SouthPark Mall

[Temeteron]

Just visited the mall and noticed that Aeropostale is actually having a closing sale (leaving the mall). The stride rite store was completely closed (which is also a part of that wing). This is proof that H&M & All-American Girl are indeed pushing forward for that spot. Meanwhile, Kate Spade is moving from the Belk wing to the empty spot next to David Yurman. That will definitely give them more foot traffic and exposure. For some reason the Belk Wing on the Upscale side of the mall never has much foot traffic...

[101_ce]

Just visited the mall and noticed that Aeropostale is actually having a closing sale (leaving the mall). The stride rite store was completely closed (which is also a part of that wing). This is proof that H&M & All-American Girl are indeed pushing forward for that spot. Meanwhile, Kate Spade is moving from the Belk wing to the empty spot next to David Yurman. That will definitely give them more foot traffic and exposure. For some reason the Belk Wing on the Upscale side of the mall never has much foot traffic...

If Kate Spade is moving to the Nordstrom wing, I wonder if Tiffany's is expanding? I'm sure they don't have to sell much to make a lot, and I always see people in the store. 

[Temeteron]

Not sure if Tiffany & Co. is expanding, but there is definitely evidence that the retail economy is picking up and that SouthPark is almost full to capacity at this point.  It's too bad that there are no expansion plans any time soon 

Edited December 26, 2013 by Temeteron

[101_ce]

Not sure if Tiffany & Co. is expanding, but there is definitely evidence that the retail economy is picking up and that SouthPark is almost full to capacity at this point.  It's too bad that there are no expansion plans any time soon 

I was just thinking about that earlier! I would love for them to move the restaurants and The Container Store and close the Dick's store and open a new Bloomingdale's (who is in expansion mode) and some trendy and not so expensive stores like Topshop, French Connection, Club Monaco, Scotch & Soda, All Saints, etc. Also, of course we want Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, etc in the Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom wings. I think the problem with the Ralph Lauren store was that for Men it was almost all Polo and no Black Label and Purple Label. Also, a lot of people did not know that it existed and the sales at Belk and Macy's make the items cheaper. So, I'm kind of surprised it is taking this long to fill, but as long as it is Armani Collezioni I don't doubt that something just as good or better will come to the mall as well. 

[atlrvr]

^ I'm sure this discussion is somewhere in this thread, but what does the existing structure allow for as far as expansion.  I believe Nordstroms can be expanded to a 3rd level, but what about the remainder of the mall?  Can the main level support a second story?

 

Nationally, Simon (and other top mall operators) have been selling (or letting them go into foreclosure) underperforming malls at a rapid pace, and certainly no new traditional malls are being built.  However, they are expanding/upgrading/retenanting what they consider to be their best performing malls in most major markets.  They are increasing rents at the highest pace ever.

 

The whole mall retail mentality has really shifted from "as many locations as possible", to "will have select few locations, but will pay whatever it takes to make sure they are in the best spots".....this is really both the retailers and mall operators mentality.

[LKN704]

^Unfortunately, I don't think the mall can support a second story due to the architecture and general design of the roof. The roof couldn't even hold water when we had flooding last year.

 

That said, I would like to see a third level added to Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. I always thought the Neiman Marcus store was smaller than most of their other locations. I'd like to see a restaurant added to Neiman Marcus as well.

 

I can't help think that more stores would like to expand to Southpark, there just isn't the room at this moment. The one store I think we should have in our market is Lord & Taylor.  The fact that my hometown of Albany had a Lord and Taylor, and now it is reopening, and the metro population is about a 1/3 of the size of ours is insulting.

[101_ce]

No, unfortunately it is true that a second level could not be supported. However, Neiman Marcus can add a level underneath the store where there is parking now. Also, Nordstrom probably could as well. 

With Nordstrom, they use their stores to distribute merchandise purchased online. However, I've noticed that whenever I purchase anything at Nordstrom.com it always comes from stores that seem to be lower volume in markets with multiple stores, never SouthPark despite it being so close. That's evidence that they want to keep merchandise in their store and sell it, and they are doing well. To compare, the Nordstrom stores at Mall of Georgia and also the location in Norfolk have nearly half the items that SouthPark has even though both are larger, and the store is filled but not quite cramped. Also, Neiman Marcus seems to be doing well, really all SouthPark stores are. 

