An adventure Park chain will open second Connecticut location in Manchester! Urban Air Trampoline Park will open in the former Bob's Store location at 220 Hale Road. Urban Air should be open in Spring 2019 according to a press release. A press release from Urban Air reads: "Urban Air, the premier family-friendly indoor trampoline and entertainment center, wants Manchester, Connecticut to ‘exercise’ its right to FUN! The company known for endless hours of trampolining, rock climbing, dodge-balling and more, has announced the location of its newest Urban Air Adventure Park at 220 Hale Road, Manchester, CT. “We know families are looking for ways to spend time together – and the more active the experience, the more memorable,” said Urban Air’s founder and CEO Michael Browning. “Parents want their kids off their phones giving them less ‘screen time,’ and more time to play and engage with other kids their age the old-fashioned way. We’ve got them covered at Urban Air where the focus is on active play for people of all ages! Urban Air Adventure Park is thrilled to soon be the ultimate family destination in Manchester and the surrounding areas of Vernon, East Hartford, Wethersfield, Ellington and Tolland.” With 53,000 square feet of space, the state-of-the-art Urban Air Manchester offers a full line-up of activities that every guest can enjoy. From wall-to-wall trampolines, dodgeball courts, obstacle courses, to tube playgrounds with multi-level climbing ropes and twisting tubes, both thrill-seekers and their pint-sized counter-parts will find an activity to conquer at Urban Air. The new facility will also be home to the Urban Air Adventure Hub™ featuring exclusive Urban Air attractions such as an intense ropes course, and the one-of-a-kind Urban Air Sky Rider Indoor Coaster. Other options to challenge guests include Drop Zone—an enormous inflatable landing pad perched below a series of trampolines, the Runway Tumble Track that offers flexibility to those who flip, handspring and cartwheel down its track, and Slam Dunk Zone, where guests attempt to emulate their favorite NBA all-star with a trampoline-induced slam dunk of their own! The Urban Warrior Course™, and Battle Beam round out the competitive options available for a day of physical tests and endurance. With all this activity, appetites are sure to soar! Guests can enjoy a delicious meal, cold drink or quick snack at the park’s Urban Café before venturing back for more pulse-pounding enjoyment. Urban Air also offers custom birthday parties for kids where the activities are endless for each attendee. The fun is not limited to children though, as adults can also partake in a group outing too; Urban Air is the ideal locale for corporate retreats, team building experiences and private events. Urban Air Manchester is slated to open in the Spring of 2019 and will employ 60 local residents. For more information on Urban Air job openings, please visit our career page." The Manchester location was first announced in 2015, with an opening date the next year, however these plans never came to fruition. Urban Air will replace the former Bob's Store which closed in 2017 when their parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Urban Air is a chain of trampoline parks based out of Dallas, Texas. Urban Air has 134 trampoline park either open or opening soon; with two locations in the United Kingdom. Urban Air has one other Connecticut location, located at 260 Bull Hill Lane Orange, CT; the park opened earlier this year.
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This is a new article series, Manchester & Vernon Business Bulletin will not include news about the mall, that information can be found in our Buckland Business Brief series. Jean-Luc DubeFounder of The Manchester Scoop and a full-time Architecture student at UHart with an affinity for business news. The following is an interview conducted with Inaam Khan, owner of I-Khanic Socks, and Jean-Luc Dube, an interviewer from The Manchester Scoop. For more information or to purchase socks, please visit their website, https://ikhanicstore.com/
Q: For readers please provide a little background knowledge on your life pre-Ikhanic Socks, like where you grew up, went to college, what did you study? A: My name is Inaam Khan, I was born in Queens, NY and moved to Manchester when I was 5 years old. After graduating from MHS in 2010, I went on to UConn where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked at several large companies including Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft, and even Rolls Royce out in Indiana. Q: Being an engineering student, how did you get into the funky sock business? A: I get this question a lot, and it’s actually a pretty funny story. Engineering environments are usually corporate 9-5 jobs with formal dress wear. Showcasing your unique personality in a conservative dress code environment can be a little tough, which is why I started wearing colorful socks. It’s a nice way of standing out and being different, while still adhering to the company’s dress code. I’d wear funky dress socks every day and post them on social media and that’s wear it took off. People loved my socks on Snapchat (@inaams) and started sending me pictures of their socks - I was getting 10-15 pictures of socks a day! It was a little creepy, but I realized that there is a big market there and that’s why I decided to launch I-Khanic. Q: When did you start your business? A: November, 2017. It’s been just about a year! Q:Why the cool designs? Is it a stylistic choice or to grab attention? A: It’s a little of both! Studies show that people who wear colorful socks are more creative, brilliant, and successful. It takes a lot of confidence to wear socks with funky patterns and bright colors. I-Khanic socks are unique because not only are they visually appealing, but they’re also very high quality. Our socks are custom designed and made in Italy using soft Egyptian cotton. Q: