Northlake Mall

[monsoon]

NorthLake is very crowded on the weekends. It's difficult to find a place to park.

....Northlake is taking its market share and demographics directly from Eastland. That's all I've got to say.....

Indeed. This was my entire point and why certain stores are closing there or are not doing business.

[AuLukey]

There is no Abercrombie at Concord Mills.

http://www.concordmills.com/static/node1861.jsp

haha, you're right. I always get that, American Eagle, and Aeropostale mixed up. They all seem to mesh together to me. Correction made.

The main thing I don't like about Concord Mills is the large number of people who seem to go there for nothing else but to walk very slowly, in groups stretched four or five people wide.

I think that is the mall's appeal. It's not really your in and out mall. It's more of a "hangout." That's really part of the reason it is the state's top tourist attraction. I was living about two miles from there when the mall first opened. I was in high school at the time. You forget how little there is to do in Concord for a teenager, especially before that area took off. Before CM, the SW side of Concord pretty much fed off of University City. Good times.

Edited June 21, 2006 by aussie luke

[mallguy]

I think it's the same as Carolina Place Mall shoppers. Not lower income, but not the higher income crowds they seem to have expected.

I agree. Mostly Carolina Place shoppers, although a large Eastland-type element as well (those Friday nights at Northlake- yikes!), and some people like me who normally shop at SouthPark but who will drop by Northlake for the convenience for fungible goods.

[monsoon]

In what sounds like past history at Eastland, a young girl was robbed at gunpoint in the Dillards parking lot in broad daylight today at Northlake.

[nyxmike]

In what sounds like past history at Eastland, a young girl was robbed at gunpoint in the Dillards parking lot in broad daylight today at Northlake.

Hasn't the same thing happened at Carolina Place, Southpark, and places like Stonecrest? It's unfortunate, but as long as people aren't being shot up in the mall and there aren't gang fights out in the parking lot, I don't think this means anything.

[AuLukey]

Hasn't the same thing happened at Carolina Place, Southpark, and places like Stonecrest? It's unfortunate, but as long as people aren't being shot up in the mall and there aren't gang fights out in the parking lot, I don't think this means anything.

I agree, one robbery doesn't really mean anything. It's when you see a rash of robberies in the same area within a short period of time that you should start worrying. I don't see Northlake going in the Eastland direction anytime this decade. Or maybe that is the perfect reason why it might.

[monsoon]

I agree, one robbery doesn't really mean anything. It's when you see a rash of robberies in the same area within a short period ..

Actually just his week there was a armed robbery at the Jack in the Box across the street.

[spectacle21]

I think it's unfair to project a gloomy future for Northlake at the sake of a few robberies. Yes, robberies/crime at ANY shopping center is bad. SouthPark, Concord Mills, & Carolina Place have all seen their share of these occurrences. Realistically, no mall is immune to this type of activity.

[Tayfromcarolina]

I think that Northlake will do fine in the long run. Despite the unfortunate incidents. That could happen anywhere. That mall reminds me a lot of Triangle Towne Center in North Raleigh, also a new mall opening winter of '02. It really does take about 5 years for a mall to find it's niche. Triangle towne center has seen a sudden x-plosion of new stores and resturants several which are firsts in the state in the last 6 months or so as the next section of interstate 540 (Our second Beltline) prepares to open, linking the mall to the adjoining suburbs. Northlake could benefit from having a large specialty retailer like Saks which triangle has but still it should end up being a nice shopping destination. 2nd only to SouthPark in the Charlotte area.

Edited July 27, 2006 by Tayfromcarolina

[DigitalSky]

Yeah there is still that one anchor pad left which they're trying to lure a unique tenant to... i know Northlake wants Saks because they use TTC as an example in that case.

[mallguy]

I don't see Saks staying at TTC over the long run- it's a mid-market mall that just happens to have a Saks in it. Seems as if high-end stores end up often migrating to high-end malls.

[voyager12]

Overall, Northlake is safe I think. As has been stated before, crime is always attracted to malls in varying degrees and I don't think this one is particularly dangerous. I do think the mall itself is very bland in appearance. They just could have done something more to finish it off architecturally in my opinion. The interior is very sparse and blah. Almost nothing on the walls. Concord Mills may be visual overkill and somewhat tacky and Southpark overdoes the snooty vibe but at least they have character. Northlake is a very dull mall.