 

Right now SouthPark is not allowed to expand, however, In my opinion the traffic is not that bad in the area and they may decide to let SouthPark expand to keep tax dollars in NC instead of Virginia and Georgia. Besides, if they get rid of Dick's they can put something else there. The problem is how large the footprint of the mall is. I like to go to stores and look around before I buy, so it's inconvenient to go from store to store and back again in SouthPark because I'm walking all over the mall. Of course, I still love the mall. Having a second level would make it easier, but I don't like two leveled malls as much. So, expanding the mall any more on just one level would be difficult and require a lot of walking, but it would still be smaller than the Mills, so it could be fine, I suppose. Setting themselves further apart from other NC malls will encourage more people to make the trip to Charlotte, and CLT is growing so fast that a larger SouthPark doesn't seem outrageous. 

 

With Lord & Taylor, I think that the problem is that there is not a large gap between Belk, Dillard's, Macy's, etc and Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's where L&T is at. However, Von Maur seems to be doing well and it is similar to L&T, but I prefer L&T. 

Edited December 27, 2013 by 101_ce

[mallguy]

 

 

I can't help think that more stores would like to expand to Southpark, there just isn't the room at this moment. The one store I think we should have in our market is Lord & Taylor.  The fact that my hometown of Albany had a Lord and Taylor, and now it is reopening, and the metro population is about a 1/3 of the size of ours is insulting.

Lord & Taylor was "supposed" to come to SouthPark in the late '80s as a replacement for Sears.  That never happened.  L&T is, sadly, no longer a national chain; it's a Northeast + Florida one, and it's doing very, very well in those markets.  It is slowly expanding around its home territories, but it's not eyeing being a national chain again, as that didn't work.  Witness the L&T in Raleigh, which lasted only about 10 years, if that.  I recall going to Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh soon after that L&T opened and, as a then-Southern shopper, I didn't know what to make of it; I couldn't even figure out the name of the store since I couldn't read the handwritten-style logo.  L&T is now my favorite store ever, but it faced an uphill battle winning over the hordes of Belk fans, I'd guess.

Edited December 27, 2013 by mallguy

[101_ce]

To be honest the H&M at North Lake is not even a flagship store it doesn't even have the trend section. And I highly doubt it will get the designer collaborations hopefully the Southpark store will. H&M in Atlanta has the trend section and gets the designer collaborations and they just opened a Scotch and Soda in shops around lenox which has some nice stuff..

Neimans Charlotte is the smallest in the chain. Its lacking alot of designers compared to the stores in Atlanta Houston and Even Tampa.

Im glad Charlotte retail scene is growing but they need to up there game on the selections. The selections are terrible to many base model stores. I would love for zara to come here but how likely is that.

I'm kinda confused with Nordstroms being so nice in Charlotte i wonder why topshop is opening a boutique in there and not Topman. They have both in Nordstroms in phipps plaza in ATL...

When I need a good retail fix i just drive down to Atlanta. Especially fpr the consignment shops.

Really? In my opinion, shopping in Charlotte is fine, if not better than Atlanta. Sure, Atlanta has a ton more selection, but Charlotte stores are a lot less crowded and all of the SA's are much more willing to help. Burberry, St John, Hermes, and Tory Burch are about the same size or larger at SouthPark than Atlanta, but of course Atlanta has many other stores. And honestly anyone with good style should not have a problem finding some amount of things at Neiman's in Charlotte, and if they can't they are probably buying too much anyway. They carry many classic styles, and for more trendy people, they have a lot of those $700 Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, and Prada sneakers that make me cringe. If that's what someone likes, to each their own I suppose. Although IMO I would prefer a contemporary brand like Etro over those. 

According to Neiman's website, the SouthPark store carries nearly 2000 items for Men's Apparel, Men's Shoes and Accessories compared to 3000 in Atlanta, and 1900 in Women's Apparel in Charlotte compared to 3200 in Atlanta. While Atlanta's store is very nice and over twice the size, it clearly does not carry twice the amount of items. Also, NM Charlotte is tied for second smallest with Austin, and Palm Beach at 52,000 square feet is the true smallest store. It really depends on what the market is like to decide on what the stores carry. For example, people in Charlotte have always given me the impression that they care more about quality and style over just having something because of the brand, so it makes sense that well-known boutiques like Cartier and Prada closed at NM but were replaced with lesser known Akris and Van Cleef & Arpels. People like that just make me sick about spending so much money for just a brand. You should understand why the products cost what they cost and how the brand started other than just wanting it because they heard it in a rap song or know a celebrity likes a certain brand. 

