Belk coming to Mall Of Georgia

[DigitalSky]

Definately give it a shot. I can't promise you'll like it, but it won't be a wasted trip, I'm sure.

I might give it a shot this summer.

[DigitalSky]

Now that Belk at Mall of Georgia is open, it would be nice if Simon updated their mall map.

I just want to say, 2 months later, Simon still has NOT updated the Mall of GA map.

[AubieTurtle]

How about these views of Mall of Georgia

[Abe2M12]

Personally Belk is not that bad, but i'd still prefer Lord and Taylor. The 4 story 275,000+ sq flagship at SouthPark in Charlotte is really impressive. I think its nicer than Dillards at Atlantic station or Macy's at lenox which happens to be the southeast flagship. They have oscar de la renta, theory, and stuart wietzman (can't spell), I guess its proper because SouthPark is the equivalent in Charlotte of what lenox/phipps is to Atlanta. I guess belk doesn't have a big image in atlanta because atlanta already has enough department stores (macys dillards parisians nordstrom, etc) and thats why its image in N.C, S.C, and south GA is more positive, because there are very few macys and parisians. The Belks in those areas actually rise above one floor and 150,00 sq ft. As for Mall of Georgia, I hate it.... whenever i drove by on my way to Charlotte i always wanted to stop and visit, and then i finally did. It was a disappointment, its just a really big mall with very few special stores like Benetton (no mens section though ) A{sodEmoji.{sodEmoji.|}}X and Nordstrom, but thats about it....the Nordstrom wasn't that cool anyway, and the dillards was very wornout. I mean its a good mall but it seems just like town center in Kennesaw, except newer and bigger and no vacant department store. I wish town center would demand macys to take its ugly furniture store out of the huge 3 story old macys building and put something cool like bloomingdales, but that will never happen, so i'll just keep driving to perimeter. MOG is decent but nothing special in my book just the big factor.

[Fear of Heights]

No offense, I'm having a hard time getting pumped up about Belks. I can only go by the fact that there is a Belks in SELMA, Alabama of all places. A once OK sized city of 40,000 way back in its heyday in the 70s that has floundered ever since. Selma, my hometown, has a Belks located at the Selma Mall. This mall has been a joke for 20 years now and couldn't support McRaes, which is considered a pretty good mid ranged retailer. The mall has horrible occupancy and Belks buyout resulted in them putting a store there. Any retailer that is willing to waste there time in a city that can only support a Super Walmart isn't trying very hard in my opinion. What's a shame is that Belks is gonna to buy going to or has already bought Parisians, an upper middle range retailer with a very long history in the Macys range of retailer and turn them in to McChain retailers. They've already ruined a very nice Parisians story at the Riverchase Galleria in Bham.

Back to the original subject, going from a Nordstrom to a Belk at the Mall of Georgia? I've been in that mall and it deserves better.

[StevenRocks]

Any retailer that is willing to waste there time in a city that can only support a Super Walmart isn't trying very hard in my opinion.

I think you're neglecting the fact that not everybody in Selma wants to shop at Wal-Mart.

Back to the original subject, going from a Nordstrom to a Belk at the Mall of Georgia? I've been in that mall and it deserves better.

They've gone form Lord & Taylor to Belk. Nordstrom is still there.

[gs3]

No offense, I'm having a hard time getting pumped up about Belks. I can only go by the fact that there is a Belks in SELMA, Alabama of all places. A once OK sized city of 40,000 way back in its heyday in the 70s that has floundered ever since. Selma, my hometown, has a Belks located at the Selma Mall. This mall has been a joke for 20 years now and couldn't support McRaes, which is considered a pretty good mid ranged retailer. The mall has horrible occupancy and Belks buyout resulted in them putting a store there. Any retailer that is willing to waste there time in a city that can only support a Super Walmart isn't trying very hard in my opinion. What's a shame is that Belks is gonna to buy going to or has already bought Parisians, an upper middle range retailer with a very long history in the Macys range of retailer and turn them in to McChain retailers. They've already ruined a very nice Parisians story at the Riverchase Galleria in Bham.

Back to the original subject, going from a Nordstrom to a Belk at the Mall of Georgia? I've been in that mall and it deserves better.

Belk is in Selma Mall because of the buyout of Proffitt's/McRae's division of Saks Inc. McRae's entered Selma in the early days of this company (when Proffitt's and McRae's had merged to become Proffitt's Inc, prior to the spending spree on Carsons, Younkers, Parisian and ultimately Saks to become Saks Inc). At the time McRae's opened in Selma, it was a square footage grab, to up the square footage of the company and make it look larger on paper. McRae's Selma store was always a "C" store and had abreviated lines of merchandise. "A" stores for McRae's like Northpark and West Town had more upper end merchandise. Same with Belk....they have A, B & C. Mall of Georgia will be an A. Selma and other small towns will remain a C. You can't judge a department store chain by their small town stores.

