smoyers

Logan's Roadhouse is up and swinging (and quickly becoming one of my tasty favorites, I must admit). But now that it's well done, it's time to turn our attention to its soon-to-be new neighbor to the west.

Best Buy is scheduled to be completed sometime early this fall, according to Columbia Construction, which is building the 30,000-square-foot building at 3026 William for the electronics giant.

That's been reported. What hasn't been reported -- at least not locally -- is that the Cape Girardeau store represents a change in philosophy for Best Buy. It turns out that the largest volume specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers and entertainment software and appliances is thinking small.

Well, at least smaller.

Before 1999, the Minnesota-based company was building only 45,000-square-feet stores in large markets. But an incredibly aggressive growth period led the company to realize that when they entered the New York market last fall -- with 486 stores -- they were in every major market in the United States.

That's when they realized big markets aren't everything.

Best Buy spokeswoman Jenny Bohuslavski tells me that's when the store started slimming down. They wanted to tap into smaller markets like Kokomo, Ind., Wichita Falls, Texas, and Newington, Conn.

And Cape Girardeau, Mo.

So they designed a 30,000-square-foot store that would fit into markets with fewer than 250,000 people. And we're a lot fewer than that.

"You can only put so many stores in the larger markets," Bohuslavski said. "So we wanted to start filling in the smaller market areas, where there's room and a desire for our products."

The 30K stores will carry all the same products, Bohuslavski said, just in smaller quantities. She promises the selection in our store will be the same as the ones in St. Louis.

There are currently 30 small market stores and they plan to open 25 in 2002.

Building smaller stores allows Best Buy to continue its aggressive growth spurt. They've opened 60 stores each year for the past three years, and the goal is to be at 650 by 2004.

"We're constantly reinventing ourselves and trying new things," Bohuslavski said. "That's what keeps things fresh."

They've been even thinking about opening a 20,000-square-foot store for smaller markets still.

If the experiment works, Bohuslavski said, they could open hundreds of similar stores in smaller towns across the country.

I'm sure the folks in Chaffee would love it.

New insurance agency

It's a new insurance agency steeped in history.

Jim Lichtenegger has purchased J.T. Hill Insurance, which had been located at 827 Broadway for years. Now, Personal Insurance Agency is located at 2029 Independence, on the west side of the Plaza Galleria parking lot.

Lichtenegger spent the last 15 years with People's Bank at Altenburg and then Jackson as a loan officer. Lichtenegger had known Hill and when Hill developed cancer last year and began looking for a buyer, Lichtenegger was interested. After all, he'd had his insurance license for 20 years and had always wanted to be his own boss.

"I figured why not?" he said.

The new agency will focus on personal lines of insurance, including auto, home, life and health. And long-time Hill customers, don't worry: Joy Engelhart, who worked for Hill for 25 years, is still behind the desk.

Bringing in the business

I reported a few weeks back that Aeropostale, a trendy youth clothing shop, is coming to Westfield Shoppingtown West Park (the mall, for those of us who speak English.)

Soon after I got a note from the mother of 15-year-old Emily Bira, who told me that her daughter had written a letter to the corporate headquarters asking for such the store to come here back in August.

"I think it would be absolutely fantastic to have an Aero store here and I'm sure it would get tons of business," she wrote. "I think building a Cape Girardeau branch would be a great proposition."

It looks like she might have a job in business recruitment. She should call John Mehner at the chamber and give him a few pointers.

Scott Moyers is business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to Biz Buzz, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, e-mail to smoyers@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, ext. 137.