Out: Hamricks; In: Ross

[DigitalSky]

There are changes coming to Matthews' original power center. The shopping center on Independence Blvd at Sam Newell Road will soon get a Ross Dress-For-Less discount department store in place of the current Hamrick's. Hamrick's, an original anchor of Windsor Square since 1988, said this in an e-mail: "we are very sad about the closing also and hope some of our customers will be able to visit our Fort Mill store. It is our hope that one day we will be able to return to the Matthews or surrounding area."

As you may know, Windsor Square has seen a lot of changes in their anchor tennants, HQ: Home Quarters became Kohl's, PharMor became Media Play, Waccamaw Pottery merged with Home Place, then went out of business and now in its location is Office Depot, Goody's joined... and then Sycamore Commons was built next door in 2000 with more power center stores.

[monsoon]

Good memory, or research I built a deck on my first house from materials from that HQ which was really the first big home improvement warehouse in Charlotte if you don't count Heckinger. I really hated to see them get taken over and put out of business.

Waccamaw Pottery going out of business was a big surprise as it was very popular here when it first opened as many people were familiar with the huge WP that had been on the road to Myrtle Beach since the 70s.

[spacelord]

This is what the new Windsor Square is going to look like. Per the web site www.sterlingleasing.com

[NCMike1981]

Poor Hamricks, you don't see many of them any more, seems like the chain is slowly dying...

[f0xym0p]

Poor Hamricks, you don't see many of them any more, seems like the chain is slowly dying...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The store in Gaffney seems to be doing very well though--maybe they should have just stuck with the original one.

Looking at their website made me think of how when I was younger they were displaying their "Links" brand and at that time they were pieces of clothing that could be used several ways, as a top, a skirt, a dress, etc. They had a video playing all the time showing how to wear them. I see the Links brand has changed quite a bit.

[DigitalSky]

Poor Hamricks, you don't see many of them any more, seems like the chain is slowly dying...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah poor Hamrick's

[StevenRocks]

Yeah poor Hamrick's

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They opened a new store in Greensboro not too long ago, and another new one is coming to Roanoke, Va. soon. They're mostly shifting their locations to places where they can make more of an impact. Not dying, just changing with the times.

Can't say I'm a Hamrick's fan, but they do have some good deals.

[DigitalSky]

Here's another pic i found of the Ross store, via Loopnet.com

[DigitalSky]

If anyone's curious as to what's coming in place of the former Media Play store in Windsor Square:

[StevenRocks]

Placeholders and K&G? Nice.