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Courtesy Five Below
MICRO-PURCHASING Five Below is coming to Easton Town Center with products geared toward teens and preteens who make small, frequent purchases. The company offers thousands of trendy products at prices from $1 to $5. Merchandise includes sporting goods, games, wearables, jewelry, hobby supplies, collectibles, bath and body products, snacks, school supplies, room décor, computer software, books, iPod accessories, novelties and seasonal items.
Five Below, which has more than 50 locations in the eastern U.S., will arrive in Columbus in late September. The new store is at 3744 Easton Market, between Kittle’s and Bed Bath & Beyond. Hours are expected to be Monday through Saturday 10 am to 9 pm and Sunday 11 am to 7 pm. Visit fivebelow.com to see the opening date and a local phone number when they become available.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
For savings of up to 40 percent on everyday grocery items, you might want to visit the new Valu King Food Markets. A subsidiary of Giant Eagle, this new concept doesn’t have gasoline discounts or other lures, but the food prices are low.
When I was there, a 33-ounce can of Chase & Sanborn coffee was $4.99, a pound of butter was $1.69 and a gallon of corn oil was $7.99. The stores have fresh produce and meat, large frozen food sections, delis, canned goods, pet food, laundry products and paper goods. There are name brands as well as around 3,000 Valu King products. There is a five-cent charge for each plastic bag, so you might want to bring your own, or you can use the store’s free boxes.
Valu King, 6300 E. Livingston Ave. (at Brice Road, in the old Big Bear), 856-9067; 80 Oak Meadow Dr., Pataskala (off East Broad Street), (740) 927-0674. Open Mon-Sat 8 am-10 pm, Sun 9 am-7 pm.
BARGAIN TRANSFORMATION The flea market at the former Brice Outlet Mall on the east side has a new look. It’s being divided into smaller storefronts and transformed into MarketPlace of the Americas, a discount retail, entertainment and flea market center.
Attractions will include a carousel, video arcade and food court. Larger tenants include Baers Market, a specialty food market selling fresh Amish baked goods, jams and jellies, along with locally produced ice cream. There’s also a Mattress Mart and Kingdom of Bounce, an amusement center.
The site is a bargain not only for buyers, but also for sellers. Vendor services include security guards and cameras, free web pages on the market site and a service to help sellers staff their booths when they are away. A 10-by-10-foot, state-of-the-art steel booth costs $200 to rent for a month, with no long-term commitment. Booths can go for as little as $100 a month.
MarketPlace of the Americas is scheduled to open Labor Day weekend. The market will be open Fri-Sun, but some sites such as the Cinema City movie theater, Baers Market and Mattress Mart will be open daily. For information, call 385-5985 or visit marketplaceoftheamericas.com.
STAYCATION IDEA
The luxurious Victorian Village Guest House has teamed with the Inner Connection Holistic Bodywork Center to offer a “Retreat in the City” wellness package. Guests customize their stay by selecting personal services, such as massage therapy, hot stones treatment, energy therapies, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, healing touch therapy and pregnancy/sports/yoga massages at the holistic center, just a short stroll from the guest house. A sample wellness package includes a one-night stay, a massage and one specialty wellness session for $325. A couple’s package also is available. These are weekday rates; weekends are dedicated to longer stays.
For information, contact Lisa Craig Morton at Victorian Village Guest House, 1149 Neil Ave., 294-2849. See the property and more details at victorianvillageguesthouse.com.
Send sale and bargain suggestions two months before sale to:
Bargain Bits, Columbus Monthly, P.O. Box 29913, Columbus, Ohio 43229-7513, or pressreleases@acncolumbus.com. No phone calls, please.
