Eastland Mall Redevelopment

[StevenRocks]

You're forgiven, of course, but just remember, we all like a good joke, but generalizations can really offend.

My point was that any mall owner that would let their mall get overrun by sneaker stores (or and one class of retailer) like that obviously doesn't care if any of those stores make money, so long as they pay rent. It's a situation that made me a bit more nervous for the mall's future.

I like sneakers a lot, and I appreciate having as much choice as I can (in fact that's part of why I like going to Eastland), but some of the stores were obvious repeats (Athlete's Foot and Fame are identical, just on different floors, for example). That's not really expanding choice when retailers do that. It's repetition for the sake of repetition.

Also, I've noticed that all the chain jewelry stores in Eastland are gone; the latest to go being The Whitehall Co. which apparently left after the holidays. That's not a good sign. There still are jewelers there (New York Jewelry and Diamond District) but there's almost no choice in that basic category now.

And Lane Bryant and American Eagle left! AE has been looking peeked for a while, so it wasn't unexpected. But one would think Lane Bryant would be a good match for Eastland. Still, the store was empty last week.

Edited January 23, 2006 by StevenRocks

[mallguy]

Go to http://charlotte.bizjournals.com and search in the archives for Eastland Mall and there are plenty of stories about departing chains. From what I recall from an early '90s visit to Eastland, it was a normal mall like Carolina Place. I recall even going there with a group of people and relatives instead of SouthPark, probably at someone's recommendation. Wouldn't do that today!

I'm surprised that so many stores have recently left Eastland; the mall appeared packed (albeit with a somewhat un-SouthPark-like crowd) during the holidays.

[Temeteron]

Aeropostale also closed dont forget....not sure if it was due to the new opening at Northlake and/or at Rock hill galleria....obviously they werent doing well at Eastland, but you would think, its just regular clothes for teens, why wouldnt it be doing well? How bizarre!

Edited January 24, 2006 by Temeteron

[ngp]

But one would think Lane Bryant would be a good match for Eastland.

Why is that?

[StevenRocks]

Aeropostale also closed dont forget....not sure if it was due to the new opening at Northlake and/or at Rock hill galleria....obviously they werent doing well at Eastland, but you would think, its just regular clothes for teens, why wouldnt it be doing well? How bizarre!

I think they just panicked when American Eagle decided to leave and Dillard's downgraded. They actually seemed to be doing okay, I thought.

Why is that?

Lane Bryant is pretty much demographically neutral as far as their clothes go. They don't seem espcially geared towrd any demographic other than larger women. From what I've seen, Eastland has a number of larger women as customers.

[mallguy]

For Eastland, one thing I've noticed is that it's just the mid-market all-American-type stores (eg, Gap, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Dillard's) that have downgraded or fled in the past few years. The urban-type stores are not fleeing; despite perhaps a few losses recently, they are growing in number at Eastland, and many of their storefronts (eg, Tantrum Signature- apparently the upscale version of Tantrum- is newish). The mall is not going to be empty anytime soon; it's just becoming an urban mall. Too bad there is no urban department store- or wait, isn't Macy's sometimes one?

Edited January 24, 2006 by mallguy

[SmellyCat]

Is K-Swiss one of the 15 sneaker stores they have there?

[StevenRocks]

For Eastland, one thing I've noticed is that it's just the mid-market all-American-type stores (eg, Gap, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Dillard's) that have downgraded or fled in the past few years. The urban-type stores are not fleeing; despite perhaps a few losses recently, they are growing in number at Eastland, and many of their storefronts (eg, Tantrum Signature- apparently the upscale version of Tantrum- is newish). The mall is not going to be empty anytime soon; it's just becoming an urban mall. Too bad there is no urban department store- or wait, isn't Macy's sometimes one?

You are right on this, mallguy.

I hope that Macy's will consider moving in when Belk and Dillard's leave. It's still a decent spot for a department store and Federated does have a lot of experience running stores in similar environments.

Is K-Swiss one of the 15 sneaker stores they have there?