 

However, it is sometimes a pain because I know Louis Vuitton at SouthPark often does not get in enough items and you have to end up ordering them, which I would rather not do. 

 

As for Nordstrom, the reason why there is no Topman is because there is no space. The store is doing very well and barely had room for Topshop, but absolutely no space for Topman. When I went to Nordstrom and Mall of Georgia, I was expecting it to be like the SouthPark store but it was truly awful! Go there and you will appreciate the selection at Neiman's in Charlotte for sure! As for consignment shops, I'm really not aware of many in Charlotte so I'm sure Atlanta is much better for that. 

 

Once more expensive brands think that Charlotte is ready for a store they will come. Charlotte's shopping is just as good, if not better than peer cities. Hermes opened in 2006 and they don't just open anywhere. Similar sized cities Nashville, Orlando, and Tampa do not have a store. While the latter two have Gucci, Hermes is much better and more exclusive. Also, it is my opinion that Neiman Marcus would not have even bothered with opening in Charlotte if they were planning on creating a tiny, lackluster store with no selection which it clearly isn't. The Charlotte market has exploded with population and had it had not been for the economic downtown the Charlotte store would have likely been expanded to three levels by now. Louis Vuitton at Lenox was a 1500 square foot store where David Yurman is now up until 2005 or 2006. To compare, Charlotte's store is 3500 square feet and has been open since 2004, so for one year or so the Charlotte store was larger. Today, Atlanta's is 10,000 square feet which just shows you how quickly stores can expand. Who's to say that LV in Charlotte won't expand at that same rate a little farther down the road? 

Edited December 28, 2013 by 101_ce

[Urbanity]

 In my opinion the traffic is not that bad in the area and they may decide to let SouthPark expand to keep tax dollars in NC instead of Virginia and Georgia. 

I get a lot of other things you said in your post but I am surprised by this opinion.

 

Related to a discussion of South Park Mall in general, I wonder if it will eventually be a victim of its own success because in the years I've been here I find more and more people avoid the area and the mall because of the traffic issues.

 

Read my posting history and you can tell I am not a fan of cars or even road projects, but that said - something has to be done transportation wise in South Park if it wants to survive long term.   That said - It's one of the reasons I think retail in Uptown has a shot.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Urbanity

[southslider]

I never have traffic problems going to and from SouthPark. But I also don't enter or exit via Sharon or Fairview. It's a completely different experience when you need not go though the Sharon/Fairview or Park/Tyvola intersections either.

[101_ce]

I get a lot of other things you said in your post but I am surprised by this opinion.

 

Related to a discussion of South Park Mall in general, I wonder if it will eventually be a victim of its own success because in the years I've been here I find more and more people avoid the area and the mall because of the traffic issues.

 

Read my posting history and you can tell I am not a fan of cars or even road projects, but that said - something has to be done transportation wise in South Park if it wants to survive long term.   That said - It's one of the reasons I think retail in Uptown has a shot.

 

I guess I just get lucky? The mall usually has a lot of people when I go, but I really don't find the traffic to be that bad. Maybe it's because I spent 20 minutes trying to go a half mile to get to Lenox Square and another 20 minutes to find a parking spot....Never again! At the same time I went to Lenox, I can usually get from Woodlawn to Park to Fairview and find a parking spot in 10 minutes for SouthPark, on a busy Saturday too. However, if I know the mall will be extra crowded (i.e. Black Friday) I go through the back way. Either way, I do agree that they need better transportation to and from SouthPark. 

 

I never have traffic problems going to and from SouthPark. But I also don't enter or exit via Sharon or Fairview. It's a completely different experience when you need not go though the Sharon/Fairview or Park/Tyvola intersections either.

I usually go through Park/Tyvola to Fairview, and that's not that bad, but it's much faster to go from Woodlawn to Barclay Downs. 

