Carolee Neronde opened the doors of her children’s clothing boutique, The Moppet Shoppe, Oct. 27 in Midtown, moving to the central city after spending 21 years in Elk Grove. “I had to leave, because the shopping center I was in was dead,” she said. “It was just me and a scrapbooking place for retail, and I stared out at a parking lot full of cars all day.” In her new spot at 2524 J St., she has what she’s been looking for – the constant hustle and bustle of foot traffic. The space previously housed the Upper Playground clothing store, and Neronde said that the first time she saw the place, she knew she had to have it. A month later, her doors were open. Moppet is Old English for child,

In a store window on 24th Street in Midtown, a 1950s-style sewing machine sits in a window next to a mannequin, draped in an ‘80s floral top and a thin leather belt. A collection of miniature cacti sit atop a shelf near the window, and a ‘50s billiards ad hangs from the back wall, reading “Easy Eight’s Pool and Billiards: The Best Racks in Town!” This will soon be Midtown’s newest vintage clothing store, Racks, which celebrates its grand opening Saturday, at 1822 24th St. Racks joins other boutiques in the area such as Prevues, Sugar Shack, Bows and Arrows, Heart Clothing and Cheap Thrills. Owner Rachel Fowler, a native of Sacramento, said it took her a while to get to this point, but sh

"Local business owner profile" is a regular column highlighting local business owners; the backbone of our community and economy. Each column explores the personal stories of the owners and the businesses they built. Craig Triebwasser's office window looks out onto the shop yard filled with neat stacks of stone, bricks and fencing. His domain is Valley Redwood Inc., the business that he and his father built 30 years ago. In the 1970s, Craig worked at a wholesale lumber distribution and manufacturing plant in Rocklin. While there he got an education in the wholesale business as he shipped lumber all over the country and made connections to other folks in the building supply industry. In

Sacramento hourly wages for retail salespersons improved to two percent above the nationwide average in 2011, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average hourly rate nationwide was $12.08 as compared to $12.32 in Sacramento. In 2010, Sacramento lagged behind the nationwide rate by two percent. Within California, the average wage was $12.51. Sacramento ranked eleventh out of the state’s 28 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The Oakland-Fremont-Hayward area was at the top of the scale paying $13.85 while El Centro was lowest at $10.52. Retail salespersons are a notable measure of employment because they comprise the largest single occupation

It’s like a food truck, but without the food. Gypsy Mobile Boutique is the first of its kind in Sacramento – a clothing store on wheels. Owner Bridgette Maldonado, 34, said she happened upon the idea in 2006 while in San Diego when two women set up a mobile shop in an Airstream trailer. “They were selling vintage clothing, and I thought it was a great idea, but I wasn’t ready to do anything like that yet,” she said on Monday. About a month ago, Maldonado opened her own version, holding an event at Fox and Goose Pub and following up with an appearance at SactoMoFo 4, where her selection of trendy clothing, accessories and handmade jewelry was nearly sold out. The opening comes at a time

The primarily yoga-focused Lululemon Athletica clothing company opened a showroom  Friday in the MARRS Building at 20th and J streets, a space vacated by Newsbeat last year. Showroom Manager Victoria Tanforan, 24, said that the showroom is designed to be a temporary space with a retail area to introduce Lululemon’s attire to the local market. If it garners enough interest, she said, a full retail store could be forthcoming. “We’re a company that specializes in high-quality yoga and running wear,” Tanforan said. “We are all about becoming a part of the community we’re in, and we have free classes every week.” The Lululemon showroom will work with 10 athletic ambassadors, which range from

Midtown’s Très Chic Boutique announced this week that it will close its doors for good after 18 years in business. Owner Susan Tiesing, 53, said she decided to shutter the business by the end of May due to the impact of the economy as well as her need to be in Oroville to be with a family member in poor health. “I left my shop with my worthy store manager, and I think in this tough economy you can’t expect your business to continue on without you there,” Tiesing said. “Although I think she did a good job, I wasn’t there to manage it myself.” The shop, located at 2228 J St., specialized in prom dresses and clothing for special occasions. Tiesing said this is the first year she has seen