I've never seen a K-Swiss store anywhere actually. The stores i've seen devoted to a specific brand of sneakers have been Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Puma and Fila. In Charlotte, Puma and Fila are at SouthPark, and Nike and Reebok are at Concord Mills.

Eastland has a lot of sneaker-heavy chains like:

- Hibbett Sports

- Underground Station

-The Athlete's Foot

- FootAction USA

- Foot Locker

- Kids Foot Locker

- Champs Sports

- Harold Pener, Man of Fashion (marginally a sneaker store, but included because it's hot )

- Fame

- Finish Line

Plus there are a lot of stores like Fino Men's Shoes and Sears with decent-sized sneaker sections

[Hotlanta]

It would be cool if Eastland developed into a well-known "urban" mall that catered to all classes of income. It would be very unique!

[DigitalSky]

It would be cool if Eastland developed into a well-known "urban" mall that catered to all classes of income. It would be very unique!

What kind of stores would that include?

[fulcrumsf]

What exactly is an "Urban Mall?" It sound kinda wierd to me? Kinda like when people are reffering to "Urban Music", Kinda sounds like a more politicaly correct way to say non-white.

Eastland is defiently plagued by the changing demographics of that area, so the stores have adaped to cater to the taste of the people of that community. I lived in East Charlotte for half of my life (80-95 cirra) and East Charlotte has changed because Charlotte has changed. In the 80's IBM was a major workforce in the area, and the Eastside of Charlotte was very disirable for IBM workers because of it's proximity to IBM, Independence, and Eastland. I grew up with alot of people who's parents worked at IBM for many years. Then once Centercity started to revitalize Uptown and starter to push Section 8 housing out of the Centercity more Section 8 housing was moved to East Charlotte. Other previously undeveloped parts of Charlotte started to become more populated with mid-income families,and more mid-income families started to move out of East Charlotte, like our family did. So in my opinion I belive Eastland will be one of those falling malls similar to Tryon Mall(pior Asian Corners),Northplace,and Freedom, if the Eastside continues to atract only low income housholds. And with the increasing crime rate and decreasing property values in that area, I don't really see things improving until the area has some regentrification. Which I really don't see happening in the next 10 years. Until it becomes trendy again to live on the Eastside of Charlotte I think Eastland is a sinking ship.

Edited January 25, 2006 by fulcrumsf

[DigitalSky]

You bring up a good point.. I remember being younger and having a lot of my friends' parents working for IBM.

[StevenRocks]

For a good example of an "urban mall" check out The Mall at Prince Georges: http://www.princegeorgesplaza.com/

[xyhamiltonboi]

Macy's will not come to Eastland Mall. This will be impossible and way out of reach. Federated just merged with May Company and has a lot of stores they have picked up thanks to approval from the FTC. With this they are closing numerous May/Federated stores to cut down on the overlap. With this merger this means Macy's will have 3 locations in Charlotte. All Hecht's Stores will be converted to Macys by year end.

So with all the money being spent to convert Hecht's in Charlotte to Macy's. I doubt money will be spent to open an additional location. If it does happen it'll be too late. I don't see Federated doing any new stores for atleast 2 or 3 years.

ALSO

Nothing says urban unless you visit these malls.

RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL - Memphis, TN

SOUTH DEKALB MALL - Atlanta, GA

GREENBRIAR MALL - Atlanta, GA

Now don't let this fool you into thinking that Macy's would come. Macy's has been there since the beginning and has made a commitment to the community to stay. What you will notice is the struggle for anchors as well at two of these centers.

[Hotlanta]

What kind of stores would that include?

Well lets see.........I think stores like sneeker stores, "urban clothing," and other stores that would blend in. It would be very unique and might give Charlotte some spotlight.

[monsoon]

Well lets see.........I think stores like sneeker stores, "urban clothing," and other stores that would blend in. It would be very unique and might give Charlotte some spotlight.

Nah. We already have the Northpark Mall and as mentioned above, malls heading in this direction, Freedom, Tryon etc all end up going out of business. Eastland is an expensive place to keep up and it isn't going to survive on mom & pop stores.