[Temeteron]

Really? In my opinion, shopping in Charlotte is fine, if not better than Atlanta. Sure, Atlanta has a ton more selection, but Charlotte stores are a lot less crowded and all of the SA's are much more willing to help. Burberry, St John, Hermes, and Tory Burch are about the same size or larger at SouthPark than Atlanta, but of course Atlanta has many other stores. And honestly anyone with good style should not have a problem finding some amount of things at Neiman's in Charlotte, and if they can't they are probably buying too much anyway. They carry many classic styles, and for more trendy people, they have a lot of those $700 Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, and Prada sneakers that make me cringe. If that's what someone likes, to each their own I suppose. Although IMO I would prefer a contemporary brand like Etro over those. 

According to Neiman's website, the SouthPark store carries nearly 2000 items for Men's Apparel, Men's Shoes and Accessories compared to 3000 in Atlanta, and 1900 in Women's Apparel in Charlotte compared to 3200 in Atlanta. While Atlanta's store is very nice and over twice the size, it clearly does not carry twice the amount of items. Also, NM Charlotte is tied for second smallest with Austin, and Palm Beach at 52,000 square feet is the true smallest store. It really depends on what the market is like to decide on what the stores carry. For example, people in Charlotte have always given me the impression that they care more about quality and style over just having something because of the brand, so it makes sense that well-known boutiques like Cartier and Prada closed at NM but were replaced with lesser known Akris and Van Cleef & Arpels. People like that just make me sick about spending so much money for just a brand. You should understand why the products cost what they cost and how the brand started other than just wanting it because they heard it in a rap song or know a celebrity likes a certain brand. 

 

However, it is sometimes a pain because I know Louis Vuitton at SouthPark often does not get in enough items and you have to end up ordering them, which I would rather not do. 

 

As for Nordstrom, the reason why there is no Topman is because there is no space. The store is doing very well and barely had room for Topshop, but absolutely no space for Topman. When I went to Nordstrom and Mall of Georgia, I was expecting it to be like the SouthPark store but it was truly awful! Go there and you will appreciate the selection at Neiman's in Charlotte for sure! As for consignment shops, I'm really not aware of many in Charlotte so I'm sure Atlanta is much better for that. 

 

Once more expensive brands think that Charlotte is ready for a store they will come. Charlotte's shopping is just as good, if not better than peer cities. Hermes opened in 2006 and they don't just open anywhere. Similar sized cities Nashville, Orlando, and Tampa do not have a store. While the latter two have Gucci, Hermes is much better and more exclusive. Also, it is my opinion that Neiman Marcus would not have even bothered with opening in Charlotte if they were planning on creating a tiny, lackluster store with no selection which it clearly isn't. The Charlotte market has exploded with population and had it had not been for the economic downtown the Charlotte store would have likely been expanded to three levels by now. Louis Vuitton at Lenox was a 1500 square foot store where David Yurman is now up until 2005 or 2006. To compare, Charlotte's store is 3500 square feet and has been open since 2004, so for one year or so the Charlotte store was larger. Today, Atlanta's is 10,000 square feet which just shows you how quickly stores can expand. Who's to say that LV in Charlotte won't expand at that same rate a little farther down the road? 

