Pyramids Village

[Roadgeek]

It's a pretty interesting album. Like I said before, I have no experience with the pre-renovation ccm.

[NCMike1981]

Very interesting photos Roadgeek! I wish I could remember Ivey's....what yr did Dillards buy them out? Were they struggling as a company or did Dillards simply give them an offer they couldn't refuse?

[StevenRocks]

Just as promised, the pictures of the Grand Opening! I call the album, "The Birth of Carolina Circle Mall".

Here they are, knock your self out: The Birth of Carolina Circle Mall

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Impressive. Where'd you get them from?

I vove the old funky '70s look in the pictures. Sad to say, in this world of beige, it's nice to see a little color again (even if it's mostly orange and in old photos)

I knew Ivey's entrance was funky, but looking back it was out of sight (sorry for the dated slang, I'm diggin' those pictures! B) )

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

I was looking at one of your other albums there...and saw an ad for AMC theaters...when Back to the Future was on. I am assuming this was from 1985 since I saw that movie with my husband to be there on July 4th of that same year. Very Very cool...to see the ad.

[StevenRocks]

I wish I could remember Ivey's....what yr did Dillards buy them out? Were they struggling as a company or did Dillards simply give them an offer they couldn't refuse?

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Dillard's bought Ivey's in 1989 and converted the stores in 1990. Ivey's was fairly healthy as a chain, but its parent company was suffering. Dillard's primarily wanted Ivey's Florida locations, but it gained a major foothold in North Carolina with the aquisition.

[Roadgeek]

I was looking at one of your other albums there...and saw an ad for AMC theaters...when Back to the Future was on.  I am assuming this was from 1985 since I saw that movie with my husband to be  there on July 4th of that same year.  Very Very cool...to see the ad.

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No, it was from 1989. This was a newspaper clipping of movie times. Back to the Future Pt. 2 came out in 1989.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

No, it was from 1989. This was a newspaper clipping of movie times. Back to the Future Pt. 2 came out in 1989.

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You know, I didnt even see the II on there...my mistake..I was getting all excited...my bubble is burst now ...sighz

[cosmoboy]

Somehow I still fell that CCM is alive and well. I also think sometimes that CCM could've survived if it had had the proper attention and want to care. I guess we could classify CCM as a neglected "child."

[Roadgeek]

Yeah, what if ccm was still open as of 2005.

1. Montgomery Ward would obviously be gone.

2. There would probably be a Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Nextel, etc.

3. I'm not sure if this would have happened but, there might have been another renovation to make it look cool and modern.

4. There would be a Dell Computer Kiosk (Every mall i've been to has one)

Let's think of some more.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

It would most certainly have to offer something different than is found in Greensboro...or at least that half of town.

....perhaps a carousel? ::grinz::

[StevenRocks]

Judging by what I'm seeing in other similar markets, Belk and Dillard's would probaly be gone if CCM was still around. There'd probably be a National Wholesale Liquidators or something similar like Value City or Burlington Coat Factory in one of the anchor spots.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

or a JR's....

[mediamongrel]

Funny how back then (in 1976) grand openings of enclosed malls were always jam packed! The whole parking lot was filled up! And CCM had a giant parking lot. Today, if a mall opened up, people would be like, ho-hum about it. As the Internet grows, I'd say in 15-20 years or so, people will be flocking to see malls getting shut down rather than opening. I wonder just how long Belk's, Dillard's, and places of that nature are going to be able to survive with the boom of discount clothiers. Most speciality shops inside the mall will probably have a harder time in the future as well, seeing that any items that are not size dependent, and which can be shipped through the mail easily, will probably be purchased online instead. I think enclosed malls are defintiely a dying trend. However, CCM will always be a great memory to treasure.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