The Feb. 15 groundbreaking of the 72-acre lot that neighbors Sacramento City College brought the campus one step closer to becoming a bridge between the Land Park and Curtis Park neighborhoods. The vacant lot east of Hughes Stadium and the Union Pacific rail line, which once served as a rail yard, is being transformed into a neighborhood by Petrovich Development Company. The new community will be called Curtis Park Village, a residential and retail development featuring a pedestrian bridge connecting it to the City College light rail station. “On the north side, it’s going to be single family housing, parks, low-income senior housing, apartments and condominiums,” said City College Vice

The 3-year-old Ikon Cycles bicycle shop recently relocated from its 18th Street location to a new spot on J Street, finishing construction last week. Owner Adrian Moore, originally from Portland, came to Sacramento in 2004 and shortly thereafter decided to open a shop similar to the ones in his hometown. “In Portland, there’s a lot of fiercely independent local stores,” he said. “I think of this shop as being like some of the locally owned ski and snowboard shops.” The original location, 1126 18th St., was a 500-square-foot space, and Moore said some were skeptical that he could fit a bike shop inside, but it worked well. Deciding to move to the new location, at 2318 J St., took the sh

Black Friday: To some, it’s THE day to kick off the Christmas shopping season and snag unbelievable deals on high-end items, even if it means camping overnight or cutting a Thanksgiving meal short. To others, it’s a day to avoid shopping centers at all costs. The Sacramento Press asked locals to share their Black Friday plans, strategies and experiences. Here is what they had to say: Ramona Powell, a 54-year-old transportation consultant from Sacramento, said she plans to do some shopping on Friday. “I’ve looked online at what Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target, JC Penney’s and Macy’s have,” she said. “My tradition has been to go out at about 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving and camp out.” She said h

Local watering hole Pangaea Two Brews Cafe recently expanded its operations to include a bottle shop with about 200 beer selections. The bottle shop opened earlier this month, and owner Rob Archie said he has plans to add a delivery service in the Curtis Park neighborhood in September. “We had our grand opening Aug. 6, and it was full in here all day,” Archie said. “The response has been really positive.” Pangaea, located at 2743 Franklin Blvd., is marked by its selection of Belgian beers on tap, and Archie told The Sacramento Press in a previous article that he has long wanted to bring a bottle shop to offer those beers at to-go prices. Beers are stored in a refrigerator spanning much

A request for an expedited hearing by two shoppers suing the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op was denied Thursday, according to court documents, meaning that the case will not be heard before board elections this fall. The lawsuit was brought against the co-op earlier this month and claims that the co-op is not following its bylaws as board members refuse to ban Israeli-made products from the store’s shelves. According to the documents released Thursday, the plaintiffs, Maggie Coulter and Robin Kristufek, “will not suffer irreparable injury if the hearing is heard according to the Court’s normal procedures.” It was unclear Thursday evening when the case will be heard. Had the expedited h

A new “boutique” Goodwill store has opened its doors on L and 16th Streets, offering area shoppers a well organized, eco-friendly retail experience and deals on merchandise like books, lamps, shoes and purses. Store manager Noelle McCrea said the L Street location is unique in that its stock is handpicked from Goodwill locations across the country. While other Goodwills accept and sell most all donations, a “boutique” Goodwill strives to feature name brands, high-quality and vintage goods. Clothing is centrally located and sectioned into garment-specific, labeled racks, like: women’s plus size tops, long sleeve knit tops, lingerie, men’s jackets and men’s dress shirts. The women’s sect

