Report: Retail stores still strong despite online economy

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 9, 2017

http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2017/09092017-shopping-in-the-21st-century-not-what-you-think.asp

Report: Retail stores still strong despite online economy

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

Mark Mathews, vice president of research development and industry analysis for the National Retail Federation, acknowledged ecommerce, or online shopping, is no doubt a part of consumer shopping habits.

However, he also admitted he was surprised to see retail brickand- mortar stores remain strong, despite the option of online shopping.

“There clearly is an increase in e-commerce,” Mathews said. “But there are several things that are driving the notion that retail is dying. There are misperceptions of what the data says.”

In a report published Aug. 30 on the NRF website, IHL Group, an international research and advisory firm based in Franklin, Tennessee, said more than 4,000 brick-and-mortar stores are opening in 2017 than closing among the big chains. In addition, the report says for every store closing, 2.7 stores are opening.

“I think the e-commerce is a thing; it’s happening,” Mathews said. “It’s not as big as it’s being made out to be. The store is still relevant.”

IHL’s report says it projects more than 5,500 stores will open than close in 2018.

IHL’s research reviewed more than 1,800 retail chains with more than 50 U.S. stores in 10 retail segments.

Here is some other data the research revealed:

■ 42 percent of retailers have a net increase in stores, only 15 percent have a net decrease and 43 percent report no change.

■ The three fastest growing core retail segments are mass merchandisers such as off-price retailers and dollar stores (plus 1,905), convenience stores (plus 1,700) and grocery retailers (plus 674).

■ Specialty apparel retailers are seeing the largest dips in closings with a net loss of more than 3,100 stores. However, for every chain closing stores, 1.3 chains are opening new stores.

■ When it comes to chains shutting down stores, only 16 chains account for 48.5 percent of the total number of closing. Five of those chains — Radio Shack, Payless Shoesource, Rue21, Ascena Retail and Sears Holdings — represent 28.1 percent of the total stores closing.

■ Retail sales are up $121.5 billion through the end of July.

“Without question, retail is undergoing fundamental changes,” said Greg Buzek, president of IHL

Group, in a news release. “However, retailers that are focusing on the customer experience, investing in better training of associates and integrating IT systems across channels will continue to succeed.”

Mathews agreed and added, “You see a lot of innovation. We’re not sure how it’s going to play out yet.”

And that is the key for retailers going forward in the 21st century: innovate.

“The thing I always say is the balance of power has shifted in the last decade from retailer to consumer,” Mathews said. “It used to be you had to go a certain place. Now, everything is in the hands of the consumer to do what they want and when they want. Retailers have to adapt.”

And consumers are seeing it.

Meijer, for example, which opened a store in West Bend earlier this year, has a home delivery service called Shipt. It launched about a year ago and can be found in its stores throughout the Midwest.

“Meijer prides itself on being at the forefront of technology to better serve our customers, from our MPerks savings app, to our new partnership with Shipt, allowing customers to place a grocery order to be delivered right to their doorsteps,” said Art Belt, market director for Meijer in Wisconsin. “Our motivation was to bring the customers added convenience and provide another way to shop our stores.”

Mobile apps such as InstaCart offers similar opportunities for consumers.

“While we know that customers love shopping at Meijer because of the freshness of our grocery options and wide selection of general merchandise that provides a one-stop-shopping solution, we also know that they are looking for low prices and a way to gain back a few hours in their days,” Belt said.

He added acceptance of online shopping has grown in the last 10 years, which has led to things like Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

“Ten years ago, many shoppers were still anxious about shopping online,” Belt said. “There were security concerns, for instance. But today, shopping online is really second nature to a significant percentage of consumers. Customers are growing more and more comfortable with purchasing everything they need online.

“However, we have found that for many consumers, online shopping is no substitute for going to a brick-and-mortar store to do their shopping.

Many customers prefer to do their shopping in-person, to actually touch, smell, and feel the products they need and want.”

A recent NRF study validates that.

In each of the last five quarters, retailers report more than 91.5 percent of their sales came from instore purchases.

