Inside East Valley Business

Culver’s officials will open the first two hamburger restaurants in the Valley sometime next week.
The Midwestern-based restaurant chain, known by customers for its frozen custard and hamburger buns that are fried in butter, will one East Valley locations at Country Club Drive north of Baseline Road in Mesa, and another location in the west Valley on Deer Valley Road and 19th Avenue.

Culver’s officials will open the first two hamburger restaurants in the Valley sometime next week.
The Midwestern-based restaurant chain, known by customers for its frozen custard and hamburger buns that are fried in butter, will one East Valley locations at Country Club Drive north of Baseline Road in Mesa, and another location in the west Valley on Deer Valley Road and 19th Avenue.

Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, a discount retailer of trendy shoe brands, is heading for the Valley, but officials aren’t saying when.

Kent Gonnerman, director or real estate for Rack Room Shoes (Off Broadway’s parent company) said Thursday that the shoe retailer had set its sights on the Valley.

Gonnerman said company officials are very familiar with the market and their Rack Room stores have proven to be very popular among consumers here.

“Phoenix is an obvious choice,” he said.

Gonnerman first told the news to a group of retail and real estate officials at a shopping center industry conference in Phoenix last month.

“My sense is it’s only a matter of time before that concept becomes up and running in the Phoenix market, but it’s not here today and there are no imminent plans, at least in 2008, to enter the Phoenix market,” he told the audience.

The stores, which range in size from about 18,000 to 20,000 square-feet, each carry between 30,000 and 50,000 pairs of mens and womens shoes and are similar in size and concept to DSW, another discount shoe retailer.

The Georgia-based retailer sells mens and womens shoes at 25 to 60 percent off regular retail prices in department stores, according to the company’s Web site.

Gonnerman also said Thursday that a deal is in the works to open a Rack Room Shoes store in Fiesta Mall.

Both Rack Room and Off Broadway are discount shoe stores, however, Off Broadway tends to sell products that are more pricy and “fashion forward” in terms of trends and styles, he said.

Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, a discount retailer of trendy shoe brands, is heading for the Valley, but officials aren’t saying when.

Kent Gonnerman, director or real estate for Rack Room Shoes (Off Broadway’s parent company) said Thursday that the shoe retailer had set its sights on the Valley.

Gonnerman said company officials are very familiar with the market and their Rack Room stores have proven to be very popular among consumers here.

“Phoenix is an obvious choice,” he said.

Gonnerman first told the news to a group of retail and real estate officials at a shopping center industry conference in Phoenix last month.

“My sense is it’s only a matter of time before that concept becomes up and running in the Phoenix market, but it’s not here today and there are no imminent plans, at least in 2008, to enter the Phoenix market,” he told the audience.

The stores, which range in size from about 18,000 to 20,000 square-feet, each carry between 30,000 and 50,000 pairs of mens and womens shoes and are similar in size and concept to DSW, another discount shoe retailer.

The Georgia-based retailer sells mens and womens shoes at 25 to 60 percent off regular retail prices in department stores, according to the company’s Web site.

Gonnerman also said Thursday that a deal is in the works to open a Rack Room Shoes store in Fiesta Mall.

Both Rack Room and Off Broadway are discount shoe stores, however, Off Broadway tends to sell products that are more pricy and “fashion forward” in terms of trends and styles, he said.

A new Ameritrade survey shows most Americans aren’t planning to splurge this year when they receive their income tax refunds. The survey of 2,338 taxpayers showed most are in a serious mood when it comes to spending money.

When asked what they plan to do, 85 percent said they plan to either invest it, pay off debt or save it. Three out of four adults anticipate receiving a tax refund this year.

Other survey findings include:

* If given the choice of where their tax money would be spent, most adults prefer to see their money go toward health care, followed by education and Social Security. Women are more likely to want their money to go toward health care and education, while men are more likely to prefer their money go toward infrastructure and national security.

* Men are more likely than women to say they contribute more of their tax refunds to charitable organizations now versus five years ago. Adults ages 35 and older, and earning $75,000 or more a year, now are likely to contribute more to charity than five years ago.

