Northlake Mall

[DigitalSky]

Here's the render for the SuperTarget/NorthCrest (across the street from the mall)

[MZT]

I've only been there 4 or 5 times but for me it has never felt as crowded as Carolina Place or Concord Mills do.

I think Taubman did not calculate how much competition Huntersville could put on this mall. It will be interesting to see how much patience they have after 485 is completed, if things don't pick up then.

[monsoon]

It's now been two years since this mall opened. What amazes me about it is that the parking lot is routinely full, but inside the mall there is still a significant amount of un-rented space (some never rented) and there is still a closed store in the food court.

[AuLukey]

I've often wondered this as well, but my only conclusion is that people are just going to that mall to walk around and to window shop, not to actually make purchases.

[StevenRocks]

I think the majority of people shopping at the mall are choosing only a small number of the retailers available. Some of the stores are making out big, but others are struggling.

[AuLukey]

Well, as the demographics in this mall pan out, i'm sure we'll see a leveling out of business closures.

[mall_employee85]

I think the majority of people shopping at the mall are choosing only a small number of the retailers available. Some of the stores are making out big, but others are struggling.

I've been reading this forum for almost a year now and I've been working at northlake mall for almost 2 yrs (since dec 2005) I've seen the ups and downs and I can tell you from experience that our morning sales have increased but night time sales have decreased and normally morning would make $50 and night would normally do $200 and now its vice versa. I think its the way this mall is with the gangs and robberies. Just this past weekend nov 16-18, Dick's, Dillards and Belk all got robbed and it was on fox news at 10 today on Nov. 19th, stole somewhere of over $5000 total. My boss has been trying to sell the store but everyone that comes to watch mall traffic know its a bad mall.

I've heard someone saying that they'd love to take out the urban stores but I think DTLR is the one that does the best business but Authentics just sucks because they are closed and out before 9:10pm. I went to a mall meeting (which they need to have more than just once a year) and they said that business was actually good (course I didn't believe them). The only thing keeping this mall open is the people from lake norman since most of them are rich anyway.

About the new super target and best buys and the other stuff that is coming across the street I can guarontee you that it will suck up the malls business because nobody wants Belk or Dillards unless its old woman and Dick's, nobody seems to care about them. They only have a target market for women between 24 and I think 40 something. Thats a very small target market, they need to widen their views of how to get more people to shop there other than stupid in mall advertising which obviously doesn't work. They said in the meeting that they had radio and tv commercials but I haven't been home to see it and radio ads are in the am stations and I remember one commercial was subposed to be on Food Network but still haven't seen it yet.

Oh and get this, their is not one big noticeable sign that says how late they are staying open for the holidays, course I look at it as just free pay for me so ya, don't have to do anything except just lay around. They will have a sign in those things at the enterence of the mall but nobody really pays attention to those things. Well I hope someone replies to this, like to hear what people have to say of what I think from experience.

[Temeteron]

I've been reading this forum for almost a year now and I've been working at northlake mall for almost 2 yrs (since dec 2005) I've seen the ups and downs and I can tell you from experience that our morning sales have increased but night time sales have decreased and normally morning would make $50 and night would normally do $200 and now its vice versa. I think its the way this mall is with the gangs and robberies. Just this past weekend nov 16-18, Dick's, Dillards and Belk all got robbed and it was on fox news at 10 today on Nov. 19th, stole somewhere of over $5000 total. My boss has been trying to sell the store but everyone that comes to watch mall traffic know its a bad mall.

I've heard someone saying that they'd love to take out the urban stores but I think DTLR is the one that does the best business but Authentics just sucks because they are closed and out before 9:10pm. I went to a mall meeting (which they need to have more than just once a year) and they said that business was actually good (course I didn't believe them). The only thing keeping this mall open is the people from lake norman since most of them are rich anyway.

About the new super target and best buys and the other stuff that is coming across the street I can guarontee you that it will suck up the malls business because nobody wants Belk or Dillards unless its old woman and Dick's, nobody seems to care about them. They only have a target market for women between 24 and I think 40 something. Thats a very small target market, they need to widen their views of how to get more people to shop there other than stupid in mall advertising which obviously doesn't work. They said in the meeting that they had radio and tv commercials but I haven't been home to see it and radio ads are in the am stations and I remember one commercial was subposed to be on Food Network but still haven't seen it yet.

Oh and get this, their is not one big noticeable sign that says how late they are staying open for the holidays, course I look at it as just free pay for me so ya, don't have to do anything except just lay around. They will have a sign in those things at the enterence of the mall but nobody really pays attention to those things. Well I hope someone replies to this, like to hear what people have to say of what I think from experience.

