Meanwhile ... Van Maur is expanding

Are you tired of reading bad news? I am, and I'm certainly tired of writing it, so it's good to come across news of retailers expanding. Van Maur, a midwestern department store chain, is moving into the Kansas City market:

The upscale department store chain is entering the market in November with a 142,000-square-foot, two-level store in Overland Park.

The company, which is based in Davenport, Iowa, is carefully expanding in the Midwest, backed by a variety of goods at different price points and a 136-year history of customer service that it says will make the stores a success, even in today’s tough climate.

Live long and prosper.