A new Ameritrade survey shows most Americans aren’t planning to splurge this year when they receive their income tax refunds. The survey of 2,338 taxpayers showed most are in a serious mood when it comes to spending money.

When asked what they plan to do, 85 percent said they plan to either invest it, pay off debt or save it. Three out of four adults anticipate receiving a tax refund this year.

Other survey findings include:

* If given the choice of where their tax money would be spent, most adults prefer to see their money go toward health care, followed by education and Social Security. Women are more likely to want their money to go toward health care and education, while men are more likely to prefer their money go toward infrastructure and national security.

* Men are more likely than women to say they contribute more of their tax refunds to charitable organizations now versus five years ago. Adults ages 35 and older, and earning $75,000 or more a year, now are likely to contribute more to charity than five years ago.

If your two-car garage is no longer adequate to store your fleet of sports cars, jet skies, boats and other play things (and let’s face it – whose is?), you may want to invest in your own “luxury garage condo.”

The Toy Barn on Cave Creek in Scottsdale will be a 85,000-square-foot storage facility with climate-controlled units ranging in size from 720 to 1,920 square-feet and 16-foot ceilings. The units will be “individually owned, just like condos,” according to a press release from Scottsdale-based Wesley Development Company.

“It’s a private and convenient space solution for owners’ favorite toys, including sports cars, boats, jet skis, motorcycles and RVs,” the press release said. “Each owner has a titled unit, plus access to common areas including the clubhouse. Owners can build equity in their units and re-sell them – just like condominiums.”

Construction of the Toy Barn will start in May and wrap up sometime in late 2008,” officials said.

If your two-car garage is no longer adequate to store your fleet of sports cars, jet skies, boats and other play things (and let’s face it – whose is?), you may want to invest in your own “luxury garage condo.”

The Toy Barn on Cave Creek in Scottsdale will be a 85,000-square-foot storage facility with climate-controlled units ranging in size from 720 to 1,920 square-feet and 16-foot ceilings. The units will be “individually owned, just like condos,” according to a press release from Scottsdale-based Wesley Development Company.

“It’s a private and convenient space solution for owners’ favorite toys, including sports cars, boats, jet skis, motorcycles and RVs,” the press release said. “Each owner has a titled unit, plus access to common areas including the clubhouse. Owners can build equity in their units and re-sell them – just like condominiums.”

Construction of the Toy Barn will start in May and wrap up sometime in late 2008,” officials said.

No tight tank tops or unzipped jackets, thank  you.

The latest Go Daddy TV commercial features a smiling young girl, fully-clothed and who looks like she’s about to sell a box of Girl Scout cookies.

However, the pre-teenager is selling GoDaddy.com so viewers will buy a domain name  from the Scottsdale company.

“Everyone has a dream,” the girl tells viewers. “Build yours today with a domain name from GoDaddy.com.”

This pitch is made after she is given a checkered flag from her heroine, auto racer Danica Patrick - and after the little girl beats a bunch of boys racing her go-kart as she aspires to become another Patrick.

“It just shows that Danica is a role model, that she is certainly an inspiration to many female athletes and it plays on that,” said CEO and GoDaddy founder, Bob Parsons. “In this particular case the little girl’s a kart racer, but there’s women in all sports that look up to Danica as someone who has competed with boys and is making it.”

The ad, which debuted April 6 during ESPN’s broadcast of the IndyCar St. Petersburg Grand Prix, is a big switch from some of GoDaddy’s provocative bids for customers. Like the one featuring shapely GoDaddy Girl Candice Michelle at a young man’s doorway. Or, that famous commerical during the Super Bowl when, oops! the brastrap slips. That one drew a lot of attention as well as many new domain names for Parsons, who labled it “GoDaddyesque.”

“There are many sides to us, and this commercial just shows one of them,” Parsons said.

No tight tank tops or unzipped jackets, thank  you.

The latest Go Daddy TV commercial features a smiling young girl, fully-clothed and who looks like she’s about to sell a box of Girl Scout cookies.

However, the pre-teenager is selling GoDaddy.com so viewers will buy a domain name  from the Scottsdale company.