I'm trying to figure out how you have been reading this forum for almost a year if it says that you are a new member and you've only posted one item? anyways....i think NL needs to bring something new to the table besides the same plain Jane crap that every mall in America has, Belk will always be there Charlotte is a Belk world, but Dillard's needs to take a hike. That store is depressing. So is Dick's, It's at Birkdale anyway, how many repeats do we need? There are several stores that NL has that Birkdale doesn't. The Target and Best Buy, Office Max etc has been taking longer than anticipated and I think that should bring at least some more traffic to that side of Harris Blvd (dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing for the mall).

[StevenRocks]

The main things keeping Northlake afloat are the anchors and the upscale stores on the upper level. If either of these fall off, there's going to be problems.

[mall_employee85]

I'm trying to figure out how you have been reading this forum for almost a year if it says that you are a new member and you've only posted one item? anyways....i think NL needs to bring something new to the table besides the same plain Jane crap that every mall in America has, Belk will always be there Charlotte is a Belk world, but Dillard's needs to take a hike. That store is depressing. So is Dick's, It's at Birkdale anyway, how many repeats do we need? There are several stores that NL has that Birkdale doesn't. The Target and Best Buy, Office Max etc has been taking longer than anticipated and I think that should bring at least some more traffic to that side of Harris Blvd (dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing for the mall).

You don't have to be a member to read the forum so I just joined yesterday.

[Temeteron]

I'm not in favor for taking the mall forums off the top of the list......those are the most popular ones! Maybe you guys should organize the topics by categories? so it'll be easier to find them??

[mall_employee85]

I can't figure out how to boost sales when no one is in this mall. My boss is a slave driver and so I decided not to work over 40 hrs for december. So I guess I'm asking advice from someone. If you can't use money, can't post advertisements, squizing the customers like a sponge to get every cent you can, then how else can you boost sales? In my opinion the mall has to do something on their end because I can't do anything else. I can't even go and give out free stuff because mall security just says "no soliciting" in the mall so they got me on that part. I don't have any business background but I wish I could go into business, I like the idea of running the store but not owning it. So if any of "yall" have some ideas for me please tell me something.

[mall_employee85]

This construction stuff is going to ruin northlake mall. Why might you ask? Well for one Northlake mall only has a target market for women 24-40something. That is their only target market and when you bring in Best Buys and Lowes and all those other things that are going over their who is going to want to go to Northlake anymore? If this mall wishes to survive it better widen its target market. Make use of some free space that is avaiable or as it becomes avaiable for some other type of market. Dick's doesn't do well for men and women have very little use for it unless they are into sports as well. I would so love to work for the mall and try to reinvent it to make more people come. Oh also nobody likes the construction traffic, so that could be why some people avoid the mall. I don't think todays strategies work and my abstract thinking seems to make more sense than what they are trying to do.

[monsoon]

Sad Sad Sad. This is what I was thinking when I was in this mall this afternoon around dinner time. I had not been there in a couple of months and I was surprised at how deserted Northlake was given it is 20 days before Christmas and this should be prime shopping time. In addition, the mall christmas decorations already looked old given they recycled the 2 year old Chronicals of Narnia decorations into Fred Klause decorations and some of the lights were out on the main Christmas tree out front.

There was still a closed store in the food court and the one store that I went into, Barnes and Nobles seemed to have some issues with restocking new titles according to the person I went with who wanted to shop there. The most noteworthy things were the chinese made trinkets and the George Bush voodoo dolls on high display at the front of the store. All and all it gave me the same feeling that I got when walking into the Freedom Mall at Christmas time in 1984. i.e. still nice but the writing was on the wall.

[AuLukey]

I really do hope Northlake stays open for the sad fact that 90% of what I wear comes from that mall. I'd rather not have to go down to Southpark every time I need new clothes. We went a day or two ago and the mall seemed dead for this time of year but most of the college-age/young adult clothing stores were relatively busy inside.

Edited December 6, 2007 by aussie luke

[Temeteron]

It really makes no sense to me, because a reason why they opened this mall was for the lack of retail in North Charlotte....and yet it is doing poorly? And in the death of Eastland Mall I dont see what is keeping NL from thriving? Poor highway connection? Lack of something new and too many repeats? Too expensive? Too cheap? TOo much crime? I dont get it

[voyager12]

NorthLake is a model that is way past it's prime. Large enclosed malls are not in vogue anymore. Carolina Place which is also midrange does well because of it's location near merging regional highways and being close to the state line. NL has no cachet like SouthPark which will prosper because of the surrounding affluence. Northlake is dull and drab to me. All things being equal I would much rather go over to Birkdale which is at least inviting in a faux "village" way.

Edited December 6, 2007 by voyager12

[mallguy]

I think Northlake will eventually do better simply given the masssive population growth that's occuring in northern Mecklenburg County. Carolina Place struggled at first as well but has been helped by population growth, too. Fair points, though, that Birkdale is a good competitor and can present a more desirable shopping environment; even though I like enclosed malls, the lower level of Northlake to me is scary.