[StevenRocks]

Northlake does need a unique anchor for the market, but unless those sales numbers improve, it ain't gonna be Saks. It wouldn't make sense, just like the Raleigh Saks store doesn't make sense in the mall it's in.

Edited July 27, 2006 by StevenRocks

[AuLukey]

Overall, Northlake is safe I think. As has been stated before, crime is always attracted to malls in varying degrees and I don't think this one is particularly dangerous. I do think the mall itself is very bland in appearance. They just could have done something more to finish it off architecturally in my opinion. The interior is very sparse and blah. Almost nothing on the walls. Concord Mills may be visual overkill and somewhat tacky and Southpark overdoes the snooty vibe but at least they have character. Northlake is a very dull mall.

I agree. Northlake leaves something to be desired when you're walking around. I think the open courtyard and food court area may be the only "shopper friendly" space as far as decor. It gives a very open, outdoor feeling.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I've only been there once, but I thought it well designed and very bright. I don't have any complaints about it at all.

Not every mall can be, nor should be, a SouthPark. Northlake will do fine, especially as the population grows up there.

Edited July 28, 2006 by moonshield

[monsoon]

I was at Northlake today for lunch and I noticed that some of the closed Kiosks have reopened selling stuff that I am not familiar with. One was for body jewerly. I did not know what this was so I looked it up on the Urban Dictionary and this is the closest thing that came up...

The art of of shoving metal through different parts of the body. Often done by people who couldn't care less about what others think, and do it to express their individuality through body art. Others do it because they like the appearance, such as bellybutton, as its very overdone. Either way its a form of art.

Another Kiosk that I noticed was selling hip hop CDs and some gold necklaces. An odd combination. There were also some girls smelling this lotion at a 3rd Kiosk this guy was trying to sell to them.

This does not sound like Saks territory to me.

[voyager12]

I had dinner a few weeks ago outside at the italian restaurant at Northlake Went to a movie there as well. The crowd was very mixed and well behaved but after the movie there were random crowds milling around. The police really need to watch all mall theatres like hawks. Its very easy for loitering to get out of control.

[AuLukey]

The police really need to watch all mall theatres like hawks. Its very easy for loitering to get out of control.

That goes for most all movie theatres really. And I agree, they really should.

[GamecockEngineer]

Yeah there is still that one anchor pad left which they're trying to lure a unique tenant to... i know Northlake wants Saks because they use TTC as an example in that case.

It's my understanding that Belk is in the process or has already aquired Saks. This basically means no saks no matter what.

[mallguy]

It's my understanding that Belk is in the process or has already aquired Saks. This basically means no saks no matter what.

Belk is buying Parisian, owned by Saks Inc.- Saks Fifth Avenue will still be around.

[nyxmike]

What about Filene's Basement? That would be unique to NC.

Although it's not unique to the area anymore, does anyone think the market can handle another Nordstrom?

[Temeteron]

What about Filene's Basement? That would be unique to NC.

Although it's not unique to the area anymore, does anyone think the market can handle another Nordstrom?

I think its either going to be a Saks, Filene's Basement, or another Nordstrom....but wont happen until another 2 years....

[StevenRocks]

Filene's Baserment is a better off-mall store than a mall store. Besides, why would Belk, Dillard's and Macy's give an okay to add an anchor store that undercuts their prices on brand-name merchandise?

[Tayfromcarolina]

True. Saks could come to Northlake. And I don't see what it shouldnt be able to be sustained there and at Triangle Towne Center in Raleigh. With these high end anchor stores it's preferable to have them in a Upscale Mall a la Southpark and too a lesser extent Crabtree but when you have a huge market that dosent have the "said" Store in it I think it's wise to put a store in somewhere albeit a more mid-market mall. People will and do drive across a metro area to shop if they really wanna shop at a store. And upscale stores will gravitate toward that end of the mall.

[turbocraig]

Here's a little blurb from News14 about NL's sales being about 50% of what they thought they'd be:

http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top...asp?ArID=124491

Maybe someone that's actually been to that mall can give their $0.02. I've not visited. Is there anything there that sets that mall apart? If I'm in the mood to mall, I go to SP 99.9% of the time. I guess I assumed that NL has your average run-of-the mill stores you can find anywhere, so why bother?