“Everyone has a dream,” the girl tells viewers. “Build yours today with a domain name from GoDaddy.com.”

This pitch is made after she is given a checkered flag from her heroine, auto racer Danica Patrick - and after the little girl beats a bunch of boys racing her go-kart as she aspires to become another Patrick.

“It just shows that Danica is a role model, that she is certainly an inspiration to many female athletes and it plays on that,” said CEO and GoDaddy founder, Bob Parsons. “In this particular case the little girl’s a kart racer, but there’s women in all sports that look up to Danica as someone who has competed with boys and is making it.”

The ad, which debuted April 6 during ESPN’s broadcast of the IndyCar St. Petersburg Grand Prix, is a big switch from some of GoDaddy’s provocative bids for customers. Like the one featuring shapely GoDaddy Girl Candice Michelle at a young man’s doorway. Or, that famous commerical during the Super Bowl when, oops! the brastrap slips. That one drew a lot of attention as well as many new domain names for Parsons, who labled it “GoDaddyesque.”

“There are many sides to us, and this commercial just shows one of them,” Parsons said.

Motorists can save $3,000 or more a year by switching from a large model to a smaller vehicle, according to a study by AAA.

The auto club has released the 2008 edition of its annual report called Your Driving Costs, which compares the operating costs of different vehicle makes and models to help consumers budget for annual auto expenses.

The study found that not only are gasoline prices higher, but other driving related costs also have increased, including tires, financing, licenses, registration and taxes. The average cost to own and operate a vehicle is 54.1 cents a mile or $8,121 per year, an increase of nearly two cents per mile and $300 from last year, the association said.

According to the study, a small sedan driven 10,000 miles a year cost $5,512 to operate vs. $8,583 for a large sedan. At 20,000 miles, the cost difference was $7,146 vs. $10,960.

Separately the association also calculated the costs of driving a four-wheel drive SUV and a minivan. Those costs range from $7,492 to drive a minivan 10,000 miles a year to $11,815 to drive an SUV 20,000 miles.

The study makes clear that motorists can save substantial amounts of money by simply downsizing and driving less, AAA said.

A copy of the 2008 study can be accessed at www.aaaaz.com/news/documents/DrivingCosts2008.pdf

Motorists can save $3,000 or more a year by switching from a large model to a smaller vehicle, according to a study by AAA.

The auto club has released the 2008 edition of its annual report called Your Driving Costs, which compares the operating costs of different vehicle makes and models to help consumers budget for annual auto expenses.

The study found that not only are gasoline prices higher, but other driving related costs also have increased, including tires, financing, licenses, registration and taxes. The average cost to own and operate a vehicle is 54.1 cents a mile or $8,121 per year, an increase of nearly two cents per mile and $300 from last year, the association said.

According to the study, a small sedan driven 10,000 miles a year cost $5,512 to operate vs. $8,583 for a large sedan. At 20,000 miles, the cost difference was $7,146 vs. $10,960.

Separately the association also calculated the costs of driving a four-wheel drive SUV and a minivan. Those costs range from $7,492 to drive a minivan 10,000 miles a year to $11,815 to drive an SUV 20,000 miles.

The study makes clear that motorists can save substantial amounts of money by simply downsizing and driving less, AAA said.

A copy of the 2008 study can be accessed at www.aaaaz.com/news/documents/DrivingCosts2008.pdf

East Mesa’s newest SuperTarget is set to open by March 2009.
The retailer purchased 177,500 square feet of space inside the planned Mountain Vista Marketplace development, said officials with the center’s brokerage firm, the Staubach Company. Mountain Vista is a 114-acre shopping center planned at the northwest corner of Signal Butte Road and U.S. 60.

East Mesa’s newest SuperTarget is set to open by March 2009.
The retailer purchased 177,500 square feet of space inside the planned Mountain Vista Marketplace development, said officials with the center’s brokerage firm, the Staubach Company. Mountain Vista is a 114-acre shopping center planned at the northwest corner of Signal Butte Road and U.S. 60.

