Category: Business

Some significant changes in Lynnwood

Carl Setzer

My town has seen some rapid changes these last few months. Several major projects are in process, both public and private. These are bringing much needed growth to the area.

Costco’s long delayed new store on the old Lynnwood high school site finally launched; moving really fast. I’m glad the City is being thoughtful with the road structure around the area. Adding much more capacity to the area is quite critical, as traffic volumes are going to go nuts when Costco comes online.

Another significant spot of change is off of 196th & 36th. The aging and dilapidated Alderwood Manor Hardware Store building was finally razed. And just a few feet away, a multi-story apartment building or condo tower will be built. That will significantly impact traffic in that area, already a heavily traveled spot. But the City already had improvements in process.

These are just a few highlights. There’s a CVS pharmacy in the works for 196th near 99, the long-overdue traffic revision by the Post Office on 208th, and more. Lynnwood is coming alive economically. It’s amazing and delightful to watch.

Fraud Alert from BECU: Text Messages & Phone Calls

Carl Setzer
BECU Logo

I received this email today. Over the weekend, we received one of these text messages. They are alarming, but they are classic phishing. Do NOT respond! And, bless the folks at BECU, if you already have, call 800-233-2328 IMMEDIATELY! They’re ready to get you safe again.

 

BECU logo view e-mail as a webpage

Fraud Alert: Text Messages and Phone Calls Asking for BECU Card Information

We continue to receive reports of fraudulent text messages and phone calls appearing to come from BECU stating that your card has been blocked. The fraudsters are asking BECU members and non-members to enter personal information to unblock their card. We want to assure you that BECU has not been compromised and these messages and phone calls are not from BECU. If you do receive any of these messages, do not respond.

If you already received this call and did provide your personal card information, please contact us immediately. We will need to deactivate your card, re-issue you a new card and monitor your account for fraud.

For the most up-to-date information about this issue, visit the BECU News Center.
Questions? Please contact us at 800-233-2328, if you already received this call and did provide your personal card information.
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Copyright 2015 BECU. All Rights Reserved. Federally Insured by NCUA.

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BECU
P.O. Box 97050
Seattle, WA 98124-9750

 

Long-Suffering RadioShack, My Geeky Youth Paradise

Carl Setzer
Radioshack Logo

It pains me a bit to see RadioShack suffering so (see No new bidders emerging in RadioShack’s bankruptcy as 2,000 stores face closure over at Geekwire). It doesn’t surprise me, just saddens me. As an electronics enthusiast growing up (back in the 70s and 80s) this was THE place to see stuff, to get your gear. I loved their electronics training kits, for instance.

There was one in Lynnwood right next to Wilcox Park off of 196th street; a rather quick jaunt from home. I would routinely ogle shortwave and HAM radio gear, various electronics kits, then the life-changing TRS 80. I coveted the affectionately titled “Trash 80” for some time. Well, until my father opted for one of the IBM clones on the market, which dwarfed the capabilities of the humble TRS. And my interest started to wane.

RadioShack lost their je ne sais quoi ages ago. I haven’t set foot in one in years. There were (and are) far better places to buy gear, especially computer gear. They failed to pivot at a crucial juncture and just can’t get their legs back under them. I fully expect this brand will die, whether a with a splendid crater or quietly vanishing into a sub-brand of Sprint remains to be seen. But I don’t see how it’s relevant anymore. Perhaps, just maybe, they can snap into the “maker” movement, but it’d need to happen NOW, as they’re behind. Thus, I doubt any such thing will materialize. So, in my heart-of-hearts, I bid this venerable icon adieu. May it rest in peace.

 

Zeeks Pizza Coming To Lynnwood

Carl Setzer
Zekes Coming Soon sign in Lynnwood

I passed this on my way to work this morning. This in front of the old Wong’s China Kitchen on 44th & 196th, a smidge east of Fred Meyer. .

 

Zeeks Coming Soon sign in Lynnwood
Zeeks Coming Soon sign in Lynnwood

 

I’ve long enjoyed Zeeks, so am quite delighted to see them coming into the neighborhood.

 

Yet, it is interesting how many of the more urban focused Seattle businesses are making their way into south Snohomish County. Such as Pagliacci, Ezells and PCC just to name a few. I feel this reflects the changing nature of the area; it’s growing urban feel. I, for one, am enjoying this change. But many are disquieted that this venerable suburb is changing quite dramatically. Such is life, I suppose.

Faxes and Standard Business Practices

Carl Setzer

Faxes, though the concept was invented in the late 1800s, really hit it’s heyday in the 1970s. That’s over 40 years of standard business use. So, why, WHY do I need to say “please use a cover sheet”? If you fax something to an office with over a hundred staff, the chances it will be lost are immense. When I worked at Microsoft, there was a single fax number and the coversheet was how the document got e-mailed to the recipient.

