Lenox Square/Phipps Plaza

[Lady Celeste]

The Macy's at Millenia in Orlando really does set itself apart from any other Macy's in Florida. It was never a Burdines and was built as a new concept store just before the Macy's takeover. You should really check it out, it makes Macy's seem "special" like it should be. It even out does the Bloomingdales in the mall, which is also a great store. Also, Forbes.com put Mall at Millenia in Orlando as one of the top ten most successful malls in the US at this time, and there was no Atlanta mall in the top 10 in sales per square foot. It really is a unique store and a unique mall and is definetly a destination shopping center for the southeast, just as the article states. No negativity towards ATL or any other mall or city, just you really should include it when talking about retail in the southeast. Why does everyone always try to compare Atlanta and Charlotte in the retail scene in the southeast and leave out Florida? I know Atlanta is awesome for shopping, but to compare it regionally you need to head south.

Let's see, ct36 specifically said "I think Macy's Lenox is better than all the Macy's stores in NC, SC, GA, AL and TN. Thats pretty good."

Maybe ct36 didn't include Florida because ct36 is well aware of your M.O. Ct36 knew that you would immediately come to this thread to tell us all about stores in Florida. There was no need for ct36 to include Florida. Why bother when you will let all of us disadvantaged shoppers know that we must fly south for real shopping. Also ct36 probably understands that Florida locales recieve a large share of tourist both from the US and international. Maybe he felt it not fair to compare store in say SC or AL to Florida which recieves many millions of high flying international toursit. Then again maybe I'm wrong...maybe since ct36 was the speaker, they have the right to set the parameters for which they will judge. Maybe ct36 was saying that Macy*s Lenox was better than all Macy*s in the southeast except the ones in Florida....but true to fashion, you made sure to list out the accolades for us. At any rate, thank you for the information about the Millenia Mall in Orlando....even if it's not in NC, SC, GA, AL or TN.

[101_ce]

Let's see, ct36 specifically said "I think Macy's Lenox is better than all the Macy's stores in NC, SC, GA, AL and TN. Thats pretty good."

Maybe ct36 didn't include Florida because ct36 is well aware of your M.O. Ct36 knew that you would immediately come to this thread to tell us all about stores in Florida. There was no need for ct36 to include Florida. Why bother when you will let all of us disadvantaged shoppers know that we must fly south for real shopping. Also ct36 probably understands that Florida locales recieve a large share of tourist both from the US and international. Maybe he felt it not fair to compare store in say SC or AL to Florida which recieves many millions of high flying international toursit. Then again maybe I'm wrong...maybe since ct36 was the speaker, they have the right to set the parameters for which they will judge. Maybe ct36 was saying that Macy*s Lenox was better than all Macy*s in the southeast except the ones in Florida....but true to fashion, you made sure to list out the accolades for us. At any rate, thank you for the information about the Millenia Mall in Orlando....even if it's not in NC, SC, GA, AL or TN.

That was pretty much exactly what I was saying.

[VistaLakes01]

Let's see, ct36 specifically said "I think Macy's Lenox is better than all the Macy's stores in NC, SC, GA, AL and TN. Thats pretty good."

Maybe ct36 didn't include Florida because ct36 is well aware of your M.O. Ct36 knew that you would immediately come to this thread to tell us all about stores in Florida. There was no need for ct36 to include Florida. Why bother when you will let all of us disadvantaged shoppers know that we must fly south for real shopping. Also ct36 probably understands that Florida locales recieve a large share of tourist both from the US and international. Maybe he felt it not fair to compare store in say SC or AL to Florida which recieves many millions of high flying international toursit. Then again maybe I'm wrong...maybe since ct36 was the speaker, they have the right to set the parameters for which they will judge. Maybe ct36 was saying that Macy*s Lenox was better than all Macy*s in the southeast except the ones in Florida....but true to fashion, you made sure to list out the accolades for us. At any rate, thank you for the information about the Millenia Mall in Orlando....even if it's not in NC, SC, GA, AL or TN.

Wow, I sure am sorry. I didn't know that FLA was considered to be so isolated from the southeast. Not too long ago we considered Atlanta a major shopping destination for us here, it was either Miami or Atlanta and nothing in between. Sorry to step in to your region. And as for the tourism angle, all major shopping cities are boosted by tourism, people travel to certain cities just to shop, such as Atlanta, Miami or NYC.

[Lady Celeste]

Wow, I sure am sorry. I didn't know that FLA was considered to be so isolated from the southeast. Not too long ago we considered Atlanta a major shopping destination for us here, it was either Miami or Atlanta and nothing in between. Sorry to step in to your region. And as for the tourism angle, all major shopping cities are boosted by tourism, people travel to certain cities just to shop, such as Atlanta, Miami or NYC.

