SouthPark Mall

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Well consider your zara dreams canceled there not expanding in US anymore according to this article

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=17725146

When contacted by ABC News, a representative for Zara said that the retailer's "expansion pace in the U.S. market remains as planned, with several new openings scheduled for next year.

 

 

[Temeteron]

Ugh... seriously?

http://obswhatsinstore.blogspot.com/2013/10/american-girl-store-coming-to-southpark.html

This is a big disappointment, especially it being 12,000 sq ft. That is a big space!  I don't understand why SP and Simon think it's a great idea to bring this type of store considered Justice (which used to be Limited Too) and Club Libby Lu (That annoying little girl store that would do makeovers and you would see them walking around the mall with a ton of makeup on them and stensils coming out of their hair) have both closed in the past few years.  I doubt this store will last.  SouthPark desperately needs more young professional stores and high end stores, ex: Zara, H&M, Diesel, Armani Exchange, Club Monaco, Gucci, Jimmy Choo.  Enough Children stores already! Sheesh

[Go_Daddy_Go]

This is a big disappointment, especially it being 12,000 sq ft. That is a big space!  I don't understand why SP and Simon think it's a great idea to bring this type of store considered Justice (which used to be Limited Too) and Club Libby Lu (That annoying little girl store that would do makeovers and you would see them walking around the mall with a ton of makeup on them and stensils coming out of their hair) have both closed in the past few years.  I doubt this store will last.  SouthPark desperately needs more young professional stores and high end stores, ex: Zara, H&M, Diesel, Armani Exchange, Club Monaco, Gucci, Jimmy Choo.  Enough Children stores already! Sheesh

 

There is nothing similar between American Girl and Justice or Libby Lu besides the target audience.  As a dad to a seven year old daughter, we have driven 4 hours to ATL to go to the American Girl store (and even stayed overnight)...all this for a "doll".  We spent $400 in the store (waited 40 minutes to check out the lines were so long), and ate in the cafe (which was on a wait). People were lined up to hand over big bucks.  This will be the only location between DC and ATL. It;s a destination.  Most of our friends with daughters our age have also made trips to DC/NYC/ATL just to take their daughters to American Girl. Just because the store isn't for you doesn't mean this store will not last. It will. 

[Guest]

There is nothing similar between American Girl and Justice or Libby Lu besides the target audience.  As a dad to a seven year old daughter, we have driven 4 hours to ATL to go to the American Girl store (and even stayed overnight)...all this for a "doll".  We spent $400 in the store (waited 40 minutes to check out the lines were so long), and ate in the cafe (which was on a wait). People were lined up to hand over big bucks.  This will be the only location between DC and ATL. It;s a destination.  Most of our friends with daughters our age have also made trips to DC/NYC/ATL just to take their daughters to American Girl. Just because the store isn't for you doesn't mean this store will not last. It will. 

Great point, and your Avatar makes me positively thirsty... I'm imagining an IPA, yum.

[AuLukey]

I have to concur with Go Daddy Go.  Five or so years ago my parents trekked down to Atlanta just to go to this store with my aunt's family, I was so graciously invited along... (luckily there were other forms of entertainment nearby for the men in the family to head to.)  Being that that store was the soul purpose of the trip, Atlanta in general gained a pretty penny from us via other venues just because they had an American Girl store.

 

Adding this location is finally creating a real destination in South Park.  Yes the upscale retail is nice and does bring people in, but is it really a destination you can't find in other parts of the state?  Not really. I highly doubt many people would drive from Raleigh, Columbia, or Winston to hit the few retailers that aren't in their upscale malls.  On the other hand, people will drive hours from states around just to go to this store.  It's a huge win for Charlotte in general.  It's an unbelievably overpriced retailer recognizing that a city like Charlotte has that type of demographic within a reasonable distance.

 

Be grateful this is heading to Charlotte and stop snubbing your noses at everything that isn't an upscale apparel store that manufactures everything out of cashmere, mink, and puppies.

Edited October 29, 2013 by AuLukey

[101_ce]

I agree. Since I don't shop at H&M I really rather would have American Girl because it is more exclusive. I do disagree a little with you because SouthPark is very much a destination mall. I know there are a lot of people who drive from Columbia to go to Nordstrom and Neiman, and many people from Western NC and the upstate come to SouthPark as well. Even Raleigh/Durham has a pretty poor Nordstrom and Saks compared to Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus here, and don't forget IKEA! It's not only because of Raleigh being smaller, it's also just because with the exclusion of the Fifth Avenue store Saks really isn't as impressive as Neiman Marcus is.

 

Of course, American Girl only further establishes SouthPark as a destination mall. It's not all you, though. I think having someone who doesn't live in Charlotte (like myself) is more likely to realise how much of a destination mall it really is and notices more when people talk about SouthPark. 