Queen Creek is getting its first stand-alone Starbucks coffee café.
Town officials recently issued a building permit on a new café at the Cornerstone at Queen Creek shopping center, located at Rittenhouse and Ocotillo roads.
The coffee retailer has licensed cafés inside a few grocery stores and the SuperTarget at Ocotillo and Rittenhouse roads, but the cafe at the Cornerstone development will be the first stand-alone location to open in town.

Queen Creek is getting its first stand-alone Starbucks coffee café.
Town officials recently issued a building permit on a new café at the Cornerstone at Queen Creek shopping center, located at Rittenhouse and Ocotillo roads.
The coffee retailer has licensed cafés inside a few grocery stores and the SuperTarget at Ocotillo and Rittenhouse roads, but the cafe at the Cornerstone development will be the first stand-alone location to open in town.

Consumer credit delinquencies in the fourth quarter of 2007 reached their highest levels since 1992, and no improvement is expected for at least the first half of this year, according to the American Bankers Association’s Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin. The composite ratio, which tracks eight closed-end installment loan categories, rose 21 basis points to 2.65 percent of all accounts in the fourth quarter.

All eight loan categories experienced increased delinquencies, which means payments that are 30 days or more overdue. The association attributed the rise largely to auto loan delinquencies. In addition, the number of delinquent bank card accounts rose 20 basis points to 4.38 percent.

The weak housing market continues to be reflected in rising delinquency rates for home equity loans and lines of credit. Delinquencies for home equity lines of credit - the lowest delinquency rate category - rose 12 basis points to .96 percent.

For those having trouble paying down debts, the association offers the following advice:

* Talk with creditors. Hiding only makes the problem worse.

* Don’t charge more purchases until your problems are solved.

Consumer credit delinquencies in the fourth quarter of 2007 reached their highest levels since 1992, and no improvement is expected for at least the first half of this year, according to the American Bankers Association’s Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin. The composite ratio, which tracks eight closed-end installment loan categories, rose 21 basis points to 2.65 percent of all accounts in the fourth quarter.

All eight loan categories experienced increased delinquencies, which means payments that are 30 days or more overdue. The association attributed the rise largely to auto loan delinquencies. In addition, the number of delinquent bank card accounts rose 20 basis points to 4.38 percent.

The weak housing market continues to be reflected in rising delinquency rates for home equity loans and lines of credit. Delinquencies for home equity lines of credit - the lowest delinquency rate category - rose 12 basis points to .96 percent.

For those having trouble paying down debts, the association offers the following advice:

* Talk with creditors. Hiding only makes the problem worse.

* Don’t charge more purchases until your problems are solved.

 Unclaimed refunds totaling more than $26 million are awaiting 33,100 Arizonans who failed to file a federal income tax return for 2004, according to the Internal Revenue Service. To collect the money, a 2004 return must be filed with an IRS office no later than April 15.

The IRS estimates that half of those who could claim refunds for 2004 would receive more than $552. In some cases, individuals had taxes withheld from their wages or made payments against their taxes out of self-employed earnings, but had too little income to require filing a return.

When a return isn’t filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity for claiming a refund. If no return is filed within that period, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.

Of course, if you haven’t filed returns for 2005 and/or 2006, the IRS won’t issue a refund for 2004 until those returns also are filed. Also, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS and may be used to satisfy unpaid child support or past due federal debts such as student loans.

 Unclaimed refunds totaling more than $26 million are awaiting 33,100 Arizonans who failed to file a federal income tax return for 2004, according to the Internal Revenue Service. To collect the money, a 2004 return must be filed with an IRS office no later than April 15.

The IRS estimates that half of those who could claim refunds for 2004 would receive more than $552. In some cases, individuals had taxes withheld from their wages or made payments against their taxes out of self-employed earnings, but had too little income to require filing a return.

When a return isn’t filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity for claiming a refund. If no return is filed within that period, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.

Of course, if you haven’t filed returns for 2005 and/or 2006, the IRS won’t issue a refund for 2004 until those returns also are filed. Also, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS and may be used to satisfy unpaid child support or past due federal debts such as student loans.