Columbiana Centre

[Temeteron]

One of the cosmetic women at Parisian Columbiana was talking to me about how JCPenney is moving in to that spot, and was saying how redneck a JCpenney is gonna be in there....."you might as well have a wal-mart in the mall without the groceries".....and I totally agree with her.....

[Mr.Marc]

Of all things, why a JC Penny. I don't really have anything against the store, but Columbia needs some variety. Columbiana is located directly off of I26, I mean the mall is basically on I-26. There is always heavy traffic on this interstate, so why would it be so hard to place an anchor there that Columbia or maybe even SC hasn't seen yet.

Also, did anyone check out the amount of traffic at Columbiana this past weekend. The mall was extremely pack. I could not find a park anywhere so I just went back home. Columbiana definitely needs an expansion (a second story could help).

[StevenRocks]

One of the cosmetic women at Parisian Columbiana was talking to me about how JCPenney is moving in to that spot, and was saying how redneck a JCpenney is gonna be in there....."you might as well have a wal-mart in the mall without the groceries".....and I totally agree with her.....

It's not like they're putting in a Dollar General, Temeteron. JCPenney is a decent department store.

[krazeeboi]

One of the cosmetic women at Parisian Columbiana was talking to me about how JCPenney is moving in to that spot, and was saying how redneck a JCpenney is gonna be in there....."you might as well have a wal-mart in the mall without the groceries".....and I totally agree with her.....

What an ignorant, elitist statement. While I would like to see something different and more upscale fill that spot, that statement was really uncalled for.

[Temeteron]

I didnt say it, i quoted it.......and its not ignorant....ignorant are these people walking around thinking they are still in style wearing Levi's and Arizona jeans and shopping from JCPenney(we stopped wearing Levi's in 1995).....fashion ignorant that is

Edited December 14, 2005 by Temeteron

[Spartan]

Fasion ignorance? Give me a break. At least the spot is not sitting empty.

[DigitalSky]

Fasion ignorance? Give me a break. At least the spot is not sitting empty.

True, JCPenney is betterthan an empty shell

[krazeeboi]

I didnt say it, i quoted it.......and its not ignorant....ignorant are these people walking around thinking they are still in style wearing Levi's and Arizona jeans and shopping from JCPenney(we stopped wearing Levi's in 1995).....fashion ignorant that is

And no, I'm not laughing with you on this one.

What about residents of the area who could care less about being a slave to fashion or a "label whore" (and I am not calling you either one, I'm simply making a statement)? I'd rather a person be "fashion ignorant" than ignorant about issues that truly matter.

And who is "we"?

Edited December 14, 2005 by krazeeboi

[StevenRocks]

I didnt say it, i quoted it.......and its not ignorant....ignorant are these people walking around thinking they are still in style wearing Levi's and Arizona jeans and shopping from JCPenney(we stopped wearing Levi's in 1995).....fashion ignorant that is

Fashion is a highly subjective thing, Temeteron. What's cool to you may not mean jack to anyone else. And it's terribly unfair to typify an entire group of people as being unstylish just because they shop at a particular store. You can find style anywhere if you look hard enough.

As for me, I cut my fashion teeth at JCPenney, Sears and Belk/Leggett growing up and gravitated towards more cutting edge fashion as I got older and could buy it with my own money. My closet is more sphisticated and label heavy that it used to be, but that doesn't change who I am, and it shouldn't be a measure of my character.

I don't care if yuou're quoting the catty saleswoman at Parisian or not. You don't have a right to insult people just because of their clothes. I'd much rather be friends with a person who's behind the times in fashion and repects other people than a stylish moron that thinks that overpriced fashion is what makes us special.

[csedwards72]

Regardless of how the Parisian saleswoman's remarks are viewed, having JCPenney instead of Parisian won't help Columbiana attract upscale tenants, since sometimes upscale in-line tenants locate where upscale department stores are.

I am sure that when Greenville Mall attracted a Parisian, some of the other stores that located there came because of Parisian. Then when Proffitt's came (not much fancier than a JCPenney), the mall's attempts to lure more upscale stores were not helped.

[StevenRocks]

Regardless of how the Parisian saleswoman's remarks are viewed, having JCPenney instead of Parisian won't help Columbiana attract upscale tenants, since sometimes upscale in-line tenants locate where upscale department stores are.

I am sure that when Greenville Mall attracted a Parisian, some of the other stores that located there came because of Parisian. Then when Proffitt's came (not much fancier than a JCPenney), the mall's attempts to lure more upscale stores were not helped.

Parisian doesn't hold a lot of sway as far from a national retail standpoint. Most specialty stores decide on how and where they locate based on sales per square foot and demographics of a shopping center. Upscale names help, but the ones with real power are stuff like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks.

Let me give you an example. Citadel Mall in Charleston replaced Belk with Parisian aboput 5 years ago. The net effect was nil, because that's not where Charleston's well-heeled shoppers are going. Parisian gave the mall little to no upscale "bounce" even though that location is no slouch from a merchandise or presentation standpoint.