Mathews said a boom in selfcheckout offerings have not impacted employment. He also cited the bank teller industry as an example.

“We’ve seen a reduction in tellers in bank branch, but that allowed banks to open more branches because they felt they needed to still get out and work with the customer,” Mathews said. “You may have fewer people at banks, but more banks are open.”

The NRF says employment in retail is growing and has for the last seven-plus years. In June 2010, more than 11.9 million people were employed by a retailer, which includes people working in warehouses or distribution centers. At the beginning of 2017, more than 12.8 million people were employed by a retailer.

Mathews acknowledged automation has raised some concerns about employment, but he doesn’t believe the worry should be that high. Employers are moving around employees and putting more emphasis on other areas.

“We think the future of retail employees is robust,” Mathews said.

He added, “Retail continues to be strong throughout all this change. That’s interesting. It seems like there’s all these hurdles. We hear a lot about malls closing. All the numbers point to positives. Retail sales are extremely strong. That keeps surprising us.”

Country group Restless Heart still worth a ticket

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 9, 2017

http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2017/09112017-country-group-restless-heart-still-worth-a-ticket.asp

Country group Restless Heart still worth a ticket

Band recorded 13 straight top-10 hits in late 1980s, early 1990s

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

Almost two months ago, country music group Restless Heart played at the annual Country Thunder Festival in Twin Lakes. Tens of thousands of fans attended the show.

But on Sept. 16, the band, who once had six straight No. 1s and 13 straight top-10 songs in the late 1980s, will play in a far more intimate setting for a couple hundred people at the Schauer Arts and Activities Center in Hartford.

There are two shows — 3 and 7:30 p.m. — and the opening act is Laura Joy.

While it’s fun to play in front of large crowds, Greg Jennings, lead guitarist and background vocals for the group, said the smaller setting is just the way they like it.

“You’re a lot closer to the audience, everybody has a good seat and the sound is usually better,” Jennings said. “With a smaller facility like that, there’s a lot more energy that gets transferred. We really like that.”

Restless Heart will start the Schauer Center’s 2017-18 season, with the theme “Red Hot.”

Jennings said he’s received positive reviews from other performers about the Schauer Center and is looking forward to performing there.

The group plays tonight in Grand Junction, Colorado, before heading to play in Eau Claire on Friday and then in Hartford. After Hartford, the band heads west to Wendover, Nevada, to play a show Sept. 22.

“We don’t get up (to Wisconsin) as much as we used to,” Jennings said. “I wish we did.”

He added, “We always have a great reception when we come up there and the fans that come to see us.”

Restless Heart was formed in 1984 with John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (keyboards, vocals), Jennings and Verlon Thompson (lead vocals).

The band was signed by RCA Records’ Nashville division. But before the band started recording, they were already down one member. Thompson left the band to become a solo singersongwriter and guitarist for Guy Clark.

Larry Stewart took Thompson’s place and later in 1984, the band’s selftitled debut album dropped in

stores. The first single released was “Let the Heartache Ride,” which reached No. 23 on the U.S. country charts. But the next three each cracked the top 10, including “(Back to The) Heartbreak Kid,” reaching No. 7.

The band’s next studio album — “Wheels” — was its biggest success in late 1986.

On that album was the band’s first No. 1 hit, “That Rock Won’t Roll.”

“I remember exactly where we were,” Jennings said when he and his bandmates learned of the group’s first No. 1 song. “We were at radio station in Philadelphia and we got the word we just went No. 1 and it was like ... we couldn’t believe it. We worked for something for so long and it came true.”

The rock may not roll, according to that single, but the band got rolling after the single’s success.

Their next five singles all reached No. 1 on the country charts, including three reaching No. 1 in Canada. Those songs included “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” “Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right),” and “Wheels.” The album was certified gold.

In 1988, the band’s next album — “Big Dreams in a Small Town” — enjoyed similar success, reaching gold certification, with the help of No. 1 hits “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” and “A Tender Lie.”

Nearly 30 years later, that run of six straight No. 1 hits is still surreal for Jennings and his bandmates.

“It was like a dream come true,” Jennings said. “We were at a great place in a great time. We had a great team of people around us with RCA Records. They were just great to us.

