The number of new businesses in Beckley continues to amaze me. Each week, it seems like I am hearing about another new business in the area.

A consignment and antique shop has opened in the large building across from Captain D’s on Robert C. Byrd Drive.

Classy Clutter Consignment appears to be one of the largest consignment shops in the region.

According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, the consignment and thrift shop industry is growing at a rate of 5 percent a year. And as the prices of gasoline and groceries edge higher and debt — be it mortgage or credit card — weighs more heavily, saving money on clothes, shoes and household goods has become increasingly essential for many people.

The thrift shop association estimates that there are 25,000 such stores in the United States, and that number continues to grow each year.

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I have also found out that a doctor’s office will open in the old Rite Aid location on Harper Road.

The building sat empty for months after Rite Aid moved into a new standalone unit just down the road.

The location appears a perfect fit for a doctor’s office since it is located just across the street from Raleigh General Hospital.

I don’t have the name of the physician opening the new office, but I’m sure it will be announced soon.

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Freedman’s Jewelers in Crossroads Mall is switching to Whitehall Jewelers.

The switch is apparently under way and I’m in the process of trying to get an interview and a story for a future edition.

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The old Pancake House on Harper Road is undergoing renovations that will transform it into the Campestre Mexican Bar & Grill. Campestre offers an authentic Mexican dinning experience. There is a Campestre in Princeton at 259 Greasy Ridge Road.

An opening date has not been announced.

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Another renovation is planned for the old Burger King building on Harper Road. It will be converted into a First Community Bank branch. No opening date has been announced.

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Also, the old DFW Furniture in the Cranberry Creek Plaza in Beckley is now rue21, clothing store. rue21 is a leading specialty retailer offering the latest fashion for girls and guys.

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One rumor to put to rest, at least for 2008, is The Home Depot.

According to Craig Fishel, public relations manager with The Home Depot, Beckley is not among its 2008 new store locations.

Fishel said the company’s 2008 financial outlook called for 55 new store openings with five store relocations, but Beckley is not among those.

Fishel said recent advertising by The Home Depot in The Register-Herald may be because of the newspaper being part of a larger national group of newspapers or part of an expanding advertisement area, but should not be viewed as an indication that the company is planning to open a new store in Beckley in 2008.

“The Home Depot will continue to look at potential locations for new store openings, so Beckley could be on the radar in the future,” Fishel said.

— E-mail: fpace@register-herald.com