Let us not trifle with one another...you read my response to you and it is clearly understandable. Also, do not suppose that one does not know that Walt Disney World is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the WORLD. Also, do not suppose that I was limiting tourist traffic to mere shopping visits.

I take no offense at your post so there is no need to apologize. My only contention is that you question the person for criteria they set forth. The poster has since answered that I in fact concluded correctly their intentions. As you can see from my location identifier to the left, I am also a part time Florida resident. I am full aware of the tourist money that flows into Florida. I am sure Palm Beach county receives far less tourist than Orange County. To compare AL or TN or any of the other locations with Florida....a tourist powerhouse....seems to be setting those locations up for unfair comparison wouldn't you think?

[101_ce]

Let's see, ct36 specifically said "I think Macy's Lenox is better than all the Macy's stores in NC, SC, GA, AL and TN. Thats pretty good."

Maybe ct36 didn't include Florida because ct36 is well aware of your M.O. Ct36 knew that you would immediately come to this thread to tell us all about stores in Florida. There was no need for ct36 to include Florida. Why bother when you will let all of us disadvantaged shoppers know that we must fly south for real shopping. Also ct36 probably understands that Florida locales recieve a large share of tourist both from the US and international. Maybe he felt it not fair to compare store in say SC or AL to Florida which recieves many millions of high flying international toursit. Then again maybe I'm wrong...maybe since ct36 was the speaker, they have the right to set the parameters for which they will judge. Maybe ct36 was saying that Macy*s Lenox was better than all Macy*s in the southeast except the ones in Florida....but true to fashion, you made sure to list out the accolades for us. At any rate, thank you for the information about the Millenia Mall in Orlando....even if it's not in NC, SC, GA, AL or TN.

Youre right. Thats why I did not add Florida is because it is a tourist state, therefore, has more upscale Macy's stores and others. Even without tourist SC or AL is not very comparable to Florida.

I consider Orlando to be more on par with Charlotte. Well, maybe better than that. I think thats its in between Charlotte and Atlanta. ATL has had Neiman Marcus for 35+ Years and Gucci for 40 years. Prada is also hopefully coming next year,

[101_ce]

The Macy's at Roosevelt Field has a Louis Vuitton section- I was really surprised to see it. The flagship on ghetto 34th Street also has a bunch of high-end sections, presumably for tourists (as natives who can afford louis vuitton don't shop on 34th Street- Lord & Taylor is as far south as they go on 5th Avenue).

And re: Belk in Greenville- no, it is not the top tier there; Ivey's (downtown and then at McAlister) was always a nicer store, and then Parisian was higher-end. The Haywood store has upgraded but it's still Belk's.

Really? I thought it was a top tier (the highest below a flagship) For the following reasons:

A) Eileen Fisher, St. John, Lilly Pulitzer, Free People, 7 For All Mankind, BCBGENERATION/GIRLS, Michael Kors, etc. for Women

B) Lacoste, Tommy Bahama, etc. for men

C) In store Coach Boutique

D) YSL, Kiehl's & Chanel Cosmetics

Edited October 14, 2009 by ct36

[mallguy]

Really? I thought it was a top tier (the highest below a flagship) For the following reasons:

A) Eileen Fisher, St. John, Lilly Pulitzer, Free People, 7 For All Mankind, BCBGENERATION/GIRLS, Michael Kors, etc. for Women

B) Lacoste, Tommy Bahama, etc. for men

C) In store Coach Boutique

D) YSL, Kiehl's & Chanel Cosmetics

The Roosevelt Field Macy's or the Belk in Greenville?

If the Belk in Greenville, not the top tier THERE, in Greenville- the Haywood Belk is perhaps a top tier for Belk, though.

[101_ce]

The Roosevelt Field Macy's or the Belk in Greenville?

If the Belk in Greenville, not the top tier THERE, in Greenville- the Haywood Belk is perhaps a top tier for Belk, though.

Oh okay. How was Ivey's & Parisian?

[StevenRocks]

I can't speak on Parisian, but Ivey's was a very elegant department store.

[caribou9]

The upper scale people in Greenville (which there is a lot of) don't shop at Haywood much. They drive down here to go to Lenox and Phipps.

Which speaking of,

-a family owned Indian leather shop is planned to open at Lenox in April

-The Shop Around Lenox are getting more tenants. Bill Hallman finally made his was up to Buckhead, as did Fab'rik, and a shop called Swank

-rumors had been swirling Ed Hardy is expanding into a larger unit at Lenox, I highly doubt this though. It is definitely a thing of the past and not anything shopper of Lenox want but suburban shopping in TJ Maxx and JCPennys.

Also, anyone know what is up with Barneys coop at Phipps? Are they waiting things out to see if they will move into a larger unit or what?

[101_ce]

The upper scale people in Greenville (which there is a lot of) don't shop at Haywood much.T They drive down here to go to Lenox and Phipps.