[kayman]

No offense, I'm having a hard time getting pumped up about Belks. I can only go by the fact that there is a Belks in SELMA, Alabama of all places. A once OK sized city of 40,000 way back in its heyday in the 70s that has floundered ever since. Selma, my hometown, has a Belks located at the Selma Mall. This mall has been a joke for 20 years now and couldn't support McRaes, which is considered a pretty good mid ranged retailer. The mall has horrible occupancy and Belks buyout resulted in them putting a store there. Any retailer that is willing to waste there time in a city that can only support a Super Walmart isn't trying very hard in my opinion. What's a shame is that Belks is gonna to buy going to or has already bought Parisians, an upper middle range retailer with a very long history in the Macys range of retailer and turn them in to McChain retailers. They've already ruined a very nice Parisians story at the Riverchase Galleria in Bham.

Back to the original subject, going from a Nordstrom to a Belk at the Mall of Georgia? I've been in that mall and it deserves better.

Oh yeah FOH, the Parisian store at Riverchase is still there and still offering top-quality mechandise (for now). You mean the Proffitts store that Belk has ruined. It maybe an 'A' store for Belk, but its a crappy 'A' that seems more like a 'C' to me.

[memphian]

I visited the Proffitt's at Riverchase right after it first opened... they did some okay things but overall I was not impressed at all. I thought they did a bad job of renovating the store.

[kickazzz2000]

Some of you people really need to take a business course. In an economic environment where Department stores are closing and getting bought out left and right, who is doing a lot of the buying?

A company that sees that there is money to be made in smaller towns with C level stores as well. Belk.

I would encourage some of you to take a trip to small towns in upstate NY or exurban areas in NJ. Go find a Macys and tell me how upscale it was.

[kayman]

Some of you people really need to take a business course. In an economic environment where Department stores are closing and getting bought out left and right, who is doing a lot of the buying?

A company that sees that there is money to be made in smaller towns with C level stores as well. Belk.

I would encourage some of you to take a trip to small towns in upstate NY or exurban areas in NJ. Go find a Macys and tell me how upscale it was.

I've taken one already, so I already know about "consolidation" (of everthing in life). The problem is the chain's perception with regular folks that happened to be of upper middle to upper income levels. They are the ones that Belk will have hell and high water to convince, not us. I'm already forseeing that Belk is in for a big surprise with some of these markets if think they can pull a fast one on folks b/c the people will do the same to them. Just look at Lord & Taylor and you know what I mean. Yes, I know Belk is a private company, but that doesn't matter to regular consumer either.

[StevenRocks]

I've taken one already, so I already know about "consolidation" (of everthing in life). The problem is the chain's perception with regular folks that happened to be of upper middle to upper income levels. They are the ones that Belk will have hell and high water to convince, not us. I'm already forseeing that Belk is in for a big surprise with some of these markets if think they can pull a fast one on folks b/c the people will do the same to them. Just look at Lord & Taylor and you know what I mean. Yes, I know Belk is a private company, but that doesn't matter to regular consumer either.

What "fast one" is Belk trying to pull?

[kayman]

What "fast one" is Belk trying to pull?

Lower the quality of top locations under the consumer's noses at locations like Phipps, Brookwood, Summit, or CoolSprings. I've seen it happen with other chains and their buyouts before.

[StevenRocks]

Lower the quality of top locations under the consumer's noses at locations like Phipps, Brookwood, Summit, or CoolSprings. I've seen it happen with other chains and their buyouts before.

There wouldn't be a point in doing that. A smart retailer would covet those type of demographics and cater to them, which is how I think Belk feels. I think the biggest thing that will change is the name and not the comittment to giving those shoppers what they want.

[DigitalSky]

I'm surprised at Simon Corp's apathy, not updating that mall map STILL!

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

I think you're neglecting the fact that not everybody in Selma wants to shop at Wal-Mart.

They've gone form Lord & Taylor to Belk. Nordstrom is still there.

[convulso]

well, phipps could always do as bayer properties in birmingham did, and sue belk to prevent its presence detracting from the upscale image of one of bayer's retail properties (the summit). the case was settled, a move seen here as something of a victory for bayer (who claims filing the suit was an effort to ensure that belk take the summit's upscale image seriously as it moves in on the parisian there, but not an attempt to tie belk's hands in the bham market).

all this yah-yahing is funny.

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

Well Convulso, I called Phipps Plaza management today, and they told me that they flew all the Phipps Parisian associates and managers to Charlotte to Southpark Mall to see thier flagship store. As you know Belk is headquarted in Charlotte and Southpark is their verson of Lenox. Anyway after seeing this 4 level store, all the Phipps associates were impressed and said " Oh, so this is what it is going to look like!" They seemed to be impressed due to the fact that it was more like a half Nordstrom- half Saks. They noticed that they carried brands not usually ever seen at Belk's such as Escada and Oscar de la Renta. Phipps officails have informed me that this will be a "Flagship Belk". This is all ok, but will the shoppers catch on and go for it. That will be interesting to see when the fall gets here and the name change is made official.

[convulso]

......

[VistaLakes01]

that's pretty much the reaction of the bayer people to belk's concept of a proposed 'fourth flagship' store at the summit. once they heard the intention to offer brands exclusive to the flag stores, they settled down a bit. the suit was a smokescreen designed to ensure locals that belk would attempt to live up to parisian's image as a nice place, whatever that may mean.

but enough from me about the parisian / belk debacle in alabama. that's been burnt to a crisp in other forums on here and it always ends badly.

