Dateline: March 17, 2005

Stavenhagen returns to downtown location

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Stavenhagen Video has returned to Kearney Street, and owner Bill Stavenhagen has stocked his shelves with a wider variety of goods and office supplies in an effort to attract more shoppers downtown.

“This wasn’t a move that I wanted to make,” Stavenhagen says. “I left main street nine years ago because of bad business and moved to a location where business was good.”

But in all that time, the local merchant was unable to sell his downtown building; and when his partnership in The Clarendon Outpost dissolved late last year, he felt that God was calling him back downtown.

“I’m not trying to be all religious,” he said, “but I don’t think I’m back in this building just for my business.”

Nevertheless, business is good at 218 S. Kearney. Stavenhagen’s Radio Shack dealership and video business is growing and will celebrate its grand opening on March 23.

“The thing downtown needs is shops that don’t have what all the department stores offer,” Stavenhagen said. “The key I think is putting in merchandise that is unique.”

In addition to his usual lineup of VHS and DVD movie rentals, electronic gadgets and components, and Zenith televisions, Stavenhagen is now offering office supplies, is providing a sign-up place for CentraMedia online services, and is planning to add a section of gifts – as soon as he figures out what would be unique.

“I don’t need to offer the gifts Henson’s has or the gifts the Nook has. I need to be different.”

Fredericksburg, he says, is a popular place to shop because of its unique stores. And it’s also popular because building owners are willing to invest money in the appearance of downtown, which he says is something Clarendon needs to do.

“We need to get Kearney Street dressed up. I’ve made the inside of this place look nice; and when the weather warms up, I’ll make the outside look nice.”

Stavenhagen says the public has given him a wonderful response to returning to downtown and that many people come in and compliment him on the new fixtures and professional appearance of his store.

“One gentleman came in and said to me, ‘Now this is what a store is supposed to look like,’” Stavenhagen said. “You can’t sell out of an empty wagon, and you’ve got to have stuff looking nice.”

Since he re-opened January 3, Stavenhagen says his business is better than it was at the Outpost and much better than it was downtown ten years ago. His office supply business is just getting started, and he expects it might take six months for it to really catch on.

But already he says he can tell God has blessed him, and he’s planning to take in the back room of his building to offer even more office supplies in the coming months. He also wants to explore grants as a way to help revitalize downtown and get more shops on Kearney Street.