 

I really do have a spot soft for American Girl because my sister used to love it when she was a kid. Since the outfits were so expensive, my grandma would make outfits for her doll (of course she had a few American Girl ones as well). She taught my sister how to sew and now she really enjoys it. 

[Urbanity]

I honestly didn't know American Girl still existed.  I remember taking my pre-teen niece (who is now in college) to the Pokemon store in Rockefeller center (she is more that type of girl) and we passed the American Girl store and there was a line down the block.   I remember thinking it was just a fad...

[Guest]

LOL its been a "fad" for nearly 30 years.

[Temeteron]

LOL its been a "fad" for nearly 30 years.

Mehh....looks like a girl version of Build-A-Bear workshop.  Their website doesn't impress me either.  Reminds me of a store that was popular in the 80's and 90's.  I guess we'll see 

[cha]

Shoot I know people that drive all the way from Virginia to go shopping at South Park.

[15895]

Shoot I know people that drive all the way from Virginia to go shopping at South Park.

Why? Doesn't DC have more?

[Guest]

Mehh....looks like a girl version of Build-A-Bear workshop.  Their website doesn't impress me either.  Reminds me of a store that was popular in the 80's and 90's.  I guess we'll see 

People line the block in the one by my office in NYC, you should see around christmas time, I avoid the area like a plague.

[Miesian Corners]

Why? Doesn't DC have more?

Geography.  The southern I-81 corridor allows easy travel to CLT.  Getting to DC takes more time and is a far greater traffic headache.

[AuLukey]

I agree. Since I don't shop at H&M I really rather would have American Girl because it is more exclusive. I do disagree a little with you because SouthPark is very much a destination mall. I know there are a lot of people who drive from Columbia to go to Nordstrom and Neiman, and many people from Western NC and the upstate come to SouthPark as well. Even Raleigh/Durham has a pretty poor Nordstrom and Saks compared to Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus here, and don't forget IKEA!

 

 

Not to argue your point, but I can't imagine too many driving from Raleigh just because our Nordstrom is better.  I mean, I'm not gonna say I don't have a Neiman Marcus card or anything, but it astounds me that people drive that far for something that's pretty similar to what they already have.  Also, what does IKEA have to do with South Park?  I wasn't referencing Charlotte as a whole, just the mall itself.  Having a true attraction in the mall will help its long term viability (let's face it, almost all malls are eventually doomed in their current states.)

[Miesian Corners]

Not to argue your point, but I can't imagine too many driving from Raleigh just because our Nordstrom is better.  I mean, I'm not gonna say I don't have a Neiman Marcus card or anything, but it astounds me that people drive that far for something that's pretty similar to what they already have.  Also, what does IKEA have to do with South Park?  I wasn't referencing Charlotte as a whole, just the mall itself.  Having a true attraction in the mall will help its long term viability (let's face it, almost all malls are eventually doomed in their current states.)

SouthPark doesn't need an "attraction" to make it viable.  Much like Cherry Creek in Denver, or North Park in Dallas, the mall acts as an upscale retail component to the larger office and residential area around it.  The demographic I thought Simon was aiming for isn't the kind that want to deal with the spiel of the Mall of America, etc.  Destination retail, NOT destination schlock.

[101_ce]

Not to argue your point, but I can't imagine too many driving from Raleigh just because our Nordstrom is better.  I mean, I'm not gonna say I don't have a Neiman Marcus card or anything, but it astounds me that people drive that far for something that's pretty similar to what they already have.  Also, what does IKEA have to do with South Park?  I wasn't referencing Charlotte as a whole, just the mall itself.  Having a true attraction in the mall will help its long term viability (let's face it, almost all malls are eventually doomed in their current states.)

People wouldn't come to Charlotte from Raleigh just because Nordstrom is better, that's just one of several reason why people would come to Charlotte. It just depends on your priorities. If you love shopping, especially higher end, driving to Charlotte from that far is normal, especially since Saks in Raleigh has a lackluster selection, or so I've heard. Besides, who wants to go to the same mall all the time anyway? If I lived in Charlotte I would go to SouthPark all the time, but mostly because anything better is so far. IKEA does have to do with SouthPark some because I know some people who go shopping in Charlotte and go to SouthPark and IKEA for their shopping. It makes going to SouthPark more attractive having other options not available in the rest of the state in the same city. I really don't think malls are dying. Too much money has been spent to just relocated every store from every mall. Lifestyle centers are kind of annoying and people think that's what's "in" but the real thing is that they're just cheaper to build and maintain than malls, and that's why they're being built. My personal favorite is a hybrid of both, like Bal Harbour Shops. The worst malls will die, but I can't see even Carolina Place or Northlake going anywhere for a long time, and certainly not SouthPark. 