The proposal for redevelopment of the 700 block of K Street received the nod of approval from City Council Tuesday night, opening the way for developers to move forward with the $47.7 million project. With close to 64,000 square feet of retail space and more than 130 housing units, the project is designed to revitalize a long-ignored section of K Street with a diverse tenant mix of restaurants, boutique shops and a live music venue. If all goes as planned, developers expect to begin construction in late January or early February of next year. With their unanimous vote, council members approved the environmental impact and planning commission reports, and formalized a Developer Dispositi

Vintage clothing store Bows and Arrows opened in its new Midtown location June 4, and the space is fitting the shop’s needs perfectly, according to co-owner Trisha Rhomberg. Located at 1815 19th St. across from Safeway, the store now includes Fat Face cafe and is being called Bows Collective overall, so customers can pick up vintage clothes, sandwiches and something to drink – including beer and wine – at the same location. Also incorporated in the new space is an art gallery. The custom-made wooden bar is a focal point at the rear of the store, surrounded by rustic tables made by a friend of co-owners Rhomberg and Olivia Coelho from salvaged wood in front of the doorway to a patio, whe

A proposed amendment to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op bylaws is being seen by some as a necessary procedure to ensure equality, while others see it as an attempt to take the members’ voice away on certain issues. All 12,000 co-op members will have the chance to vote on the amendment, which must pass with at least a two-thirds majority in the next election cycle, scheduled for late summer or fall, said Board Member and Policy Committee chairwoman Michelle Reynolds. According to Reynolds, the amendment proposed at the June 7 board meeting is a procedural process designed to ensure that the co-op has written anti-discrimination policies in its bylaws after a restructuring of its polici

Will Westfield Downtown Plaza be put up for sale? According to the Wall Street Journal, Westfield is testing the market for a buyer for the mall, which has been plagued by empty storefronts. In August, when the mall underwent a remodel, General Manager Russell Dougherty said it was only 65 percent occupied. Westfield officials did not return phone calls for comment on their plans for the mall this week. “The Mayor remains committed to working with Westfield and finding ways to make the plaza a viable entity in Sacramento,” said Joaquin McPeek, press secretary for Mayor Kevin Johnson. “At the end of the day, this is such a critical piece of downtown and we’ve all got to work together to

The Upper Playground clothing store on J Street has closed, and a new store owned by a former Upper Playground manager will take its spot. Aaron Hearing will open a new store in the same location, but he refused to comment on Upper Playground, saying, “It’s none of my business.” Upper Playground, located at 2524 J St., was a locally owned franchise with corporate offices in San Francisco. Other locations for the clothing store are in Seattle, Portland, Berkeley, Mexico City and London. When The Sacramento Press contacted Upper Playground’s corporate office Dec. 15, officials claimed no knowledge of the store’s closing, though an employee who answered the phone at the Sacramento locatio

This weekend, September 17th-19th, local shoppers can look forward to great deals and steals at the Midtown Sidewalk Sale. The Midtown Boutique District in conjunction with the Midtown Business Association are sponsoring the semi-annual event that will feature 28 stores and terrific savings. So grab your comfy walking shoes and be sure not to miss this exciting shopping opportunity that begins at 10am on Friday morning and lasts until 8pm on Sunday night. Whether you are a shopaholic or a just out to find a bargain, you will be sure to come across something that meets your fancy. If you are looking to fill your closet with new fashion items for the fall, Bows & Arrows (1712 L Street) is d

The building at 3527 Broadway has been vacant for years, but is now home to a new business as of Aug. 1 – BFD. Brew, Ferment, Distill owner Tim Clark said he wants to make his store a one-stop shop for Sacramentans who like to do their own beer brewing, winemaking, cheesemaking and any number of other do-it-yourself foods and drinks. “This right here is entirely for the urban hippie,” Clark said. “It’s for the slow-food movement.” Clark spent 13 years as a mortgage banker before “being unemployed at the right time” and deciding to start BFD. “My wife is still warming up to the name,” he said with a laugh. Doors opened Aug. 1, and Clark said he immediately sent e-mails to local brewers