Which speaking of,

-a family owned Indian leather shop is planned to open at Lenox in April

-The Shop Around Lenox are getting more tenants. Bill Hallman finally made his was up to Buckhead, as did Fab'rik, and a shop called Swank

-rumors had been swirling Ed Hardy is expanding into a larger unit at Lenox, I highly doubt this though. It is definitely a thing of the past and not anything shopper of Lenox want but suburban shopping in TJ Maxx and JCPennys.

Also, anyone know what is up with Barneys coop at Phipps? Are they waiting things out to see if they will move into a larger unit or what?

Hopefully they will start. If there are a lot I can see them getting to be like Perimeter. I think that Barney's is waiting for the stores above on the second level to close or move so that they may use them as well.

[mallguy]

The upper scale people in Greenville (which there is a lot of) don't shop at Haywood much. They drive down here to go to Lenox and Phipps.

That is correct. They also drive to SouthPark.

They liked Ivey's and Parisian as well; I thought both stores were pretty comparable, but the Parisian in Greenville was new while the Ivey's at McAlister was getting kind of old by the time Dillard's bought it.

Edited February 18, 2010 by mallguy

[gman430]

That is correct. They also drive to SouthPark.

Proof? Not saying you're wrong or anything, but Haywood Mall continues to get more upscale and will continue to do so in the future. It also has some of the highest sales per square foot of any mall in the southeast.

Edited February 18, 2010 by citylife

[101_ce]

Proof? Not saying you're wrong or anything, but Haywood Mall continues to get more upscale and will continue to do so in the future. It also has some of the highest sales per square foot of any mall in the southeast.

Yeah it is pretty upscale now. There is a BCBGMAXAZRIA at the mall. It is in Dillard's though. Also, in Belk they have Coach, St. John, Eileen Fisher, etc. They are getting some nicer stores like Apple and Francesca's. I think that by 2020 the mall will have Cole Haan, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, a real BCBG, etc.

[Temeteron]

Yeah it is pretty upscale now. There is a BCBGMAXAZRIA at the mall. It is in Dillard's though. Also, in Belk they have Coach, St. John, Eileen Fisher, etc. They are getting some nicer stores like Apple and Francesca's. I think that by 2020 the mall will have Cole Haan, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, a real BCBG, etc.

I think that might be wishful thinking. Greenville would never get a Louis Vuitton. Maybe a nordstrom and cole haan. I dont' really consider Haywood Mall upscale....is it a nice mall yes, but its not upscale. Upscale is South Park, Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, Shops at Bal Harbour in Miami, Copley Place in Boston, Mall at Millenia in Orlando, Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Houston Galleria, Dallas Galleria, Woodfield in Chicago, etc. Greenville has a loooong way to go

[mallguy]

Proof? Not saying you're wrong or anything, but Haywood Mall continues to get more upscale and will continue to do so in the future. It also has some of the highest sales per square foot of any mall in the southeast.

There were some articles in the Greenville News about "leakage" of retail sales lost to Atlanta and, to a lesser extent, Charlotte, and it was specifically stated that at least Lenox and Phipps are big draws for people from Greenville. I recall that those articles said that when Greenville Mall was re-done in 1995 as an "upscale" mall, the goal was to capture dollars of people who'd otherwise drive to Lenox and Phipps- that's why Greenville Mall was done as an "upscale" mall, but it failed in part because it didn't have the selection and size of those two malls, and people would continue to make the trek to Atlanta.

Plus I grew up in Greenville and still spend a lot of time there- word of mouth (and personal experience) is that people make the drive to those malls. My family and I always did when I was a kid.

Edited February 18, 2010 by mallguy

[101_ce]

I think that might be wishful thinking. Greenville would never get a Louis Vuitton. Maybe a nordstrom and cole haan. I dont' really consider Haywood Mall upscale....is it a nice mall yes, but its not upscale. Upscale is South Park, Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, Shops at Bal Harbour in Miami, Copley Place in Boston, Mall at Millenia in Orlando, Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Houston Galleria, Dallas Galleria, Woodfield in Chicago, etc. Greenville has a loooong way to go

I didn't mean upscale...I meant somewhat upscale. I think that Greenville can get a LV eventually. Maybe in 2030, but I am not sure because that is so far ahead.

[mallguy]

I didn't mean upscale...I meant somewhat upscale. I think that Greenville can get a LV eventually. Maybe in 2030, but I am not sure because that is so far ahead.

I would hope that it would but sadly, I think that shopping in Greenville is worse now than 15 years ago, and about like it was in the '80s (although with more selection). We went from 3 malls (one upscale-ish, one mid-tier and one downscale-ish) to just one midtier/"better" mall, and we've lost Ivey's, Parisian, Harold's, and more, with nothing comparable to replace those stores. It's trending downward.