[DCMetroRaleigh]

People drive far to malls for an experience, not just to merely buy luxury stuff.  When people shop at the Houston Galleria, Tyson's Corner, Pentagon City, or Cherry Creek, they are getting an upscale experience that makes them feel affluent or at least like they can hang out with the affluent.  People like to be around "nice things," and such locations offer people the experience of being amongst the prosperous en masse while engaged in America's favorite pasttime, conserumism. That is why people are willing to drive from Raleigh or Richmond to go to South Park, or in reverse, people from North Carolina often go to shop at Pentagon City or Tyson's Corner.

[101_ce]

A new mall in Sarasota is getting a Gucci, Ferragamo, and BOSS. I wonder if these stores would consider opening at SouthPark since they are expanding? I could see Ferragamo opening next to the new David Yurman, and Gucci in the former Ralph Lauren.  I think it seems promising because it seems like most brands that are doing well are getting back into expansion mode, it seems that there's always someone in SouthPark's most exclusive and probably most expensive store, Hermes. Also, I'm not really sure how Van Cleef & Arpels is doing, but other than resort cities like Aspen, Naples, Palm Beach, etc. Charlotte is the smallest city with one. Orlando, Tampa, St Louis, Detroit, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, etc all do not have a store. It's pretty exclusive. 

Edited November 9, 2013 by ct36

[Temeteron]

A new mall in Sarasota is getting a Gucci, Ferragamo, and BOSS. I wonder if these stores would consider opening at SouthPark since they are expanding? I could see Ferragamo opening next to the new David Yurman, and Gucci in the former Ralph Lauren.  I think it seems promising because it seems like most brands that are doing well are getting back into expansion mode, it seems that there's always someone in SouthPark's most exclusive and probably most expensive store, Hermes. Also, I'm not really sure how Van Cleef & Arpels is doing, but other than resort cities like Aspen, Naples, Palm Beach, etc. Charlotte is the smallest city with one. Orlando, Tampa, St Louis, Detroit, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, etc all do not have a store. It's pretty exclusive. 

I can definitely see a Gucci or Hugo Boss replace the former Ralph Lauren space.  I can see the space next to David Yurman becoming a Jimmy Choo...if Nashville has one then we can too

[tozmervo]

Does anyone know when David Yurman will be open?

[101_ce]

 

Does anyone know when David Yurman will be open?

On Facebook, they said "late fall". I would assume later this month or sometime in early December. They were originally slated to open in October, so I can't see it taking that much longer. 

 

I can definitely see a Gucci or Hugo Boss replace the former Ralph Lauren space.  I can see the space next to David Yurman becoming a Jimmy Choo...if Nashville has one then we can too

Someone asked on Facebook what would go there (former Ralph Lauren), and they responded "We will let everybody know as soon as possible. ..No worries, the best is yet to come!". 

With that response, I would think that implies that it is just as good or better than Ralph Lauren, so it could be Gucci. It does sound like they have someone lined up, then. 

Also, I've noticed that Neiman's is pretty busy lately (for a luxury department store) when I go on Saturdays. Also, some of the SA's said they were getting more business through the week than the weekend. THey must be doing pretty well then. I'm still waiting for a basement level with a larger men's department, larger home department, a cafe, and maybe a kid's department. If Gucci does open at SouthPark, they will probably leave their boutique inside Neiman's. Then they could replace it with something else like Balenciaga, Fendi, Dior, Valentino, or Bottega Veneta. I don't think many NM stores have Dior or Fendi, but I know Chicago's NM has Fendi. 

 

Also, the mall is opening at 8 on Thanksgiving this year. I am hoping to go on Black Friday in the morning (about 9 or 10), so I'm hoping the mall being open longer will mean it's a little less crowded the next morning. 

Edited November 11, 2013 by ct36

[tozmervo]

David Yurman on November 25, according to the O today. 

http://obswhatsinstore.blogspot.com/2013/11/david-yurman-boutique-opening-in.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[101_ce]

David Yurman on November 25, according to the O today. 

http://obswhatsinstore.blogspot.com/2013/11/david-yurman-boutique-opening-in.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

At 2,000 square feet, that is probably larger than both the Atlanta and Nashville stores. That's great for Charlotte! 

[atlrvr]

H&M is once again rumored for the Macy's wing, this time in the Observer, taking over the Hallmark space, and I assume adjacent shops.

 

Also, a building permit is out there for Armani Collectzione.  It appears that it would be its own store, as opposed to a shop-withing-an-anchor boutique, but I'm not positive.  Was approved late last month.

[Guest]

H&M is once again rumored for the Macy's wing, this time in the Observer, taking over the Hallmark space, and I assume adjacent shops.

 

Also, a building permit is out there for Armani Collectzione.  It appears that it would be its own store, as opposed to a shop-withing-an-anchor boutique, but I'm not positive.  Was approved late last month.

Ralph Lauren replacement for sure.

 

I think you made Temeteron's day btw. First thought that popped up in my head.

Edited November 18, 2013 by Guest