneurs.  We can sure use your support and the local business community will take notice.  I can also hook you up with some great non-profits like Bellevue LifeSpring and Renewal Food Bank here in Bellevue.

Currently there are 54 Walmarts, three Sam’s Clubs and one distribution center in Washington state employing approximately 19,381 associates. In its FY2011 Walmart purchased $2,598,045,143 worth of goods and services from 743 Washington businesses.

More information on Walmart Neighborhood Markets is available at http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/7606.aspx.

According to a post by Lark Turner on the ad site (formerly a news site) called SeattleTimes.com, there are apparently those who have issue with Walmart due to what are seen as less than stellar employment practices.

I am personally very happy to see something done with the property and I think a Walmart (with emphasis on groceries) will be a great benefit to those who live in the area.  I’m also pretty sure that most of the 90+ people who will work there will be glad to have jobs.

At the same time, I’m not too sure about the thoughts behind LA Fitness though, as there are rumors that their location in Bellevue’s Galleria is in trouble.

The Zoom-Room Wallbed is a unique retractable bed system designed for efficiency and safety. Regardless of whether the space serves as a family room, craft room or media room by day, it quickly and effortlessly converts into a guest bedroom at a touch of the wireless remote. The queen-size Zoom-Room Wallbed is hidden vertically inside a stand-alone custom cabinet from which it floats smoothly into a bed, as comfortable as any permanent one.  Another touch of the wireless remote and it retracts into its standalone cabinet which doubles as a wide-screen TV cabinet or a bookcase.  Additional side cabinets can provide storage space.

The Zoom-Room Wallbed’s retractable technology is a model of engineering designed for reliability.  As William McLaren, co-owner of SmartRooms, says: “The Zoom-Room system is light-years ahead of a Murphy bed, it provides a safer operation than traditional Murphy beds, and offers a unique opportunity to transform your guestroom into a media room at the click of a remote.  With over five hundred installs nationwide, Zoom-Room is a great solution to transform your home without the cost of a major remodel.“ It’s especially useful to anyone seeking a wallbed solution that stands alone on the floor and eliminates the physical strain of pulling down and pushing up a traditional Murphy bed.

SmartRooms LLC is a Kirkland-based company and the authorized distributor of the Zoom-Room system for the Pacific Northwest.  They should definitely be in the Eastside Business Directory.

For more than half a century, Olson’s has been serving the Pacific Northwest’s equestrian community.  From its humble beginning in the basement of Carl and Bea Olson’s home located in downtown Bellevue in 1946 to today’s modern store front in Bellevue’s Bridle Trails neighborhood, Olson’s has grown to become an iconic institution in Equestrian niche.  During its storied history, Olson’s has endured the tumultuous ups and downs of economic growth and recession to become one of the area’s oldest employers.

“Olson’s has a very rich history not only in the immediate Bellevue-area but throughout the Pacific Northwest equestrian community as well,” said Olson’s owner, Michael Akers.  “For 65 years, Olson’s has been proud to serve riders from every background, from recreational equestrians to elite Olympic athletes.”

To celebrate their 65th year in business, Olson’s Tack Shop is expanding into a larger more modern space.  This newly renovated retail space will nearly double the store’s existing retail space.  Along with more conveniences and ambiance, this updated store front will allow for an expanded selection of specialty English riding apparel and equipment. Despite today’s difficult retail climate, Olson’s has been able to thrive and grow in an otherwise challenging economic environment.

“The loyalty of our customers paired with our expert staff and great product selection has allowed Olson’s not only survive but to thrive during the past few years of economic turmoil,”  said Akers, “We are excited about our continued growth and the opportunity to expand our product offerings to our customers.”

Olson’s Tack Shop provides area equestrian enthusiasts with the West Coast’s largest selection of English riding apparel, equipment, and gifts.  In its early beginnings, Olson’s specialized in custom riding equipment from riding chaps to saddles and bridles.  Over time, Olson’s expanded to become one of the Northwest’s most elite tack stores specializing in competitive and casual riding apparel,  saddles, tack, and horse-themed gifts.  From beginning riders to Olympic athletes, Olson’s Tack Shop has been proud to serve West Coast equestrian’s for more than a half a century.

With each new store opening in 2011, Disney Store will donate 10 percent of the first day’s sales to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the United States.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 11, 2011

• 9:30—Disney Store Opening Ceremony and lucky child “Unlocks Imagination”

WHERE:

Disney Store

575 Bellevue Square

Bellevue, WA 98004

ABOUT DISNEY STORE
The Disney Store retail chain, which debuted in 1987, is owned and operated by Disney in North America, Europe, and Japan.  Disney Store is the retail merchandising arm of Disney Consumer Products, the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and its affiliates that extends the Disney brand to merchandise. Disney Store carries high-quality products, including exclusive product lines that support and promote Disney’s key entertainment initiatives and characters. Disney Store opened its first store in Glendale, California and, in doing so, originated the themed retail business model. There are currently more than 200 Disney Store locations in North America; more than 40 Disney Store locations in Japan; and more than 100 Disney Store locations in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal, plus online stores www.DisneyStore.com and www.disneystore.co.uk. Each Disney Store location offers a magical shopping experience that can only be delivered by Disney, one of the world’s largest and most successful entertainment companies.  For more information, please visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com/press/us/disneystore or follow us at www.facebook.com/DisneyStore and www.twitter.com/DisneyStore.