Taken form a naother perspective, Parisian was not doing well at Columbiana or in Greenville, just like Lord & Taylor was tanking in Raleigh. Even though both chains had really good names, their influence turns to negative when their sales numbers aren't there. In those cases, it's preferable to move out the dying store and replace it with something more productive, wheter it be a lifestyle center addition, specialized anchors, or in the case of Columbiana, a JCPenney. Productive space plus good sales equals better stores overall, even if the prestige takes a momentary hit.

If Columbiana's numbers continue to look good and the demographics that covet those customners continue, the mall will do well and trend upscale, JCPenney or no.

[Temeteron]

For those of us who want Columbiana to progress, there is no way a JCPenney is going to attract upscale stores around it......they should've just torn Parisian down and added a new wing since they dont seem to want to add another floor. We need an expansion at Columbiana! JCPenney does not belong in Columbiana....Might as well swap with Dick's on Bower Pkwy.....would much rather have Dick's or HHGregg in the mall than JCPenney....Columbia's premier mall has the same department stores that Columbia Place has/had with the exception of Macy's.....this makes no sense

Edited December 14, 2005 by Temeteron

[Temeteron]

And no, I'm not laughing with you on this one.

What about residents of the area who could care less about being a slave to fashion or a "label whore" (and I am not calling you either one, I'm simply making a statement)? I'd rather a person be "fashion ignorant" than ignorant about issues that truly matter.

And who is "we"?

Let me enlighten you all....First of all, People like myself, who come from backgrounds where clothing and looking nice and in style *IS* an issue that matters (people who are from northern states and/or more progessed states, and people from European countries in which i am european, even Asian countries, just look at how many Burberry, Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores are in Japan alone) matters to them. Therefore Charlotte which has way more transplants and way more people with high incomes constantly brings new upscale tenants (same thing with Atlanta; which has gotten a Jimmy Choo & a Juicy Couture which are about as exclusive as you can get in the south excluding Florida) and as for Columbia which just brings in another location of a store that has already existed in Columbia for over 30 years.....People here dont seem to appreciate fashion that much....they just appreciate prices thats all, its no wonder that Cobalt on Main st. closed, because not enough people here appreciate names like Ben Sherman, 7 Jeans, True Religion, and don't even say that the construction had anything to do with the closing because even if it was on Gervais St it still wouldnt have done well.....and if you guys seem to get offended about this, this is only the truth so chill

Edited December 14, 2005 by Temeteron

[krazeeboi]

Well then, just move to Charlotte or Atlanta and be done with it. While it's great to have variety in shopping options, this has little to do with what truly makes a city a great place in which to live. If your life revolves around those high-end labels, then that's you; if it really registers THAT far up your priority list, then I will keep my comments to myself. It's really interesting because you remind me of a guy that I know who moved from Charlotte to Atlanta because he thought the fashion culture in Charlotte was so "subpar," and interestingly enough, he feels the same way about Atlanta. It's really a sad thing when that's basically the value one places on a city (high-end labels).

As far as Parisian goes, I visited Phipps Plaza in Atlanta a few days ago and was surprised to see that a Parisian was located there. If it's good enough to get into the very exclusive Phipps Plaza, then I guess it is on the high end of things.

[Temeteron]

Well then, just move to Charlotte or Atlanta and be done with it. While it's great to have variety in shopping options, this has little to do with what truly makes a city a great place in which to live. If your life revolves around those high-end labels, then that's you; if it really registers THAT far up your priority list, then I will keep my comments to myself. It's really interesting because you remind me of a guy that I know who moved from Charlotte to Atlanta because he thought the fashion culture in Charlotte was so "subpar," and interestingly enough, he feels the same way about Atlanta. It's really a sad thing when that's basically the value one places on a city (high-end labels).

As far as Parisian goes, I visited Phipps Plaza in Atlanta a few days ago and was surprised to see that a Parisian was located there. If it's good enough to get into the very exclusive Phipps Plaza, then I guess it is on the high end of things.

No, its just that Lenox & Phipps already has every other department store possible, so thats why Parisian is there, lol jk......talk about variety in ATL.....anyways....fashion is like an art....if you think about it....but not many people think of it that way......and its kinda like how other peopl who are interested in theatre like visiting/living in NYC or L.A. or Minneapolis because of the theatre life in those places.....

[StevenRocks]

For those of us who want Columbiana to progress, there is no way a JCPenney is going to attract upscale stores around it......they should've just torn Parisian down and added a new wing since they dont seem to want to add another floor. We need an expansion at Columbiana! JCPenney does not belong in Columbiana....Might as well swap with Dick's on Bower Pkwy.....would much rather have Dick's or HHGregg in the mall than JCPenney....Columbia's premier mall has the same department stores that Columbia Place has/had with the exception of Macy's.....this makes no sense

It may not make any sense to you, but I think General Growth Properties knows a little more about what to do with Columbiana than you do. They have to think about the bottom line, and I very much doubt they'd do anything to hurt their chances of success in the market.