Charlotte shopping better than Atlanta?  I totally disagree!  Yes we have decent shopping here but Atlanta has 10 times more of a selection on brands, not only luxury brands, but also affordable.  I do agree that its not as crowded and associates here in CLT actually have time and are kind enough to help you vs. in Atlanta's stores.  When I travel to Atlanta, I make sure I avoid Lenox/Phipps on Saturday, as that is the day that all the 'riff-raff' walk around the mall pretending that they have money and overcrowding the stores and annoying the crap out of everyone.  I remember the last time I went on a Saturday, it was all new money ghetto fabulous consumers and I even smelled weed before I even walked into Lenox.  If you visit Lenox/Phipps on a weekday you will be just fine.  In reference to your comment about if someone has good style they shouldn't have a problem with finding things in Neiman Charlotte:  I completely disagree.  The Neiman here in Charlotte has a weird mix of good and bad.  If you look at their client base,  the old money customers (mostly white SouthPark and Myers Park people) will buy Robert Graham, 7 jeans and Louis Vuitton which to me are not fashion forward at all....the new money clients (which are mostly black young males) will go and buy the ridiculously flashy Prada, Balenciaga and Gucci high tops with the studs and crap all over them.  I feel that in CLT we don't have anything in between.  I used to work there, so I know. They used to carry D&G, Prada, Brioni and a lot of other European brands.  People here in CLT don't appreciate European brands because they don't understand quality, nor do they understand that wearing something fitted or 'tight' is the way you are supposed to wear it (yes that is a subjective statement but oh well). The people who have more fashion sense and stand out here are the ones who are transplants from NY/NJ/Boston/DC etc.  The European oriented customer and the Japanese-fashion style customer in Charlotte are also more "informed" people and contribute to consuming the more fashion forward brands of NM, however they are super small in CLT.  That is one of the reasons why NM Charlotte stopped carrying certain brands.  In fact at one point, they started carrying Ralph Lauren because that is what the average Charlottean male looks for....so sad. At least they still carry Etro! When comparing Charlotte retail to Columbia, Winston, and Raleigh, yes we have options...but when comparing us to DC, Atlanta, NY and Miami, and even Charleston sometimes, we are a super conservative market.  

Edited December 28, 2013 by Temeteron

[101_ce]

Charlotte shopping better than Atlanta?  I totally disagree!  Yes we have decent shopping here but Atlanta has 10 times more of a selection on brands, not only luxury brands, but also affordable.  I do agree that its not as crowded and associates here in CLT actually have time and are kind enough to help you vs. in Atlanta's stores.  When I travel to Atlanta, I make sure I avoid Lenox/Phipps on Saturday, as that is the day that all the 'riff-raff' walk around the mall pretending that they have money and overcrowding the stores and annoying the crap out of everyone.  I remember the last time I went on a Saturday, it was all new money ghetto fabulous consumers and I even smelled weed before I even walked into Lenox.  If you visit Lenox/Phipps on a weekday you will be just fine.  In reference to your comment about if someone has good style they shouldn't have a problem with finding things in Neiman Charlotte:  I completely disagree.  The Neiman here in Charlotte has a weird mix of good and bad.  If you look at their client base,  the old money customers (mostly white SouthPark and Myers Park people) will buy Robert Graham, 7 jeans and Louis Vuitton which to me are not fashion forward at all....the new money clients (which are mostly black young males) will go and buy the ridiculously flashy Prada, Balenciaga and Gucci high tops with the studs and crap all over them.  I feel that in CLT we don't have anything in between.  I used to work there, so I know. They used to carry D&G, Prada, Brioni and a lot of other European brands.  People here in CLT don't appreciate European brands because they don't understand quality, nor do they understand that wearing something fitted or 'tight' is the way you are supposed to wear it (yes that is a subjective statement but oh well). The people who have more fashion sense and stand out here are the ones who are transplants from NY/NJ/Boston/DC etc.  The European oriented customer and the Japanese-fashion style customer in Charlotte are also more "informed" people and contribute to consuming the more fashion forward brands of NM, however they are super small in CLT.  That is one of the reasons why NM Charlotte stopped carrying certain brands.  In fact at one point, they started carrying Ralph Lauren because that is what the average Charlottean male looks for....so sad. At least they still carry Etro! When comparing Charlotte retail to Columbia, Winston, and Raleigh, yes we have options...but when comparing us to DC, Atlanta, NY and Miami, and even Charleston sometimes, we are a super conservative market.  

I agree because it really depends on what one likes. I find plenty of stuff at SouthPark, particularly at NM, so while extra stores are nice I am fine without them. However, I am sure you and many others prefer the selection of Atlanta, but since I find what I like here and prefer how SP has better SA's and is less crowded so I prefer that. Within the next ten or fifteen years I really hope Charlotte has shopping similar to Orlando now, which is basically halfway between Charlotte and Atlanta. I do disagree with the statement that people in CLT do not appreciate European brands, because while it may be somewhat true, most of the brands Neiman's carries are European. I know they have a lot of Michael Kors, Billy Reid, Theory, Vince, etc. but those brands are alright. Also, they still have Brioni but just shirts and ties and not jackets any longer. I know you may prefer fashion forward, but you can't go wrong with classic, conservative styles, which while they get boring, are definitely safe. It does make sense because they are only placing what is selling, but they can always try putting out better brands and test them again. I hope they will eventually add a third floor, and they can fit more boutiques from brands like Brioni and other European brands. Either way, Nordstrom at SouthPark and NM at SouthPark together are much better than Nashville's Nordstrom, it is great but Charlotte's stores offer many more brands together. I prefer classic styles, but as I get older I am getting much more okay with getting out of my comfort zone. Last year, I would not have liked Etro but now it is appealing to me. 