“We opened for a number of their big acts, like Alabama and The Judds. Right from the get-go we had a built-in audience and we had an opportunity to reach a lot of people. It was a magical time.”

Making the accomplishment more special was when they accomplished it. In that time of country music, Restless Heart was going up against acts including Alabama, The Judds, Hank Williams, Jr. and George Strait.

In 1989, Strait was the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year.

“There was a huge amount of competition in those days,” Jennings said. “To reach No. 1 was quite a feat. Anytime you can do that ... you just keep your fingers crossed with each release and hope for the best.”

The band’s run of top-10 hits continued into the

1990s with “Dancy’s Dream” in 1990 (No. 5). In 1991, “You Can Depend on Me” reached No. 3. The band’s last top-10 hit was “When She Cries” in 1992 at No. 9.

The song “Tell Me What You Dream” with Warren Hill was No. 1 on the U.S. and Canada adult contemporary charts in 1993.

“I think we had a lot of great songs that we really believed in,” Jennings said.

Since then, they’ve had only two top-40 hits. There are several reasons behind that. One of them was the band disbanded twice after 1994 as the guys looked at other career options or just needed a break. They got back together in 2002.

“I think we still play and sing at a high level,” Jennings said. “We still enjoy touring and seeing the fans. We’ve got a great legacy to continue with and we’ve got some great songs that we still enjoy playing.”

The last album they released was a Christmas album and a compilation album, both in 2013.

“I think there’s a lot of music left in us,” Jennings said.

‘It ain’t over ‘til it’s over’

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 5, 2017

‘It ain’t over ‘til it’s over’

LaMonte convinced by crew to finish out season, wins track championship

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

SLINGER — Two weeks ago, Gary LaMonte and his crew looked over a battered race car needing close to $4,000 in repairs.

At that point, with two races left in the season, LaMonte sat 35 points behind Steve Apel for the championship lead in the super late model division.

“I totally thought it was over; the car was demolished,” LaMonte said, adding, “We contemplated not even coming back because we were so out of money.”

The team convinced LaMonte they’ve come too far to give up.

“The crew has worked their butts off since the winter to get to this point so I decided let’s fix it,” LaMonte said.

On Sunday night, that decision paid off.

In one of the most exciting finishes to a season in more than 15 years, LaMonte edged Apel by three points to win his first career super late model championship, the closest finish to a championship in the division in track history, besting last year’s seven-point gap between Chris Blawat and Apel.

“It was for them,” LaMonte said, referring to his crew. “They busted their butts for the last eight months to make this car what I feel is the best car here week in and week out.”

Dennis Prunty won the 100-lap feature, his fifth of the season. LaMonte was second, followed by Brad Keith, Apel and Ryan DeStefano. Alex Prunty was sixth and finished 15 points behind LaMonte

in the final standings.

“I just got to thank my crew, my wife for letting me spend as much as time and money as we do,” LaMonte said. “So many people to thank.”

For LaMonte, it was his first track championship since winning the 2004 midwest sportsman title at Slinger, the second-longest drought in track history, behind only the legend Bill Johnson (1948, midget; 1963, modified).

“This is the first year we’ve run a full season in a decade,” LaMonte said. “It’s a lot of work, costs a lot of money, a lot of effort. I commend all the guys that run for points because this has got to be one of the hardest tracks to keep your car running, keep it in one piece and come out every single week.”

Sunday’s race and this championship battle will go down as one of the greatest in track history.

In the last 40 laps, the championship lead changed three times. With 40 laps to go, Alex Prunty led LaMonte by one point and Apel by three points. With four laps to go, Apel led LaMonte by one point, Alex Prunty by 19.

With four laps to go, Blawat spun on the back straight, bringing out the caution. At that point, the field had spaced itself out and it looked like Apel was about to become a fourtime champion.

From there, mayhem broke out.

On the restart, it appeared Apel, starting on the inside of the second row, struggled to get going, which backed up the field, while Dennis Prunty and LaMonte drove away. For the next two laps, Alex Prunty and Apel were door-to-door battling for third. The championship rested on that battle.

