GBJ Staff

Revitalizing Lilburn’s commercial gateway

June 2012, Lilburn's Lions Club Park will undergo a transformation that will take 11 months to complete.

Special Focus:
Protecting and Investing

Business owners and local residents are hopeful that a revitalized merchant district is about to emerge in Lilburn. Recent collaboration announcements among the City of Lilburn, Gwinnett County and the Lilburn Community Improvement District (CID) may mark the first steps to making the area’s commercial corridor along U.S. Hwy. 29 a greater draw for new businesses to move in and set up shop.

Primarily known as a bedroom community with world-class schools, Lilburn is also one of Gwinnett County’s primary traffic arteries. Thousands of motorists travel through Lilburn each day to reach a major highway or interstate.

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GBJ Staff

Big Lots opens new Gwinnett store

Joining other discount retailers in the Gwinnett’s Stone Mountain Square shopping center, Big Lots comes into the community bearing gifts.

During its grand opening celebration in mid-May, Big Lots District Manager James Garrett presents a $2,500 check to Mountain Park Elementary School. Principal Valerie Robinett will accept this gift on behalf of the school.

“For more than forty years, Big Lots customers have relied on us to bring them a one-of-a-kind shopping experience filled with brand-name merchandise at a price they can appreciate. We are thrilled to now be able to offer that same great value and convenience to Stone Mountain shoppers,” said Rob Claxton, senior vice president of marketing for Big Lots. “We are confident this new store will prove to be a big hit with smart shoppers who are seeking better deals and bigger savings to combat the increasing costs of everyday living.”

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GBJ Staff

Retailers get ready for sales tax holiday

by William B. Wood

Good news, Gwinnett retail businesses – after a two-year hiatus, the Georgia sales tax holiday returns just in time for back to school sales. The Georgia Legislature in House Bill 386 has approved a sales tax holiday for Aug. 10 and 11, 2012, waiving the tax for many back to school items purchased for personal use. The exemption does not include furniture or any items primarily designed for recreational use.

Introduced in 2002, the sales tax holiday has been suspended since 2010 due to deficient tax revenues. Because tax revenues are strong enough this year such that this holiday was among other tax reform measures approved for 2012.

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GBJ Staff

Atlanta Retailers Association moves HQ to Gwinnett

The Atlanta Retailers Association (ARA) is now headquartered in Lawrenceville. The organization’s move and expansion brings six existing employees with plans to add four employees in the near future.

“ARA is very excited to call Gwinnett County our new home. We are extremely pleased by the warm welcome,” says Moyees Merchant, ARA board chairman. “ARA is committed to its members to enhance their potential by sharing knowledge and best practices. Establishing a footprint in Gwinnett will augment our access to quality information through Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. ARA envisions a very long and mutually beneficial partnership.”

Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and Partnership Gwinnett joined Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash, and a host of other elected officials and honored guests to celebrate the ARA’s relocation.

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GBJ Staff

Gwinnett Village CID gets six-year extension

Chuck Warbington, P.E., executive director, Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District

The Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District (CID) board of directors voted unanimously to renew the CID for an additional six years during its April 2012 meeting.

Georgia law requires CIDs to seek renewal every six years. Founded in 2006, the Gwinnett Village CID is the largest in the state of Georgia. Encompassing 14 square miles, the CID spans the Interstate-85 corridor from the Gwinnett/DeKalb county line to Beaver Ruin Rd., and is composed of roughly 550 commercial property owners who agree to pay an additional tax to fund improvements in their community.

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GBJ Staff

Mall of Georgia welcomes new retailers

Vans, Brookstone, The Walking Company, Lush, Leonisa and Vanicci Salon add to the Mall of Georgia’s expanding list of contemporary retailers.

Opening in June, Vans brings their collection of active and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for today’s youth to a new 3,000-square-foot space that is located near the Nordstrom wing on level two of the mall.

Brookstone will open across from H&M in April, offering an array of unique merchandise in their fun, 4,179-square-foot interactive shopping environment.

The Walking Company will open their 1,619-square-foot space in May with a diverse selection of footwear from dress shoes to performance-wear to include popular brands such as Ugg and Dansko, and can be found in the Nordstrom Wing.

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GBJ Staff

Gwinnett manufacturer donates shoes for cancer patients

Online purchases will have a one-to-one match, or each online purchase of the Limited Edition Pink Ribbon Slide will generate a $10 donation to ACS.

OKA b. Footwear, a leading manufacturer of eco-friendly spa shoes, sandals and ballet flats has partnered with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to provide comfortable spa shoes to cancer patients nationwide.

OKA b.’s latest and largest social action initiative to date, Our Greatest Feat (www.ourgreatestfeat.com) will donate one pair of its signature Madison Slides to a cancer patient for every pair sold online at OKA-b.com between now and Oct. 31, 2012. The company has already donated footwear to the ACS’s Hope Lodges, where cancer patients stay free of charge while they are undergoing cancer treatment.

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GBJ Staff

Gwinnett Chamber launches discount card program

The Gwinnett Chamber now offers its members increased exposure and bottom line potential through Shop In Gwinnett.

A discount card program affording exclusive discounts to consumers and financial support for local charities, Shop In Gwinnett drives traffic directly to local businesses in the service, retail, dining and entertainment industries.

“The Gwinnett Chamber is interested in providing tailored solutions to meet the needs of our business community,” said Vince DeSilva, senior vice president, Membership Services, Gwinnett Chamber. “Shop In Gwinnett directly supports the retailer market, while taking into consideration the cost-conscious consumer and the local charities in need of support during this challenging economic time.”

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GBJ Staff

Gift card sales alert

The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement (FinCEN) confirms that retailers of ‘pre-paid access products,’ which include gift cards, must comply with anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations.

Highlights of the regulations follow:

  • Retailers issuing gift cards with values of or below $2,000 are exempt from pre-paid access regulations, unless the card is valid internationally or can be refilled remotely.
  • Retailers issuing gift cards for purchases, or in exchange for merchandise returns in its own stores, for values of $2,001 or more, must be take steps to defend against these products being used to launder money.
  • Retailers must comply if issuing cards with a value of $1,000 or more that can be used at stores other than that of the issuing retailer.

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GBJ Staff

Genesis Salon receives national recognition

Salon 124 – Genesis Salon, owned by Brian Perdue, has been named to the prestigious SALON TODAY 200 by SALON TODAY magazine, the top business publication for salon and spa owners.

The 200 salons were selected from the 25,000 top-producing salons and spas in the U.S. for their best business practices. SALON TODAY readers submitted nominations and the magazine recognized the top salons in 11 different best practice categories. Gwinnett’s Salon 124 – Genesis Salon was honored for the Recruitment and Training category.

“Our editors recognize that strong business leadership requires the mastery of a number of different best business practices,” said Stacey Soble, editor-in-chief of SALON TODAY. “These salons have created rewarding environments for their staff members and standout experiences for their clients. Their willingness to share their success offers our readers important business benchmarks and fresh, sales-building ideas.”

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