[mallguy]

I went to Northpark a few weeks ago and it has spiraled downhill; one of the only stores left in the enclosed part is a Subway. I had hope for that sad center until that visit.

Then again, less-affluent areas in Charlotte do support retail- witness the nice new Wal-Mart on Wilkinson Boulevard. Hopefully Eastland will survive, just as a mall catering to price-conscious shoppers.

Edited January 25, 2006 by mallguy

[DigitalSky]

I wonder if CM was never built, Eastland could have been the alternative "outlet" mall. Kinda replacing Midtown in that sense.

[monsoon]

I dont think so. Eastland is also fairly difficult to get to. That part of town could not handle the crowds that go to Concord Mills. (and I doubt a lot of them would go to East Charlotte anyway).

[StevenRocks]

Macy's will not come to Eastland Mall. This will be impossible and way out of reach. Federated just merged with May Company and has a lot of stores they have picked up thanks to approval from the FTC. With this they are closing numerous May/Federated stores to cut down on the overlap. With this merger this means Macy's will have 3 locations in Charlotte. All Hecht's Stores will be converted to Macys by year end.

So with all the money being spent to convert Hecht's in Charlotte to Macy's. I doubt money will be spent to open an additional location. If it does happen it'll be too late. I don't see Federated doing any new stores for atleast 2 or 3 years.

ALSO

Nothing says urban unless you visit these malls.

RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL - Memphis, TN

SOUTH DEKALB MALL - Atlanta, GA

GREENBRIAR MALL - Atlanta, GA

Now don't let this fool you into thinking that Macy's would come. Macy's has been there since the beginning and has made a commitment to the community to stay. What you will notice is the struggle for anchors as well at two of these centers.

I don't agree. Federated is not going to be spending the big bucks in Charlotte on the Hecht's conversions. Hecht's SouthPark and Northlake are brand new and Hecht's Carolina Place is in good shape. The nationwide costs of the merger wil slow new store growth temporarily, but it won't stop it. Federated is already committed to a number of new stores in the first place.

Eastland still has a chance of landing Macy's. It may not be a sure thing, but I've learned to nevr say never in retail. The Sears-Kmart merger didn't seem likely, neither did Federated-May, but there they are, big as day.

[Hotlanta]

I don't agree. Federated is not going to be spending the big bucks in Charlotte on the Hecht's conversions. Hecht's SouthPark and Northlake are brand new and Hecht's Carolina Place is in good shape. The nationwide costs of the merger wil slow new store growth temporarily, but it won't stop it. Federated is already committed to a number of new stores in the first place.

Eastland still has a chance of landing Macy's. It may not be a sure thing, but I've learned to nevr say never in retail. The Sears-Kmart merger didn't seem likely, neither did Federated-May, but there they are, big as day.

Isn't Macy's known for "some" upscale goods? And, hasn't eastland been given the reputaion as a mall that is failing in a changing demographic area?

[mallguy]

What a savvy real estate developer should realize is the dramatic transformation Charlotte's population will undergo in the next 10 years if current trends continue. The Hispanic population is soaring; nationally, Hispanics will increase from 35,000,000 to 100,000,000+ by 2050, and the rate of growth in North Carolina will be far higher given the currently low proportion of the state's population that is Hispanic. When I first went to Eastland in the early 1990s, most people I saw there were white and the rest were African-American; now, it's majority African-American with a large Hispanic minority. These changes will only accelerate.

I'd think that someone would bring a department store chain from Latin America to anchor malls in areas such as East Charlotte, or I'd think that someone would develop a new department store chain with products that would appeal to multicultural consumers. Dillard's, Belk's and Hecht's all seem to target middle- to upper-middle income white people (witness the tons of plaid, penny loafers, preppy clothes, etc. at those places). Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus target upper-income white people. Department store chains have relatively stagnant sales perhaps in part because they are missing out on appealing to more diverse groups.

Maybe I should just develop a multicultural department store chain myself and put a branch at Eastland!