[StevenRocks]

NorthLake is a model that is way past it's prime. Large enclosed malls are not in vogue anymore. Carolina Place which is also midrange does well because of it's location near merging regional highways and being close to the state line. NL has no cachet like SouthPark which will prosper because of the surrounding affluence. Northlake is dull and drab to me. All things being equal I would much rather go over to Birkdale which is at least inviting in a faux "village" way.

The main thing that Northlake did wrong in my opinion is to devote so much energy in being "just like" every other mall in town. It's design by consensus, and it doesn't work.

The tenant list holds nothing special, and ignores where America's retail dollars are going these days. Other than Dick's there are no big box stores, and there are few, if any, luxury stores. It's haplessly stuck in the middle of the middle, without a Penney to their name (sorry). Puns aside, in short they made the mall too expensive for the bargain shopper, not posh enough for the upscale shopper, and too young and too urban for the "mom and kids" shopper.

The design is nice but predictable, and it doesn't give anyone a reason to choose it as a destination. I'm quickly tiring of the faux outdoor streetscapes that everyone's doing, but they are traffic builders, and Northlake has nothing of the sort. In fact, the place is tanking so badly, that the proposed one in front of Borders will likely never get built.

Plus with Eastland dying, many the elements that helped kill that mall off have moved out to Northlake. As we've sen before, shoppers want to feel safe, and any place with the perception of being a hotbed of teen loitering will not pull in the middle-class or upscale dollar. It's not fair, but that's what you have there.

I wish the mall the best, but soething tells me something big is going to need to happen soon to stem the downward spiral.

I think Northlake will eventually do better simply given the masssive population growth that's occuring in northern Mecklenburg County. Carolina Place struggled at first as well but has been helped by population growth, too. Fair points, though, that Birkdale is a good competitor and can present a more desirable shopping environment; even though I like enclosed malls, the lower level of Northlake to me is scary.

It's true that Carolina Place was a near-failure when it started. In fact, there's hardly anything there other than the anchors that was there in 1991 when it opened. But what CP did that Northlake isn't doing is effectively chase the "mom and kids" customer. They never pretended to be SouthPark or reached for the teen or bargain market just to fill up space. Nicer stores pursued Carolina Place based on solid demographics and proven sales, rather than on speculation. They also brought in a measured number of teen stores, rather than creating a "teen ghetto" like Northlake did.

[monsoon]

Nice commentary Steven. I completely agree with it.

Much of the growth in the northern end of the county is taking place in the Lake Norman area, and the lake people seem to completely shun this mall for some reason. There really isn't that much residential growth around the mall itself and what there is, is lower end. Northlake sits in the middle of business park and traffic hell and once business hours are over it's pretty much an empty area. This isn't a good recipe for success and the results show.

This is their 3rd Christmas and one would have hoped they would have finally rented out the mall by now, but there is still a substantial amount of space in there that has never been rented.

[mallguy]

Do we have sales per square foot figures for Northlake?

Plus, do we know why Taubman, which is known for upscale malls, built Northlake with an upscale upper level but a downscale lower level? Targeting two different consumer groups- upscale suburbanites and a more urban shopper base- with the same mall wasn't wise. Each other mall around Charlotte successfully targets a specific demographic, not two very different ones.

Has anyone submitted Northlake to deadmalls.com? I need to go visit the mall; I haven't been there recently and didn't know it was doing so badly; when I was there around Thanksgiving, there were plenty of cars in the parking lot.

[StevenRocks]

Plus, do we know why Taubman, which is known for upscale malls, built Northlake with an upscale upper level but a downscale lower level? Targeting two different consumer groups- upscale suburbanites and a more urban shopper base- with the same mall wasn't wise. Each other mall around Charlotte successfully targets a specific demographic, not two very different ones.

Even though I referred to the lower level as a "teen ghetto," it's not really downscale as it is way too focused on attracting teenagers. Many of those stores have a place in the mall format, but there's simply too many of them too close together.

[MZT]

2 and a half years is not enough time to deadmall the place. If we're still scratching our heads about this mall after 485 is completed, then it's probably time.

[mall_employee85]

2 and a half years is not enough time to deadmall the place. If we're still scratching our heads about this mall after 485 is completed, then it's probably time.

Waiting on 485 to be completed is a joke, it won't be done until 2012 or 2013.

[mall_employee85]

That place still hasn't been boarded up yet in the food court. (I think its D'Mustards, slow service and it sucked) They really do need to get something else in there like maybe Burger King or Mcdonalds, either one of those would put Chick-fil-a on the run for the money. Really don't need a buffet type or anything like Showmars or Great Steak because they take forever to get you your food. I remember at most waiting for either at Showmars or Great Steak at least a good 15 mins on a Saturday. Thats really bad to me. I need some new food to eat in this mall, everything starting to taste bland after eating it for 2 yrs now.

Oh whoever commented that this was not a mom and kid mall, just look over at the kiddy playground. Full of moms and kids and sometimes dads. Mostly the dads are in the sports court.