A third-place finish by Apel would’ve given him the championship by 13 points over LaMonte. A third-place finish by Alex Prunty would’ve given him the championship by two points over LaMonte, five over Apel.

“I don’t know what happened, but Steve checked up and we got into him,” Alex Prunty said. “Next thing we know, we’re racing side-by-side going for a championship. That was championship on the line, all the cards on the table.”

Just as Dennis Prunty and LaMonte crossed the start-finish line and took the white flag, Apel and Alex Prunty ran high, close to the wall coming off Turn 4. Apel slowed and tried to get the bottom underneath Alex Prunty, but caught the front bumper of Grant Griesbach’s car and Apel spun, collecting Griesbach and Blawat.

After a lengthy discussion among race officials, a ruling was made: Alex Prunty and Apel to the end of the lead lap because of their involvement in the caution. That call put LaMonte in control of the championship as Apel had to restart sixth, Alex Prunty in seventh.

“Didn’t think we were the cause for him spinning out,” Alex Prunty said. “But that’s Slinger making

calls. What are you going to do?”

While Apel is a threetime champion, coming up short on the final night has unfortunately become routine.

In 2012, he lost the championship by 10 points to Dennis Prunty. He won the titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Then he lost the title in 2016 by seven points to Blawat. In the last six years, Apel has the three titles, but also lost three titles by a combined 20 points.

“We gave it our all; we never gave up,” Apel said.

On the victory deck near the start-finish line, LaMonte stood in front of nearly packed grandstands almost in disbelief over what had just happened.

“We shouldn’t even be up here,” LaMonte said.

What saved him was his six fast-times, making him the owner of arguably the fastest car all season at Slinger. He just thought he didn’t have enough results to show it.

He had just enough as lady luck give him the biggest break at the last possible moment.

“We’re ecstatic,” LaMonte said.“Everything fell where they needed.”

He added, “I’m not surprised we won. I’m surprised because we had so many DNFs.”

With the two races remaining and a fixed race car, LaMonte knew he needed close to a miracle in order to win the championship.

It started with him winning the feature Aug. 27. That was a race he had to win in order to give himself a chance. Then, he knew he needed to have a similar if not exact same performance, but with a little help, in the finale.

“Everything needed to fall into place,” LaMonte said. “To win by three points, I believe there was a little intervention.”

LaMonte is also the oldest first-time champion in track history, besting Willie Goeden’s mark in 1982. Goeden was 44 when he won the super late model title that year.

“I don’t care if I’m 70. I won it,” LaMonte said with a laugh.

A family that is driven to recover

Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Sept. 2, 2017

A family that is driven to recover

After years of health problems, the Pollnows are starting to turn it around

By NICHOLAS DETTMANN

ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043

FARMINGTON — Jacob Pollnow is surprisingly confident behind the wheel.

That is according to his mother, Val Pollnow.

“It’s something he’s wanted to do for years,” said Val of her 18-year-old son.

Unfortunately ongoing health issues spanning more than seven years prevented Jacob from getting behind the wheel of a car sooner. He didn’t do much of anything.

When he was 11 years old, Jacob was diagnosed with Lyme disease. That was after nearly a yearlong search to figure out what was wrong with the boy who loved taekwondo.

“He went from 10 to 18 basically bedridden,” Val said. Jacob’s health was just one of several issues the family has endured over the last several years. Mixed in with Jacob’s struggles was his sister, Katherine, also being diagnosed with Lyme disease, and Val being diagnosed with breast cancer.

She is in remission.

To help with mounting medical expenses, Trinity Lutheran Church, 140 N. Seventh Ave., West Bend, will host a benefit concert to help out the Pollnows and two other local families — the Vandeheis and the Yorks.

The concert, along with food, a raffle, art and auctions, is 1 p.m. Sept. 17.

“We are so blessed. I can’t even tell you,” Val said. “There’s so many people that are good to us, strangers.”

Jacob is smiling again and that is a blessing for Val after years of seeing Jacob in pain. It’s because of that she is not tense or nervous to see her son driving.