[Temeteron]

What a savvy real estate developer should realize is the dramatic transformation Charlotte's population will undergo in the next 10 years if current trends continue. The Hispanic population is soaring; nationally, Hispanics will increase from 35,000,000 to 100,000,000+ by 2050, and the rate of growth in North Carolina will be far higher given the currently low proportion of the state's population that is Hispanic. When I first went to Eastland in the early 1990s, most people I saw there were white and the rest were African-American; now, it's majority African-American with a large Hispanic minority. These changes will only accelerate.

I'd think that someone would bring a department store chain from Latin America to anchor malls in areas such as East Charlotte, or I'd think that someone would develop a new department store chain with products that would appeal to multicultural consumers. Dillard's, Belk's and Hecht's all seem to target middle- to upper-middle income white people (witness the tons of plaid, penny loafers, preppy clothes, etc. at those places). Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus target upper-income white people. Department store chains have relatively stagnant sales perhaps in part because they are missing out on appealing to more diverse groups.

Maybe I should just develop a multicultural department store chain myself and put a branch at Eastland!

There are other ethnic groups in Charlotte(and in america in general) other than white and black.....get over yourself and wake up.....just because you see someone shopping in Nordstrom that is not black or doesnt look latino doesnt mean they are American white, there is something called Europeans & Middle Eastern people.....and there are black people who shop from those stores you mentioned.....please do better....i think department stores are unecessary sometimes and arent doing as well as they used to due to all these retail boutiques and miniature concepts such as Express, Abercrombie, Puma, Guess, Limited, Barneys of NY, Sephora-which has a huge selection of colognes and cosmetics, and Urban Outfitters for example which has a wide variety of clothes and things for the dorm/house.....I dont know that many people that actually buy clothes from department stores anymore, its mostly for the older crowd.......why cant we just have malls and/or lifestyle centers without them.....do we always need anchors?

[Hotlanta]

There are other ethnic groups in Charlotte(and in america in general) other than white and black.....get over yourself and wake up.....just because you see someone shopping in Nordstrom that is not black or doesnt look latino doesnt mean they are American white, there is something called Europeans & Middle Eastern people.....and there are black people who shop from those stores you mentioned.....please do better....i think department stores are unecessary sometimes and arent doing as well as they used to due to all these retail boutiques and miniature concepts such as Express, Abercrombie, Puma, Guess, Limited, Barneys of NY, Sephora-which has a huge selection of colognes and cosmetics, and Urban Outfitters for example which has a wide variety of clothes and things for the dorm/house.....I dont know that many people that actually buy clothes from department stores anymore, its mostly for the older crowd.......why cant we just have malls and/or lifestyle centers without them.....do we always need anchors?

I think you took his post a little bit out of context my friend.

[StevenRocks]

Isn't Macy's known for "some" upscale goods? And, hasn't eastland been given the reputaion as a mall that is failing in a changing demographic area?

Macy's will bring in some upscale stuff to be sure. At my local Hecht's, they're already bringing in Brahmin handbags and the shoe section is getting better, and it's going to go up from there.

Macy's has a shot at Eastland because it seems to be able to tailor its stores beter to urban communities.

What a savvy real estate developer should realize is the dramatic transformation Charlotte's population will undergo in the next 10 years if current trends continue. The Hispanic population is soaring; nationally, Hispanics will increase from 35,000,000 to 100,000,000+ by 2050, and the rate of growth in North Carolina will be far higher given the currently low proportion of the state's population that is Hispanic. When I first went to Eastland in the early 1990s, most people I saw there were white and the rest were African-American; now, it's majority African-American with a large Hispanic minority. These changes will only accelerate.

I'd think that someone would bring a department store chain from Latin America to anchor malls in areas such as East Charlotte, or I'd think that someone would develop a new department store chain with products that would appeal to multicultural consumers. Dillard's, Belk's and Hecht's all seem to target middle- to upper-middle income white people (witness the tons of plaid, penny loafers, preppy clothes, etc. at those places). Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus target upper-income white people. Department store chains have relatively stagnant sales perhaps in part because they are missing out on appealing to more diverse groups.

Maybe I should just develop a multicultural department store chain myself and put a branch at Eastland!

You hit the nail on the head, mallguy