A PENNY SAVED | Kohl’s department store is offering “friends and family” an extra 15 percent off today and tomorrow. The coupon works when shopping online, too, just enter ” FAMILY15″ when you checkout.

In other Kohl’s news, the retailer is opening it’s 6th East Bay store in Livermore next Wednesday. Kohl’s started out as a local chain of 40 stores in Wisconsin and has exploded to more than 800 stores in the last 20 years.

Here’s a list of Kohl’s stores in the East Bay:

Pleasant Hill: 2302 Monument Blvd., (925) 691-9650
M-F: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Brentwood: 5511 Lone Tree Way, (925) 513-3370
M-F: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

San Leandro: 15555 E. 14th Street, (510) 317-6420
M-F: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Pleasanton: 4525 Rosewood Dr., (925) 924-1060
M-F: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Fremont: 43782 Christy St., (510) 687-0460
M-F: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

RETAIL DETAIL | I wrote a story in today’s paper about a the new Sports Basement Store in Walnut Creek that occupies an anchor tenant spot that used to house and Albertsons.

Some customers like the new store. The site was vacant for close to a year after Albertsons shut down and it’s Sports Basement first store in the East Bay. I received some calls from nearby residents telling me they would have preferred another grocery store instead of a place that sells running shoes, skis and yoga mats.

One reader wondered why Sports Basement came to that section of Walnut Creek instead of somewhere closer to downtown, which is kind of a shopping mecca. Well, the main reason is that location rents for much less than space in and around downtown Walnut Creek. Another reason could be that there are two Safeways and a Nob Hill less than two miles away.

A still of Jessica Simpson from Macy’s latest TV ad.

RETAIL DETAIL | Martha Stewart is a perfectionist. Usher is a charmer. Emeril is a workhorse in the kitchen. Jessica Simpson is an airhead. What else is new?

Macy’s has been running commercials this week featuring a lineup of “stars” i.e. celebrities who sell lines of clothing, accessories and housewares at its stores.

I almost started to like the commercial. Catchy music. Pretty images. Celebrities making fun of themselves. What’s not to like?

Um, how about Jessica Simpson pretending she doesn’t know that she’s supposed to pull a door open instead of push. Puh-leeze. She’s obviously not stupid. She has her own shoe line. And, if she is that stupid, she doesn’t deserve to have a shoe line and no one should wear her shoes.

The other celebs like Donald Trump, Martha Stewart and P. Diddy are recognizable, but also over-exposed. Can’t you get Martha’s stuff at Kmart for less? I know they’re stars, but sometimes those burn out.

RETAIL DETAIL | Move over Halloween merchandise, it’s Hispanic Heritage Month and retailers are taking advantage of the season. iTunes sent me an e-mail reminding to celebrate my Hispanic heritage by downloading some songs at 99 cents a piece. I feel more patriotic already!

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, tells me that some of its stores, those it labels “Stores of the Community,” may be having “live music, radio station remote broadcasts, and special appearances.” Just for us? How precious.

I wasn’t aware of this, but apparently Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 is the best of the year to be Hispanic because finally, some retailers will realize they can cater to Latinos without restraint. Oh, wait, what about Cinco de Mayo? Well, that’s the holiday non-Hispanics have appropriated as another reason to eat chips and salsa and drink margaritas.

To my fellow Hispanics, in case you were waiting to download songs by a Daddy Yankee or buy a 12-pack of Corona from Wal-Mart, now is the time!

Hispanics now make up 15 percent of the U.S. population. Marketers have been spending years trying special promotions and tactics to reach this “untapped” market. Well, I’m not a marketing expert, but I can say that Hispanics shop all year-around and taking one month to recognize our contributions as consumers is rather patronizing.
Gracias, amigos! No thank you.

Deborah Cruz stops to chat while shopping at the new Lucky Store in Pleasant Hill.

AT THE SCENE | So Lucky Stores have comeback to the Bay Area after an eight-year hiatus (read about it in today’s Times) and although some shoppers loved the chain back in the day, what matters now is how Lucky measures up in today’s competitive grocery industry.

I interviewed Deborah Cruz (see photo above) yesterday about her experiences with Lucky. The store reminds her of growing up in San Leandro and shopping there as a kid. To see the name resurface makes her feel nostalgic and curious enough to visit some of the new stores, but how much she’ll spend is another matter.

She was impressed by the 89 cents per pound pork roast and the store looked clean and well-organized, she said. But, she did notice some meat with green along the edges. “I didn’t buy it,” she said.

Cruz, who lives in Concord, told me if she had her way, WinCo Foods would open a store nearby. She says she likes that stores selection of bulk items and rock bottom prices. The closest location to her right now is in Brentwood.

For now, Lucky is a shorter trip. “Hopefully Lucky can keep the good reputation,” Cruz said. “And, the prices will stay within reach.”