“It’s so good to have normal anxiety instead of ‘When is my kid going to get better or how are they going to get through the day?’” Val said.

For once, life seems closer to normal.

Jacob was not available for an interview because of a dip in his health, which, Val said, is normal.

“It feels amazing,” Jacob wrote in a note. “It was really incredible, but also a little bit scary. It’s a change, even though it’s a positive change.”

That change started following a long visit at the doctor’s office one day, then a trip to the grocery store.

Val talked about her struggles after she was asked how her day was. The bagger was saddened and bought Val a bouquet of flowers. Then, on her way to her car, the bagger came out of the store and rushed to get Val’s attention.

“She came running out and said, ‘Wait, wait. Your angels are here,’” Val said.

She was introduced to a couple that had a similar experience.

“I met this woman whose daughter had been sick

for six years with Lyme disease,” Val said. “She went to this clinic in Kansas and within a year and a half she was fully recovered. So she sent me the book, talked to me and encouraged me.”

They went to the clinic for the first time in October and went back in April.

“When we got back from Kansas, Jacob felt a little bit better for about a week then he got a bug and then felt better again,” Val said. “When he got better from that bug he was like, ‘Mom, I think I feel better than I was before.’

“All of a sudden he started being able to do more school work, things started clicking. He just started feeling better.”

On Father’s Day, Jacob was running around, outside and playing with his cousins.

“It was amazing,” Val said. “Even more amazing he said, ‘I don’t feel any worse than I did the day before.’” Then, Jacob went to Rhinelander with family and went fishing.

“It was a miracle,” Val said.

Jacob has hope. He wants to go to college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He hopes to drive himself to class one day.

“Sitting next to my 18-year-old feeling anxious about him driving felt pretty good,” Val said, laughing.

❑❑❑

Controversy, complication surrounding Lyme disease

Jacob and Katherine still need the treatments. They went back to the clinic last month. The clinic charges $1,000 per day each and the visits are typically at least a week long, if not more, for both.

That’s on top of the years and years of doctors visits, most of which weren’t covered by insurance, Val said.

“When he was 10 years old, he was in a play and contracted mono and just never got better from it,” she said.

It took the diligence of one doctor to finally figure out what was the problem.

Call it a Mother’s instinct as Val knew something was wrong with Jacob.

“He was an active kid,” she said. “He loves taekwondo, was always planning to have groups of kids come over and have ballgames in the backyard until all he could do was lay in bed.”

Jacob was previously tested for Lyme disease.

“The first doctor we went to did an ELISA (test) and said it’s not Lyme disease and I was like, ‘Oh good. Whew. I don’t have to worry about that one,’” Val said.

Dr. Brian Wolter, physician with Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin at the West Bend Health Center office, said Lyme disease, in most cases, isn’t difficult to diagnose. But when there is a struggle to diagnose it, he said in most cases, it’s too early in the illness and that’s why a false-negative will come up.

“With many different conditions, it takes a long time to figure those things out,” Wolter said.

According to Wolter, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can cause a host of symptoms, including a rash and fatigue. Late-stage Lyme disease can include irregular heart rhythm, inflammation of the heart, muscle and joint pain, and tingling.

In a way, it was blessing for the Pollnows once they learned what the problem was with Jacob.

“I was relieved because we finally have a diagnosis,” Val said.

But she and her family quickly learned the issue was more problematic going forward, especially with when Jacob was diagnosed.

“The CDC has yet to acknowledge that late-stage Lyme disease is real,” Val said. “And that acknowledgement means insurance companies don’t have to cover it.”

Wolter said the reason for that is it’s not entirely definitive that a person with symptoms of what he said is called “post-Lyme disease syndrome” is indeed Lyme disease.

“That is a big controversy,” Wolter said. “No one can decide if it exists or not; it’s tough to link. It doesn’t mean you’re infected by the disease; it’s not a linear thing.”

Val said progress has been made as she’s helped push for change.

“But until the CDC acknowledges it, it’s not going to get where we need it,” Val said. “Eventually they will, it’s just going to take a long time.”

She added, “When (her kids) get better, I want to make a difference.”