I really hate all those flashy high tops too. It kills me to see someone go in there and pay $700 for rubber Prada sneakers when I'm trying to justify paying $400 for some genuine leather loafers in the same store. 

I went to Lenox once before on a Saturday morning, and that was the only time I actually enjoy visiting. I always go to Atlanta through the weekend, so Saturday morning is the least crowded time I can go, however, I haven't been in years and don't plan on going back anytime soon. 

The best thing about NM is their beauty department, mostly because they have basically every line the Atlanta store has except Tom Ford, which is expanding very quickly through the NM stores. 

 

Also, how do you feel about the Prada Ready to Wear boutique being replaced with Akris punto? They sell the same amount of items as the Atlanta store, while lacking the main Akris line. 

Edited December 30, 2013 by 101_ce

[Temeteron]

".....I do disagree with the statement that people in CLT do not appreciate European brands, because while it may be somewhat true, most of the brands Neiman's carries are European. I know they have a lot of Michael Kors, Billy Reid, Theory, Vince, etc. but those brands are alright."

I hate to break it to you but those are all American brands.  

European brands are from EUROPE (you know, that continent across the Atlantic Ocean that is known throughout the world for their high quality in fashion)....

European Brands include: 

Versace (Italy)

Gucci (Italy)

Fendi (Italy)

Prada (Italy)

Giorgio Armani (Italy)

Dolce & Gabbana (Italy) 

D&G (Italy)

Etro (Italy)

Bottega Veneta (Italy)

Diesel (Italy)

Ermenegildo Zegna (Italy)

Salvatore Ferragamo (Italy)

Louis Vuitton (France)

Jean-Paul Gaultier (France)

Yves Saint Laurent (France)

Cartier (France)

Burberry (UK)

G-Star (Netherlands)

 

There are many more that I haven't listed.  If you ever have time, look those up online or visit Lenox Square/Phipps Plaza.  That location carries the clothing as well as the shoes, and some of these even have their own boutiques there.  You will be amazed at their quality and designs.  Some of these brands are carried in the Charlotte Neiman location's women's dept. and men's shoe dept. , however not in the men's department.  The Italian and the French are extremely talented people when it comes to fashion

Edited December 30, 2013 by Temeteron

[101_ce]

I hate to break it to you but those are all American brands.  

European brands are from EUROPE (you know, that continent across the Atlantic Ocean that is known throughout the world for their high quality in fashion)....

European Brands include: 

Versace (Italy)

Gucci (Italy)

Fendi (Italy)

Prada (Italy)

Giorgio Armani (Italy)

Dolce & Gabbana (Italy) 

D&G (Italy)

Etro (Italy)

Bottega Veneta (Italy)

Diesel (Italy)

Ermenegildo Zegna (Italy)

Salvatore Ferragamo (Italy)

Louis Vuitton (France)

Jean-Paul Gaultier (France)

Yves Saint Laurent (France)

Cartier (France)

Burberry (UK)

G-Star (Netherlands)

 

There are many more that I haven't listed.  If you ever have time, look those up online or visit Lenox Square/Phipps Plaza.  That location carries the clothing as well as the shoes, and some of these even have their own boutiques there.  You will be amazed at their quality and designs.  Some of these brands are carried in the Charlotte Neiman location's women's dept. and men's shoe dept. , however not in the men's department.  The Italian and the French are extremely talented people when it comes to fashion