From what I could tell too, people sorted shifted shopping habits to some degree from wanting to go to a big mall, to wanting to just go the store of their choice and then leave. After CCM finished their renovations, Friendly Center did some pretty big ones...and people seemed to favor that sort of shopping over the malls. If I remember ....Four Seasons pretty much had to fight with renovations too in order to try to keep up and ahead. I think that is partly why Southpoint probably has done so well....its a touch of both. The baby boomer group that fed the mall age is now starting to age. Their desire to endlessly walk around a mall to do their shopping may be somewhat effected by their health (and a seen it all mind set) Just some thoughts and opinions

[cosmoboy]

Funny how back then (in 1976) grand openings of enclosed malls were always jam packed!  The whole parking lot was filled up!  And CCM had a giant parking lot.  Today, if a mall opened up, people would be like, ho-hum about it.  As the Internet grows, I'd say in 15-20 years or so, people will be flocking to see malls getting shut down rather than opening.  I wonder just how long Belk's, Dillard's, and places of that nature are going to be able to survive with the boom of discount clothiers.  Most speciality shops inside the mall will probably have a harder time in the future as well, seeing that any items that are not size dependent, and  which can be shipped through the mail easily, will probably be purchased online instead.  I think enclosed malls are defintiely a dying trend.  However, CCM will always be a great memory to treasure.

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Well there will always be those type of people who wan't to see something in person before they buy it. I'd say about half of the US is like that, so I guess we'll be counting on people like that to keep our US malls open!

[StevenRocks]

After CCM finished their renovations, Friendly Center did some pretty big ones...and people seemed to favor that sort of shopping over the malls.  If I remember ....Four Seasons pretty much had to fight with renovations too in order to try to keep up and ahead.

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Friendly Center came back from out of nowhere with a substantial amount of reinvention. I like the place a lot. The neighborhood around it has not changed much at all over the last fifty years, so that gives it a distinct advantage over malls like Four Seasons and Carolina Circle.

Perception plays a big role too. When Carolina Circle closed, all the young urban teens that were served by it shifted to Four Seasons, so now that's starting to be consideed a "bad" mall, even though it hasn't changed much at all. Friendly Center is decidedly lacking in that demographic, so it's considered the "good" mall.

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Moving on: No doubt about it, the retail business has changed from the days of Carolina Circle Mall. My theory is that as malls like Carolina Circle were so dependent on department stores, the fates of the two were intertwined. As department stores became irrelevant to many modern shoppers, so did the malls that held them, or as ILoveCallingNCHome said:

From what I could tell too, people sorted shifted shopping habits to some degree from wanting to go to a big mall, to wanting to just go the store of their choice and then leave...The baby boomer group that fed the mall age is now starting to age.  Their desire to endlessly walk around a mall to do their shopping may be somewhat effected by their health (and a seen it all mind set)

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There's an interesting article I "borrowed" from the Baltimore Sun about Hecht's, which is now becoming Macy's through aquisition. This article sums up part of what wrong with with department stores like Belk and Dillard's (note: 2/3 of Carolina Circle) and with the mall-based retail industry in general. It might provide some insight.

steve's news annex {sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}} Hecht's: Losing its place in retail world

[Roadgeek]

Even if everyone is true, nothing's going to kill Four Seasons. That place will probably be with us for a long long long long time. It's easy to compare fsm to ccm because Four Seasons opened in 1975 and ccm followed the year after. They both had renovations in the late 80's. Four Seasons seems pretty imortal.

Also, a ccm question. At Christmas time, wasn't there some sort of Christmas maze outside of Montgomery Ward?

[NCMike1981]

Four Seasons will survive as long as nothing shiny and new opens up within a relatively close distance that's big enough to lure away stores and shoppers....

[Roadgeek]

I now have a really creapy image in my head of a closed Four Seasons.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

nothing's going to kill Four Seasons. Four Seasons seems pretty imortal.

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Famous last words...I am sure that folks felt the same about downtown Greensboro and all the new shiny department stores way back when....We have a hard time looking forward...towards the day that beloved places we go to close. I remember when Four Season's was built too...and honestly I am surprised that it is still there as it is with all of the urban sprawl on Wendover etc...High Point Rd used to be a MUCH bigger deal than it is now. Wendover became the new High Point Rd. My *guess* is that FSM will one day have it's day too just like CCM.