So use cover sheets, please, they’re critical , valuable, and a huge time saver.

2014 Recap of a Memorable Year from Planetary Resources

Carl Setzer

It’s great to see local space tech firm Planetary Resources doing so well. Reviewing this recap of their 2014 delights me and makes me proud to live in this hub of innovation.

I’ve always had a thing for space and space exploration. One of my earliest memories was of the Apollo moon landing. Living in the shadow on Boeing has helped keep that alive, too. Add that to their local-ness, and I can’t help but feel an intense bias towards them.

Here’s to Planetary Resources‘ 2015! May it be a banner year for them, and for us.

This Week In Economic News

Carl Setzer

This week has some key indicator announcements which should tweak the markets. They may be national numbers, but they do impact at the local level.

 

Economic Calendar for the Week of Dec 8 – Dec 12

 Date Time (ET) Release For Consensus Prior Impact
W
Dec 10		 10:30 Crude Inventories 12/6 NA –3.689M Moderate
W
Dec 10		 14:00 Federal Budget Nov –$59.0B –$135.2B Moderate
Th
Dec 11		 08:30 Initial Unemployment Claims 12/6 295K 297K Moderate
Th
Dec 11		 08:30 Continuing Unemployment Claims 11/29 2.350M 2.362M Moderate
Th
Dec 11		 08:30 Retail Sales Nov 0.4% 0.3% HIGH
Th
Dec 11		 08:30 Retail Sales ex-auto Nov 0.2% 0.3% HIGH
Th
Dec 11		 10:00 Business Inventories Oct 0.3% 0.3% Moderate
F
Dec 12		 08:30 Producer Price Index (PPI) Nov –0.1% 0.2% Moderate
F
Dec 12		 08:30 Core PPI Nov 0.1% 0.4% Moderate
F
Dec 12		 09:55 Univ. of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Dec 89.5 88.8 Moderate

 

Some thoughts on Lynnwood

Carl Setzer

I noticed that the House of Rock restaurant going into the old Celtic Bayou space changed names. What does that means for a business that hasn’t opened its doors yet?  Perhaps there’s some uncertainty about their vision. To me, I worry that they’re more focused on their name and signage than on getting the doors open and serving customers. Thus that this might end up vaporware.

Another building is under construction at the Lynnwood Crossing site. Watching the way they’re developing lends me to believe they already have tenants for the space. I’ve not seen any signage, so don’t know for certain. Looking forward to seeing what lands there.

The changes I’ve witnessed in this area are  amazing. Development along 196th and over by the mall remind me of the changes in downtown Bellevue in the 80s. Lynnwood had a rather unique environment, though, so it will grow into a rather different business community.

Safeway’s Been Acquired By Albertson’s

Carl Setzer1 Comment

One little tidbit I missed earlier this year: Albertson’s is acquiring Safeway. In my humble borough of Lynnwood, we have one of each on opposite corners of the same intersection. With this M&A, I expect that one of the two will be shuttered, especially since part of the justification is the cut costs and improve our competitive position. Especially since they’re surrounded by competition: < 2 mile radius to two Krogers QFCs and a Walmart, with another of Kroger’s Fred Meyer stores just slightly further away.

Safeway always seems to be empty, whereas Albertson’s seems pretty active (now that is completely subjective, so take that into consideration). However, I’ve lived around the area for years, and both stores have maintained continuous presences. So I guess they’re both fine sales-wise, but I anticipate the Albertson’s is stronger. And the Jame’s Village Albertson’s has been in the same location for ages. Thus, if I were putting a wager, I’d lean towards Albertson’s winning out. As I haven’t seen a timeline for this being completed and through regulatory review, we’ll just need to wait for the future to get here.

 

Ezell’s Coming Back To Lynnwood?

Carl Setzer

On my drive into the office today, I passed the strip mall on the north side of 196th (just east of 40th) and was pretty certain that I saw an Ezell’s Chicken sign. A few years ago, they closed their first Lynnwood store (on 76th & 196th; Ezell’s was still showing on this Google map street view [as of today, at least]). It looks like the store wasn’t performing, so they moved it to south Everett, which is now apparently closed (their website has one in Mill Creek). I started with their chicken years ago, and am fond of seeing local businesses do well. And how much better does one get than getting called out by Oprah as “the best”?

There is the possibility I read that wrong, but I’m pretty sure I saw the logo on the banner. It’s an interesting location, as it’s right across 40th from KFC, which has been in that location as long as I can remember. Perhaps that will help? Will it hurt? That area gets massive amounts of vehicle traffic, so that should help things.

Anyway, if I’m right, I wish them the greatest success.