Where is your business headquartered? A: Manchester, CT Q: Any future plans for expansion? A: Yes, I want to branch out into more apparel. Socks are awesome and I want to start designing products that can complement them. For example, matching ties, hoodies, caps, etc. Q: Any plans to break into Brick and Mortar stores, even if its something like a kiosk in the mall? A: At the moment, I’ve been brain storming several ideas to expand and scale. Kiosks and popup shops are the way to go in my opinion. Also, getting I-Khanic socks in to retail stores is another option that I’ve been exploring. Q: With Amazon’s domination of online business, how do you feel you compete in the field? Do you feel like it’s a David versus Goliath situation? A: Amazon is an interesting animal. There’s a method to its madness and who ever figures out that method has hit the jack pot. Knowledge about SEO, keywords, and Amazon algorithms is extremely important. I have a big advantage because I’m a private brand, so I don’t have to compete with other sellers to sell the same exact product. Q: According to your website, the socks are made in Italy, do you feel the quality is better because of this? With the upcoming increased tariff rates on imports coming in the near future, would you consider switching to a U.S. based supplier? A: When I launched I-Khanic, my goal was (and is!) to be the best. I didn’t just want aesthetically pleasing socks – I wanted superior quality. It’s easy to have these socks made in China and double or even triple my profit margin, but I’d rather pay more and have internal satisfaction that consumers actually receive a product that exceeds their expectations. For this reason, I chose to manufacture them in Italy, a country that is well known for high quality clothing products. With incoming increased tariff rates, I would not mind at all switching to a U.S based supplier. It’s actually an idea that I’m currently exploring. We have many talented manufacturers here that can match Italian quality. Although price may be a little bit higher, the quicker delivery times and lack of headaches due to customs would be worth it. Q: What is your most popular product? A: The I-Khanic Sock Club has been the most popular by far. It’s a new subscription service that we started to offer a few months ago where you basically receive a new, funky, pair of socks every month (free shipping!). It’s a nice little surprise to look forward to. I would like to thank Mr. Khan for taking the time to talk to us, It was a pleasure to get a peek into your thriving business. For more information or to purchase socks please visit https://ikhanicstore.com/ Stay tuned for more 'Spotlight On' articles in the near future, if you would like your business to be featured please contact us at buckland.business.brief@gmail.com Sears Holdings Corporation has filed for bankruptcy. The department store chain owned their namesake, Sears, and discount retailer Kmart. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy early Monday morning after years of slumped sales, crumbling stores, and money woes. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is usually used for restructuring a struggling company by eliminating debt and closing stores.
A recap of this month's business opening, closings, rumors, and events in the Buckland Hill's/Evergreen Walk retail corridor! Opening: -Mocha Emporium will open a coffee shop inside The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The location has not been released. -Fun4All will open a trampoline pop-up inside the mall! Fun4All installed the trampoline in front of Dick's Sporting Goods, and consists of bungee cords that are worn when using the trampoline. -Goofy Turtle has opened their toy store in the former FYE space inside the Buckland Hills Mall. The store is 'Play before you play' format. -Go Calendar has opened a holiday toy store in the former Coldwater Creek location at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk. -Dragon Puffs will open a Nitrogen-based icecream stand near the food court at the mall. Nitrogen ice cream is a growing trend. -Spooky-town has opened their Halloween pop-up in the former Dalene Carpet space near Petco. Closing: -Cricket Wireless has been removed from the Shoppes at Buckland Hills website, the store was coming soon for a number of months. Other Buckland News: -Christmas light are now going up at Evergreen Walk! If you want to feel jolly I recommend you visit Evergreen! -Mattress Firm, which has two locations in Manchester, has filed for Bankruptcy protections. The chain has released a list of closing locations, and neither Manchester location is on the list. -Rave Cinemas is currently undergoing major renovations to add luxury theaters with recliners. -Texas Roadhouse has completed a minor renovation of their exterior, the siding was replaced among other things. -Evergreen Walk will host 'Fall-O-Ween' on Saturday October 27th, for more information please visit their website via the link below: /www.thepromenadeshopsatevergreenwalk.com/event/Fall-O-Ween/2145514088/ Other Manchester News and Vernon News will now be reported in a new article series premiering next week! If you see an opening, a closing, or have any business news to share email us! Buckland.Business.Brief@gmail.com The Manchester Scoop is currently looking for business owners to interview for an upcoming article series. If interested email us! Images courtesy of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, JLD Photos. Jean-Luc DubeFounder of The Manchester Scoop and a full-time Architecture student at UHart with an affinity for business news. Big Y is planning a Manchester gas station according to planning and zoning documents released earlier this week. The gas station will be located adjacent to Big Y Supermarket on Tolland Turnpike. Jean-Luc DubeWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. |
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