I can name many other European brands the Charlotte store sells in Women's: French Designers of Saint Laurent, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Italian designers Escada, Brunello Cucinelli,etc.  and a full RTW boutique of Swiss designer Akris...although mostly the lower priced punto line. I know the others are American brands. In my post I said that NM Charlotte has many European brands, although they have a lot of Billy Reid, Theory, Vince, etc which are American (but I didn't add that). The Charlotte store carries select styles of Armani Collezioni, Brioni, Brunello Cucinelli, Burberry, Ermenegildo Zegna, Etro, and Gucci in Men's apparel. However, they could and should have more than that. They sell too much NM branded apparel and Peter Millar, which together take up a large chunk of the store. Peter Millar is carried at Paul Simon in their own boutique and at Nordstrom, so that space should really be used to move other brands over and have more space for contemporary European brands. As Charlotte grows, the demand for these brands will large and they will come. Nordstrom in Nashville had only Armani Collezioni, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, etc. so they had less than NM Charlotte, although I loved the Dolce & Gabbana they had. 

 

However, I really swing over how I feel. Over all, I prefer service over selection because any SA's at NM SouthPark or the boutiques can order anything in Atlanta, but having the selection right there is so much better than not having it. I'm very excited to be going to Chicago next year so I can visit their large, newly renovated NM store with 11 vendor shops in the Men's store including Kiton, RL Black Label, Giorgio Armani, Isaia, Zegna, Tom Ford, etc. that takes up 1 out of the store's 4 floors, and is a larger department than the Atlanta store. However, if I ever get to Atlanta I'll be happy to explore NM and Saks during a time that it's not too busy, but only as long as they don't ignore me while there's hardly anyone else there, I think I'll enjoy it. 

Edited December 31, 2013 by 101_ce

[ah59396]

Charlotte has a bunch of Steinmarts. It's awesome.

[HopHead]

Charlotte has a bunch of Steinmarts. It's awesome.

 

I consider myself a TJ Maxx shopper myself...

[Guest]

I consider myself a TJ Maxx shopper myself...

Don't you mean Maxxinista?

[tozmervo]

Never pay full price for fabulous.

[Temeteron]

And there you go. ^^^^^^^ .....proof that people in Charlotte don't understand nor appreciate fashion.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Temeteron

[Guest]

I'm sorry but what you guys are advocating is not "FASHION." Its Label Whoremongering at best. I am a marketing director of a NY fashion company, I understand fashion.

[101_ce]

Are u serious. Tory burch may be the same size but is her collection in Charlotte here runway pieces NO.. lol

There are 3 Nordstroms in Atlanta I dont know why u keep mentioning the lack luster one at Mall of Ga

I dont even really have time to respond to all this because u really dont grasp the concept of retail.

Like i said ill make trips to Atlanta when i need retail therapy. Plus i heard Atlanta just got a guiseppe store I wanna check that out.

I suppose I should have said "In my opinion, I prefer the overall shopping experience, including service, of SouthPark over Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza" and just left it at that. If all you are going to say is how "bad the selections are in Charlotte", then why post at all? It's certainly constructive to say which stores you want to see and how to improve the mall, but just saying bad things about Charlotte's shopping does not help anything.

However, I suppose it's just because whenever I can get to Lenox it is Saturday afternoon and the mall is crowded and filled with obnoxious people and all the snotty SA's at NM/Saks and the boutiques, and the only good SA's are always busy then so I always have an awful experience. So, I guess you should just take my opinion on Atlanta and their shopping with a grain of salt. Lenox on Saturday evening and a weekday morning is a wonderful difference, and unfortunately, one that I have never experienced. 

 

 

I'm sorry but what you guys are advocating is not "FASHION." Its Label Whoremongering at best. I am a marketing director of a NY fashion company, I understand fashion.

 

 

Nearly half of the famous brands like LV, Gucci, Prada etc. are hideous anyway. I've always preferred less known brands like Zegna and Billy Reid as opposed to one everyone knows. I'd never purchase any LV monogram anything. 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2013 by 101_ce

[HopHead]

And there you go. ^^^^^^^ .....proof that people in Charlotte don't understand nor appreciate fashion.

No it's just proof that most people on this board get annoyed with 10 paragraph rants about what mall sells more of some overpriced product made in another country. If that's your cup of tea, more power to you. I'm sure there is some other forum for that type of discussion though.

[101_ce]

Great news! Armani Collezioni, which is already found in both Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus is NOT opening at SouthPark. However, Emporio Armani is.