Let me enlighten you all....First of all, People like myself, who come from backgrounds where clothing and looking nice and in style *IS* an issue that matters (people who are from northern states and/or more progessed states, and people from European countries in which i am european, even Asian countries, just look at how many Burberry, Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores are in Japan alone) matters to them. Therefore Charlotte which has way more transplants and way more people with high incomes constantly brings new upscale tenants (same thing with Atlanta; which has gotten a Jimmy Choo & a Juicy Couture which are about as exclusive as you can get in the south excluding Florida) and as for Columbia which just brings in another location of a store that has already existed in Columbia for over 30 years.....People here dont seem to appreciate fashion that much....they just appreciate prices thats all, its no wonder that Cobalt on Main st. closed, because not enough people here appreciate names like Ben Sherman, 7 Jeans, True Religion, and don't even say that the construction had anything to do with the closing because even if it was on Gervais St it still wouldnt have done well.....and if you guys seem to get offended about this, this is only the truth so chill

I'm going to let krazeeboi answer your comment because you directed towards him, but I feel like what you were trying to say was a slight towards me and everybody else that disagreed with you.

YOU DO NOT KNOW JACK ABOUT RETAIL OR STYLE! Sorry but you don't. You know labels, and I'm sure you're quite fashionable, but anybody with some available credit who can read a fashion magazine and follow the instructions in the ads can pull that off. I'm no sartorialist, but considering that I can at least claim some expertise (I write a fashion and style column in a newspaper) I think it's only fair to tell you that your vision of fashion equating sophistication with aspirational apparel is shallow and your explanation of why you feel the way you do is callous and insulting to the residents of Columbia.

[Temeteron]

It may not make any sense to you, but I think General Growth Properties knows a little more about what to do with Columbiana than you do. They have to think about the bottom line, and I very much doubt they'd do anything to hurt their chances of success in the market.

I'm going to let krazeeboi answer your comment because you directed towards him, but I feel like what you were trying to say was a slight towards me and everybody else that disagreed with you.

YOU DO NOT KNOW JACK ABOUT RETAIL OR STYLE! Sorry but you don't. You know labels, and I'm sure you're quite fashionable, but anybody with some available credit who can read a fashion magazine and follow the instructions in the ads can pull that off. I'm no sartorialist, but considering that I can at least claim some expertise (I write a fashion and style column in a newspaper) I think it's only fair to tell you that your vision of fashion equating sophistication with aspirational apparel is shallow and your explanation of why you feel the way you do is callous and insulting to the residents of Columbia.

I do have a very good sense of style thank you very much and it has been told to me by many many people, even when i was in Miami they were asking me where I was from because my Pumas looked like something you can't find anywhere, and when I told them South Carolina they were shocked saying they thought I was from NYC or Europe somewhere. I am a resident of Columbia...born and raised, and maybe some of you do feel insulted and I'm sorry but thats not what I'm trying to do....Opinions are like butts, we all of one and they all stink......and yours stinks to me and mine stinks to you...and thats just the way it is because we have different beliefs/opinions on things obviously....im also 22 and you are probably older than me, which is probably another factor.....most of my friends/relatives around my age feel the same way I do about retail in Columbia....but whatever, to each his own...by the way I appreciate your knowledge about retail and I do not purposely try to frustrate or aggravate you but your vocabulary does not intimidate me at all

Edited December 15, 2005 by Temeteron

[StevenRocks]

I am a resident of Columbia...born and raised, and maybe they do feel insulted but thats not what I'm trying to do....Opinions are like butts, we all of one and they all stink......and yours stinks to me and mine stinks to you...and thats just the way it is because we have different beliefs/opinions on things obviously....im also 22 and you are probably older than me, which is probably another factor.....most of my friends/relatives around my age feel the same way I do....but whatever, to each his own...by the way I appreciate your knowledge about retail and I do not purposely try to frustrate or aggravate you but your vocabulary does not intimidate me at all

I didn't intend to intimidate you. You have a right to your opinion...it's just that you're wrong.

[Temeteron]

I didn't intend to intimidate you. You have a right to your opinion...it's just that you're wrong.

Once again youre opinion

[StevenRocks]

I do have a very good sense of style thank you very much and it has been told to me by many many people, even when i was in Miami they were asking me where I was from because my Pumas looked like something you can't find anywhere, and when I told them South Carolina they were shocked saying they thought I was from NYC or Europe somewhere.

Good for you. Keep in mind, style is impotant, not labels.

Once again youre opinion

Your.

[Temeteron]

Good for you. Keep in mind, style is impotant, not labels.

Your.

Duh! There are plenty of things from Gucci and Prada that I think are hideous....to tell you the truth Prada has to be the most overated label out there....a pair of leather flip flops $425? please! Im not a label whore! And thanks for correcting my type-O Mr. Vocabulary

Edited December 15, 2005 by Temeteron

[StevenRocks]

You're quite welcome.

[DigitalSky]

Edited

Edited December 15, 2005 by cantnot

[Temeteron]

I'm getting double teamed now lol

[Spartan]

This conversation is bordering on asinine. Keep your petty insults and bad spelling comments to yourself.