Richard’s Variety Store Opens 2nd location

Retail is risky business in restless times

By RACHEL TOBIN RAMOS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Robert Klenberg looked for 10 years for a second location for his quirky, family-owned five-and-dime, Richard’s Variety Store.

Yet fear of opening another location — with another lease payment, more stock and additional staff — kept him waiting in the wings.
But last month, he finally did it. He opened a second outpost in the Midtown Promenade shopping center, next to a Trader Joe’s and Tuesday Morning.

It may seem counterintuitive to open a retail store in the midst of a recession. But a shaky economy hides blessings and curses.

On the blessing side, independent Atlanta retailers are finding more pliable landlords, better locations and an eager work force.

“Of course it scared me to open in the middle of the recession,” said Klenberg, 54. He and his wife, Ming Yang, 45, own and operate their two stores.

But Klenberg said the downturn helped him snag a prime location near two well-known retailers, restaurants, bars and a movie theater, right near Piedmont Park.

On the curse side, however, consumers right now are tight-fisted and unpredictable. Combined with the housing crisis and credit crunch, retailers are in for tough times during the holiday season — and beyond.

Photo:Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com
The ‘big pretty clock,’ as employees call it, watches over Richard’s Variety Store in the Midtown Promenade shopping center. The owners took 10 years to decide on the location, and they say business is great.