[101_ce]

I would hope that it would but sadly, I think that shopping in Greenville is worse now than 15 years ago, and about like it was in the '80s (although with more selection). We went from 3 malls (one upscale-ish, one mid-tier and one downscale-ish) to just one midtier/"better" mall, and we've lost Ivey's, Parisian, Harold's, and more, with nothing comparable to replace those stores. It's trending downward.

I think that it can get better. Right now, it seems like the more upscale stores do the best (or good).

[DOLCE&GABBANA]

Well speaking of Perimeter it's getting a Michael kors 2nd location, urbanoutfitters 3rd location, True relegion 2nd location.. I won't be surprised if perimeter will one day bcome lenox it's getting more and more upscale.. It's my favorite mall I always can find sizes there and plus that zara carries a different variety of stuff than the one at Lenox.

[DOLCE&GABBANA]

Also phipps is getting 2 new stores mezlan a luxury mans shoe store this will be the third US location and Vince a luxury clothier

[gman430]

I would hope that it would but sadly, I think that shopping in Greenville is worse now than 15 years ago, and about like it was in the '80s (although with more selection). We went from 3 malls (one upscale-ish, one mid-tier and one downscale-ish) to just one midtier/"better" mall, and we've lost Ivey's, Parisian, Harold's, and more, with nothing comparable to replace those stores. It's trending downward.

Pottery Barn, Apple, Coach, BCBG, and J. Crew is called trending downward? Could have fooled me. Harold's filed for bankruptcy and closed all of their stores. That had nothing to do with the Greenville market. Parisian got bought by Belk and converted all of their stores over to that nameplate so they're not in existence anymore either. Haywood Mall continues to get better and will do so in the future. Yeah, we lost Eddie Bauer but so did the Galleria in Houston along with many other high-end malls. That had to do with the company and not the malls they were located in. Malls aren't what they used to be which is why you continue to see them close and go under. Only the strong survive like Haywood, Lenox, and Southpark.

Edited February 21, 2010 by citylife

[gman430]

There were some articles in the Greenville News about "leakage" of retail sales lost to Atlanta and, to a lesser extent, Charlotte, and it was specifically stated that at least Lenox and Phipps are big draws for people from Greenville. I recall that those articles said that when Greenville Mall was re-done in 1995 as an "upscale" mall, the goal was to capture dollars of people who'd otherwise drive to Lenox and Phipps- that's why Greenville Mall was done as an "upscale" mall, but it failed in part because it didn't have the selection and size of those two malls, and people would continue to make the trek to Atlanta.

Plus I grew up in Greenville and still spend a lot of time there- word of mouth (and personal experience) is that people make the drive to those malls. My family and I always did when I was a kid.

Ahhh...that makes sense. Kind of like what's going on with the airport and passenger leakage. Don't forget that Greenville Mall was also very close to Haywood which did it in too. I've been to Lenox and Phipps many times. Great malls. Phipps is too high-end for me though. I can't even afford to look at the clothes in that place. lol. I stick to mostly Lenox as they have more stores that I like and in my price range.

[101_ce]

Well speaking of Perimeter it's getting a Michael kors 2nd location, urbanoutfitters 3rd location, True relegion 2nd location.. I won't be surprised if perimeter will one day bcome lenox it's getting more and more upscale.. It's my favorite mall I always can find sizes there and plus that zara carries a different variety of stuff than the one at Lenox.

I also think that Perimeter may become like Lenox. However, Lenox would become more like Phipps and Phipps would become more upscale as well.

[101_ce]

I went to Lenox yesterday. I was very disappointed. It was much better last time. I went at 4, which was definitely a mistake. Last time, I went at 10 AM on a Saturday. It was nice and not very packed. Yesterday, it took about 30 minutes just to get from the Lenox & Peachtree intersection to the Bloomingdale's parking deck. Then, it was still hard to find a space. I definitely agree with the people say that rapper wannabes go there to show off their "bling" instead of shop. It is very annoying. About half of the people who looked like that went out without shopping bags. The Apple store was nice and big and was not that packed. Abercrombie & Fitch was really packed and was a small store. Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Lacoste were nice but Lacoste was small too. Then we went to the food court. If you have never been to the food court at Lenox, don't go. After you see that, you will like the mall a whole lot less. It looks like it has not been touched since it opened. It doesn't even looks like they even completely finished it. The flooring in the food court looks like they payed about $10 for all of it. Also, most of it has a really small ceiling height. It's not like it matters that much, but the flooring throughout the mall looked bad and dated also. The mall did look pretty nice in some ways. It looks like they didn't renovate the back either. It looks like it has not been touched as well. The front of the mall has obviously been renovated though. I visited the Mall of Georgia today, and honestly, I liked it better than Lenox. If Lenox was less crowded, was renovated again, and some of the stores were larger that would change my opinion again.