SPOTLIGHT | Lucky Stores have made a comeback in the East Bay. The stores are in former Albertsons locations that have been converted to Lucky starting in July. Here is a list in Alameda, Contra Costa and Sonoma counties:

ALAMEDA, 815 MARINA VILLAGE PKWY., (510) 521-9113

ANTIOCH, 4500 LONETREE WAY, (925) 756-0150

CASTRO VALLEY, 3443 CASTRO VALLEY BLVD., (510) 581-8636

CONCORD, 5190 CLAYTON ROAD, (925) 680-2630

DANVILLE, 660 SAN RAMON VALLEY ROAD, (925) 820-4522

FREMONT: 35820 FREMONT BLVD, (510) 792-0900
34101 FREMONT BLVD., (510) 790-0491
40055 MISSION BLVD., (510) 657-6043
5000 MOWRY AVE., (510) 744-1660

LIVERMORE, 2000 PORTOLA AVE., (925) 456-2900
1951 HOLMES ST., (925) 447-9051

HAYWARD, 24500 HESPERIAN BLVD., (510) 782-9602
22555 MISSION BLVD., (510) 538-7120

MARTINEZ, 1145 ARNOLD DR., (925) 372-8661

OAKLAND, 3000 EAST 9TH ST., (510) 437-8000
4055 MCARTHUR BLVD., (510) 530-7655
247 E. 18th Street, (510) 272-0467
1963 MOUNTAIN BLVD., (510) 339-4290

OAKLEY, 2545 MAIN ST., (925) 625-7505

PLEASANT HILL, 155 CRESCENT PLAZA (925) 687-9933

PLEASANTON, 6155 WEST LAS POSITAS (925) 462-1520

SAN LEANDRO, 1300 FAIRMONT DR., (510) 276-6905]
15840 HESPERIAN BLVD., (510) 276-6484

SAN RAMON, 5181 CROW CANYON COMMONS, (925) 866-1192
21001 SAN RAMON VALLEY BLVD., (925) 828-1200]

SAN PABLO, 300 SAN PABLO TOWNE CENTER, (510) 232-0801

SONOMA, 19181 SONOMA HIGHWAY, (707) 996-1271

UNION CITY, 32300 DYER ST., (510) 441-8484

For a complete store list, click here.

TIP JAR | So it’s Fall, but that doesn’t mean your closets and budget could use a spring cleaning. My goal for this weekend is to clean out my closet in search of clothes I can resell, or at least give away, before I start planning my fall wardrobe purchases. I need to make some room before I add!
I’m going to start looking for the most cost-effective ways of reselling clothes. Right now, my ideas include selling on sites like Craigslist and Ebay or selling to consignment shops. What methods have worked for you?

New Whole Foods in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill matches the industrial look of the neighborhood.

AT THE SCENE | Whole Foods, the retailer that made grocery shopping a luxury experience, is adding to its stream of innovations by adding a spa to its stores. The first Whole Foods “mini-spa” in California opened this morning at the chain’s new Potrero Hill store in San Francisco.

The sidewalk bistro is separate from the rest of the grocery store.

The store also features a side-walk bistro that has an espresso bar, a kitchen and prepared foods to go.

Take a break from shopping to pamper yourself!

Treatments at the Whole Foods spa range from 25 minute facials for $50 to a two and a half hour facial plus massage for $175. It seems kind of ambitious for what looks like a 10 by 10 foot cell in the middle of the store.
Whole Foods has plans to open new stores in Oakland (by months’ end at the corner of 27th and Harrison streets), Lafayette and Dublin. I haven’t heard back from company spokespeople as to whether those stores will also have spas and sidewalk bistros. You can also find Whole Foods in Walnut Creek, San Ramon and Berkeley.

IT’S MY MONEY | I shopped until my feet ached on Saturday and I still wanted to keep going! Unfortunately for me, Saturday was the only day of the three day weekend I could devote to spending the small bucks I make. Nonetheless, I would call my time well-spent.

I ventured out with two goals in mind:
• find a pair of silver heels to wear to a wedding I’m in this weekend.
• look for an alternate dress to wear to a wedding that took place Sunday.

I came home with a bag of basic tees and tanks from Old Navy and four pairs of shoes. Yes, four!

The first pair were a steal: $27 for black pointy-toe, mid-heel Nine West pumps from Ross. The check-out line snaked back about fifty people deep, but it was worth the wait. Then I ventured over to a place where I can spend hours: DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse).

I love DSW, but it’s a like black hole for me. First, of all, the San Francisco store in Union Square has three and a half floors. I perused all of them. Second, trying on shoes. I was by myself and I hate shopping alone. They all look great! Third, the decision making process. That’s the part of the shopping trip I hate. In the end, I selected a pair of silver open-toe, satin pumps ($30), gray and sea-green Adidas running shoes ($50) and black Calvin Klein flats ($35). I’m embarrassed to admit those are my first pair of fashionable flats. Yes, I’m a late bloomer. I hesitated on account of arch support, but I’m a believer. They are adorable!

I was disappointed with finding a cool new dress to buy. My back up was black and I hoped to find something in a different color, but no such luck. At least my feet are happy.

Above: a photo of my happy feet in my new black CK flats.