[cosmoboy]

Famous last words...I am sure that folks felt the same about downtown Greensboro and all the new shiny department stores way back when....We have a hard time looking forward...towards the day that beloved places we go to close.  I remember when Four Season's was built too...and honestly I am surprised that it is still there as it is with all of the urban sprawl on Wendover etc...High Point Rd used to be a MUCH bigger deal than it is now.  Wendover became the new High Point Rd.  My *guess* is that FSM will one day have it's day too just like CCM.

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agreed!

[StevenRocks]

Four Seasons is going to be with us for a while, though Belk's behavior concerns me.

Dillard's and JCPenney's continued confidence in Four Seasons helps a lot. Both stores have put a lot of money and time into creating their biggest and best presentations in North Carolina at the mall.

JCPenney has its largest NC store at Four Seasons, and Dillard's is not only the largest in the state, it's probably the most upscale (save for SouthPark, which should grab both titles after their remodeling.)

The only weak link anchor-wise is Belk. Belk is still a large and well-trafficed store, but it's obvious if you shop there regularally, that they're starting to pull back some, even with the recent partial remodeling. That store hasn't been very special since Friendly Center trasformed its Belk from 'zero to hero' in 1997. It's a sad shadow of its former self. If anything big leaves that mall, it'll be Belk.

What does this have to do with Carolina Circle? In my opinion, Belk is slowly pulling out of Four Seasons in a manner similar to how they pulled out of Carolina Circle. When Four Seasons was remodeled, Carolina Circle began to eliminate depoartments and atrophy, first closing one floor, the cutting back the remaining floor, finally closing in a worn-out haze.

Belk Four Seasons isn't that bad, but it's not that great anymore either and it's starting to affect all parts of the store.

[mediamongrel]

I first went to Four Seasons Mall in 1992, and at that time it was "state of the art" as far as malls in North Carolina. That was also before they remodled Hanes Mall. Slowly, FS has been deteriorating, especially outside. I really dont think the highway right near it has helped with preserving its qualities. That area is so congested sometimes, I'd say give it 10 years and you will start seeing stores pull out, and head for more affluent neighborhoods, and maybe even a new mall somewhere. The area I would figure is NW or N Greensboro north and West of Battleground. Also, the lake Jeanette area has grown a lot.

[cosmoboy]

Well see I doubt that because over the years Greensboro's population will continue to grow and grow on the north and south sides. The city can easily support 2 malls in the north and south. If the stores were to vacate to a shiny more expensive mall in northwest or north Greensboro than who would serve the south? Friendly Center,perhaps? I doubt that, but maybe! See you have some very wealthy areas in southern G'boro, like Grandover, and....well you know there's others. But don't forget about the middle class because you have all these little suburban pad homes being put up near the I-85 bypass and certainly they wouldn't want to drive 10 miles to the north just to go shopping if FS get's KO'd. This is why I can't understand why North Winston doesn't have a mall! it could certainly serve Stokes, N. Forsyth, and Surry quite well. I know there has been several othere threads about this but all I wan't is for N. Winston to get a mall because Hanes just isn't doing it anymore!

[Roadgeek]

I have complete confidense in Four Seasons. Our Great Great Grandchildren will probably be shopping at Four Seasons. I usually hang around Radio Shack, FYE, Suncoast, and Electronics Boutique. My favorite fast food joint at FS? I'm thinking Arby's.

If there is one mall that I think is dying slowly is Hanes Mall. It's mainly the Hecht's Corridor.

Back to Four Seasons. Someone here said that since ccm went 6 ft. under, a lot of the mall rats started hanging around Four Seasons. When Four Seasons and Carolina Circle were both opened, the mall traffic was easily spread out. Now that ccm is gone, all of the ccm traffic has been diverted to fsm. I myself was part of the ccm flow. When a large city like Greensboro has only one mall, that one mall becomes too crowded. That's why I miss ccm. The best cure for this is to build a new mall to spread the mall traffic out again.