Bailey's adding 2 stores

Bailey's Fine Jewelry is a small family business dedicated to staying small, but sometimes opportunity comes knocking.

The company, which was founded in 1948, is expanding with two new stores: one in Raleigh's Crabtree Valley Mall and one in Fayetteville's Cross Creek Mall.

The new stores will join the ones in Raleigh's Cameron Village, Rocky Mount and Greenville, bringing the total to five.

But Trey Bailey said this is not the beginning phase of a huge expansion.

"We don't want to be a chain of 10 or 15, 30 stores," said Bailey, director of operations. "In the jewelry industry, there's actually not that many successful chains. Higher-end stores that become big chains usually don't make it. ... We're a small family jeweler. When you get big, you abandon that model."

So why expand now, especially with the economy in such turmoil?

The answer: Carlyle & Co., a long-standing jewelry chain, closed its stores after bankruptcy. Both new Bailey's stores will take over former Carlyle locations.

"This wasn't planned," Bailey said. "Carlyle was a good company that went out of business. My folks and me, we all sat down and had a meeting and spent about 30 days discussing it. ... We even had some record months in the deepest part of the recession. Now we are soaring. Our business is doing great and we figured it's a great time to expand."

The new Fayetteville store is expected to open in July, followed by Crabtree in late August or early September.

... Also at Crabtree, Spencer's will open this fall on the upper level near Payless Shoes.

In Durham, the formerDaisy Notes & Paper store is now The Merry Martini,a new stationery and invitation shop.

The company began online and has now taken over the Daisy Notes space and some of its inventory. The store is at 5826 Fayetteville Road.

Other items: In Garner, Body Wellness Massage Therapy is open at 405 Aversboro Road. ... In Smithfield at the Carolina Premium Outlets, the New York & Co. outlet is open. ... In Cary, Bella Mia, is open at 2025 Renaissance Drive in the Arboretum at Weston, offering Neapolitan coal-fired pizzas. ... In Durham, Saladelia will open its store in Hock Plaza at 2424 Erwin Road on Tuesday. ... In Holly Springs, the new wine bar Niche has opened at 109-A N. Main St. offering wine tastings, private parties and a wine locker owners' club. It's open Monday through Saturday and Sunday by appointment. ... In Raleigh's Cameron Village, The Athlete's Foot opened in its expanded space and the Priscilla of Boston bridal salon is open in the old Blockbuster spot. ...

And in Raleigh's Brennan Station at Creedmoor and Strickland roads, Aqua Salon Spa is open. The spa uses a special water filtration system for all its water - both the kind patrons drink and the water used in spa treatments.