[teshadoh]

We've had two Belk stores open recently here in metro Orlando which brings the total to three and all three are different. The old one in Leesburg at Lake Square Mall is very crappy,

[SAV]

well, the Belk in Savannah's Oglethorpe Mall is really nice. They carry Lacoste and other stuff and probably even more exclusive stuff now that Oglethorpe is getting a ton of business. It reminds me of a nice MACY's, but not like the Lenox MACY's. However, I still don't know about it being at Phipps

And honestly, I never understood why Parisians was there in the first place. Everytime I've went to any Parisians anywhere including the one at Phipps, I've been dissapointed and lm a Macy's and Gap shopper. So I know people who shop at the Gucci and Versace and other exclusive stores in that mall were probably dissapointed too. Why don't they just tear it down and build another wing or something.

[Kenneth Disraili-Jean]

well, the Belk in Savannah's Oglethorpe Mall is really nice. They carry Lacoste and other stuff and probably even more exclusive stuff now that Oglethorpe is getting a ton of business. It reminds me of a nice MACY's, but not like the Lenox MACY's. However, I still don't know about it being at Phipps

And honestly, I never understood why Parisians was there in the first place. Everytime I've went to any Parisians anywhere including the one at Phipps, I've been dissapointed and lm a Macy's and Gap shopper. So I know people who shop at the Gucci and Versace and other exclusive stores in that mall were probably dissapointed too. Why don't they just tear it down and build another wing or something.

[DigitalSky]

I'm looking forward to what will come.

[VistaLakes01]

What a relief! Yesterday's news headlines in the Orlando Sentinel stated:

No New Belk Store for vacant Lord & Taylor anchor spot at Florida Mall!

Article states that Lord & Taylor will be demolished and a new mall entrance with outdoor shops, restaurants, and movie theater will be constructed in it's place. It's strange, when the Florida Mall first opened, Belk-Lindsey was one of the original anchors. When Belk left the store was renovated in to Saks Fifth Avenue. What an improvement! Belk's does have quite a history here in Orlando, though. Orlando back in the 50's used to have Ivey's, JC Penney, and Sears downtown. Then Orlando opened it's first open-air shopping plaza (Colonial Plaza) and it was anchored by a brand new Belk's. It was Orlando's first store with an escalator. Then in the early 60's Colonial Plaza added Orlando's first enclosed mall that opened in the middle of the shopping center and was anchored by a 4 floor Jordan Marsh Dept store. Orlando Fashion Square soon opened across the street with Sears, Burdines, and Robinson's as anchors. So Colonial Plaza countered by building a new modern "South Mall" on the other side of Jordan Marsh with Belk-Lindsey as it's anchor. Then 10 years later at the front of the "North Mall" a new entrance was built with a few more anchors and a new 90,000 square foot Ivey's. Ivey's became Dillards for awhile, Jordan Marsh went out of business, Belk left the Orlando market. Dillard's moved accross the street to Orlando Fashion Square and the whole Colonial Plaza Mall was demolished and made in to a power center. The old original Belk building still stands, was "Just for Feet" for awhile, now it's some sort of wine superstore. Also most of the second Colonial Plaza Belk's still stands as a Marshall's and Rhodes Furniture. If you go behind Marshalls you can still see the original wall from Belk Lindsey and where the entrance doors to that store used to be. Seems towards the end the only people who shopped at Belk's was little old ladies, young people hated it. My friends and I were dismayed when we went to Seminole Town Center and saw Belk's! First reaction was, oh no, this mall is getting ready to close! And the Belk's they put in at West Oaks Mall, they totally blocked off the second floor and it looks similar to the horrid Belk's that used to be at Florida Mall. Soon we will be able to experience Belk in a lifestyle center called "The Loop." There is already a Belk in "The Avenues at Viera"a lifestyle center in Brevard county near Rockledge/Cocoa/Melbourne....looks nice from the outside, never been inside because it's a Belk. I don't think they will catch on in the Orlando market, we already have 9 enclosed malls in the metro and three "mall-scale" lifestyle centers, Simon's huge "Waterford Lakes Town Center" which may get a Belk. "The Loop" which is definetly getting a Belk, Sembler's "Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves" which may get one and "Bella Collina" which is slated to get a Belk. Their biggest competitors in the Orlando market will probably be "Kohl's", the new stand-alone "JC Penney" stores, a similar department store that is mainly in Florida small towns called "Bealls." and Target. Here' the dirt on "The Loop."

Friday, June 08, 2007

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Kissimmee/Orlando

Coming Soon

Complementing its popular predecessor, Loop West will meet the demand created by the success of The Loop, the distinctive, open-air shopping center concept created by The Wilder Companies and most recently opened on John Young and Osceola Parkways.

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Located adjacent to The Loop and set on 40 acres fronting Osceola Parkway at Thacker Avenue, Loop West will feature a vibrant array of department stores, specialty shops and dining options to serve the rapidly growing southern potion of the Orlando trade area.

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Loop West featuring Belk and JC Penney will join

The Loop