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This past year was a mixed bag for shoppers in the Triad. On the one hand, some major new store openings — including Apple — were announced. On the other hand, stores such as Circuit City, unable to survive in grim economic times, had to close.

As 2009 nears to an end, below are the highlights and lowlights in Triad shopping news, plus a look at what’s in store for 2010.

January

When I took over the column in January, I got started on a high note: Two siblings were opening shops in Greensboro.

Ashley Cobbler and her boyfriend, Chris Moore, opened Jolly Rogers Tattoo (3720-E Battleground Ave.; 282-8218). Her brother, Brian Cobbler, opened MMA (3720-F Battleground Ave.; 282-6854), a mixed martial arts clothing and accessories store. The siblings share a 2,500-square-foot space at the Battleground Plaza shopping center.

I recently caught up with them to see how the year went.

“It was slow starting out, especially with the economy the way it was,” Brian Cobbler said. “But pretty much every month has been better than the one before. This December has just been awesome.”

“It’s actually been pretty steady,” Ashley Cobbler said. “I think a lot of people have heard good stuff about it and it’s a good area.”

February

One of the biggest pieces of retail news for the Triad in 2009 came when the Apple Store (3320 W Friendly Ave; 291-0486) opened its doors at The Shops at Friendly Center.

Dozens of store employees worked the line of waiting customers, which wrapped around the back of building.

It was like a high school football pep rally, with employees giving people high fives amid chants of “go Apple go!” and “let’s go Apple!”
The store estimated 750 people were standing in line shortly after it opened.

Movie Go-round (2821 Battleground Ave.; 392-8371), a used DVD and Blu-ray store, announced its opening in Greensboro.

Hip women’s boutique Anthropologie (3320 West Friendly Ave.; 834-2633) also opened its doors at Friendly Center.

March

The past year was a big downer if you were a fan of Circuit City. The nation’s second-largest consumer electronics retailer announced that all of its stores, including the Wendover Avenue location in Greensboro, were closing for good.

April

The economy continued to take its toll on local businesses with news that Linnea’s boutique, a plus-size women’s store in Greensboro, was closing in April.

Store owner Jody Martin, persuaded by her customers’ pleas to stay open, did manage to keep the store alive by folding Linnea’s into her already existing store, Rubenesque for Less (2912-A Battleground Ave.; 288-8772).

Rubenesque has a separate area for new designer merchandise called Linnea’s Room.

May

Simply Meg’s at the Shops at Friendly Center (3334 W. Friendly Ave.; 272-2555) used to be a Scout and Molly’s store. But store owner Meg Strader and her husband, Challey, decided to develop their own brand name. The store held a big sale in May to promote its name change.

Total Bliss (4545 U.S. 220; 202-4234), which shares retail space with Floral Home Decor in the Summerfield Shopping Center, opened its doors over Labor Day weekend. Total Bliss sells home furnishings, accessories and items that include hand-painted wine glasses by Greensboro artists.

June

ReFab Exchange Boutique (2148 Lawndale Drive; 378-9899), a resale store specializing in designer jeans, opened its doors.
The store offers jeans at a fraction of what you’d pay at a high-end department store.

Examples include a pair of Diesel jeans for $57 that would cost $250 new.

July

Kimberly Riek, frustrated by trying to find affordable but high-quality children’s toys and clothes, felt inspired to open a kids’ consignment store. At Kid Tested (2310 Battleground Ave., Suite 102; 455-1922), about 25 percent of the merchandise is clothing. The remaining inventory includes items such as toys, cribs and high chairs.

August

August was a big month for store openings.

Tyanna Townsend’s dream of opening her own beauty salon came true. The grand opening of A New You Salon Boutique (1929 Coliseum Blvd.; 632-0840) featured 15 models dressed in black who arrived in a stretch white limo and walked the red carpet while flashing dazzling hairdos.

Jade Aveda salon (3326 W. Friendly Ave.; 292-5555), opened at The Shops at Friendly Center.

RanLinS (711 S. Main St.; 495-0003), a store that mainly sells used books and used DVDs, opened in Randleman.

Discount retailer Dollar Tree (4636 Hicone Road; 375-1076) also branched out with another location in Greensboro.

September

Three couples opened ...XYZ (2309 Fleming Road; 605-3636), a beverage supplies store next to — what else? — an ABC store.

October

Silver Gallery Int’l & Boutique (615 Friendly Center Road; 286-1414) opened at Friendly Center.

The upscale boutique carries brand-name items, including Chamila, Waxing Poetic, Brighton, Hobo, Big Buddha, Anuschka and Swarovski.

Hand and Stone Facial and Massage Spa (3354 W. Friendly Ave.; 218-6998), opened at The Shops at Friendly Center.

Consigned Home Furnishings (2445 Battleground Ave.; 989-5473) opened. It sells furniture, antiques and home decor, and it does custom monogramming.

November

The Salvation Army broke the mold in opening a boutique-style store, the first of its kind for the nonprofit, in the Lake Jeanette Station Shopping Center.

Salvation Army Select is at 3610 N. Elm St., just north of Pisgah Church Road. The phone number is 235-2662.

Golden Antiques & Treasures (4537 U.S. 220 N.; 643-6994) opened in Summerfield. It sells an eclectic mix of hard-to-find merchandise from dozens of vendors.

The Affinity Art Gallery opened at the Kernersville Community Church (1339 N. Main St.). More information at www.affinitygallery.com.

December

Bee Jazzie (121-A W. McGee St.; 617-5965), a women’s shoe and accessories shop, opened in an area known as Hamburger Square.

The store caters to teens and adult women. It carries formal and occasional pumps, boots and flat shoes, handbags, jewelry, hats and other accessories.

What to expect in 2010

Arguably the biggest retail story for the Triad in 2009 was news that Tanger would open another outlet center in 2010.

In October, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. announced it would open a center in Mebane in the fall.

The $60 million Tanger Factory Outlet Center of Mebane is expected to feature about 80 stores.

The company held a groundbreaking Dec. 10 on land that was once a golf course just north of Interstate 40/85.

Outlet stores that have been named so far include: Nine West, Reebok, Jones New York, IZOD, Skechers, Gymboree and Bass.

Others are: Saks Fifth Avenue and Off 5th, Banana Republic Factory Store, Coach Factory, Gap Outlet, J. Crew, Michael Kors, BCBG/Girls, Nike Factory Store and Tommy Hilfiger.

Next year also will close a chapter in the history of Waldenbooks.

Borders Group, the owner of Waldenbooks, announced it would close stores in Four Seasons Town Centre and Hanes Mall in January.

That's part of Borders' plans to close 200 Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores and cut 1,500 jobs to make the chain more profitable.

Dollar Tree is opening its second store in Greensboro in less than a year. The 8,000-square-foot store will open at 2807 Battleground Ave. by early February.

It will be inside the Northwest Centre, a strip mall anchored by Ross and TJ Maxx.

Work already has begun on the 13,000-square-foot Shoppes at Gunter's Crossing at Church Street and N.C. 150, which is expected to open in the third quarter of 2010.

A Lowes Foods and a CVS are among the stores expected to open at the center.

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Do you have a retail tip for Savvy Shopper? Contact Mike Fuchs at 373-3465 or michael.fuchs@news-record.com