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Eastland Mall Redevelopment


DigitalSky

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In regards to long term predictions for ethnic groups. Most groups that end up in the United States end up being assimilated into United States culture as we are not a multi-cultural society. That means in a generation or to the children of the children of the hispanics will be as American as anyone else and may not be particularly interested in shops that cater to people who actually live in Mexico and Central America. Many of them will be in the middle class as all signs indicate this crowd of people feel that it is exceedingly important for their children to get a proper education.

Eastland's problems are not as much related to the ethnic groups that shop there, but rather it is located in a part of town that is now economically challenged. These areas in general tend to be populated by immigrants and Blacks who are unfortunately disproportionally poor in the USA, but that has nothing to do with the fortunes of Eastland. It's not the race of the people shopping there, but rather their economic status. Suburban shopping malls exist to convince middle class and the well off to spend money on stuff they don't need and when you remove that customer base, regardless of race, you end up with failure.

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Eastland really needs a good paint job on the outside- that Belk's has some water stains or something down the side, and that green stripe and the sun thing above the entrances really make the mall look dated.

Some dead malls in Texas have been converted into Hispanic-themed centers; I see that in my shopping center crystal ball for Eastland in about 15 years. Even if Hispanics already in the US assimilate, there is expected to be a very high rate of immigration from Latin America for the foreseeable future, so there should be a steady supply of Hispanic newcomers to the US who might be interested in Latin American chains and merchandise. Thus I think an ethnic theme would be a good transformation for Eastland.

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I think they should do with Eastland what they did with Tryon Mall, but on a larger scale, and represent more nationalities. Something similar to Riverplace in Michigan or Lexington Market in Baltimore, as far as architecture but with more authentic ethnic stores. If moredifferent ethnic businesses obtained leases then they could all be a and more tight knit community.

http://www.frankenmuth-riverplace.com/

http://www.lexingtonmarket.com/

Edited by fulcrumsf
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Eastland's problems are not as much related to the ethnic groups that shop there, but rather it is located in a part of town that is now economically challenged. These areas in general tend to be populated by immigrants and Blacks who are unfortunately disproportionally poor in the USA, but that has nothing to do with the fortunes of Eastland. It's not the race of the people shopping there, but rather their economic status. Suburban shopping malls exist to convince middle class and the well off to spend money on stuff they don't need and when you remove that customer base, regardless of race, you end up with failure.
Your argument is based in sound reasoning, but I think that a lot of the retailer exodus at Eastland is based on knee-jerk reaction to a sea of black and brown faces. Not everybody in that neighborhood is poor or disadvantaged, and for sales to be at least in the $200 per square foot range, somebody is spending something out there.
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True, but remember Eastland had a slew of well known and more eclectic range of stores around a decade ago.Eastland had roughly the same type of stores you would see in Carolina Place & South Park plus or minus a few. However those stores pulled out for whatever reasons, which Im sure had to do with store sales. Even though Eastland has decent foot traffic, I feel they probably have at least 20%-30% less then they did ten years ago. Not to mention Eastland really hasen't done much in expanding,or changing the appearence the last 10 years either. I really don't see haveing a new anchor store and or adding different ones changing the profitablity of the mall all that much. In my opinion I think they need to adopt the change or die adittude in order to survive.

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The leasing at Eastland is too heavily leaned towards urbanwear. With so many stores at the mall doing pretty much the same thing at the same price point, it's hard for anybody to make any money. The stores canibalize each other.

I agree. I live in the Plaza Midwood area, not far at all from that mall, but there are not that many stores that appeal to me. The Plaza Midwood, NoDa, Chantilly, and even Elizabeth neighborhoods have many more "bohemian" type people and I don't see that mall catering to that niche much.

There aren't even any "home" type stores like Bed bath beyond/Linens n things, etc. I have to drive all the way to Matthews for that. I wish Eastland mall could land a store like that, but I'm sure someone will tell me the reasons why it will not ;)

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That Dillard's- listed on my receipt as on the internet at http://www.dillards.com/eastland (doesn't work)- is now nothing but a clearance center, and the downstairs is closed off, with escalators barricaded by big wooden boxes. Very classy. But I can live with that for the great deals at that store, such as $45 blazers, marked down from $195.

Do Dillard's Clearance Centers ever last long-term, like a Neiman Marcus Last Call or Saks Off Fifth outlet does? Or are they just a way of getting some sales out of a store until its lease expires? The Greenville Mall one lasted maybe two years at most.

The number of cars in Eastland's parking lot suggests a moderately healthy mall, plus there seem to be many people who walk there. Too bad that the mall's relatively decent traffic doesn't turn into strong sales.

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That Dillard's- listed on my receipt as on the internet at http://www.dillards.com/eastland (doesn't work)- is now nothing but a clearance center, and the downstairs is closed off, with escalators barricaded by big wooden boxes. Very classy. But I can live with that for the great deals at that store, such as $45 blazers, marked down from $195.

Do Dillard's Clearance Centers ever last long-term, like a Neiman Marcus Last Call or Saks Off Fifth outlet does? Or are they just a way of getting some sales out of a store until its lease expires? The Greenville Mall one lasted maybe two years at most.

The number of cars in Eastland's parking lot suggests a moderately healthy mall, plus there seem to be many people who walk there. Too bad that the mall's relatively decent traffic doesn't turn into strong sales.

I was at Dillard's a week or so ago. That store is toast.

Like I said earlier in the thread, evrything is just slammed together and the prices aren't as good as they should be for a clearance store. Glad you found stuff that worked, mallguy, because I never do at clearance stores like that. I'm usually either way too big or way too small.

I figure Dillard's Eastland is a goner, like cantnot said. Every Dillard's I've seen become a clearance center has closed within a couple years. They didn't even do the customary half-full-price/half-clearance center they usually do on the affected stores.

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Even the Sears at Eastland- apart from apparently having its outdated signs updated recently- looks terrible; the Dillard's clearance center looks a lot better, and that isn't saying much. Will Sears last much longer? Not only is it in a dying mall, but it's at the back of a dying mall, and so it's not as visible from Central and Sharon Amity as the Belk's and Dillard's are.

And that Dillard's- seems to have a lot more Sean John and Rocawear and urban-style clothes than the Greenville Mall one did- so even the clearance center at that mall is urban and won't appeal to the Myers Park crowd or thus draw more shoppers.

Edited by mallguy
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Has the Sears been remodled lately? It seems as if it should do a little better then the other dept stores since Sears is typically a tiny step below Dillards, Belks, JCPenney....I mean Sears isn't expensive and they're not just clothes, house decorating stuff and knick knacks like the other dept stores tend to be....

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Even the Sears at Eastland- apart from apparently having its outdated signs updated recently- looks terrible; the Dillard's clearance center looks a lot better, and that isn't saying much. Will Sears last much longer? Not only is it in a dying mall, but it's at the back of a dying mall, and so it's not as visible from Central and Sharon Amity as the Belk's and Dillard's are.

And that Dillard's- seems to have a lot more Sean John and Rocawear and urban-style clothes than the Greenville Mall one did- so even the clearance center at that mall is urban and won't appeal to the Myers Park crowd or thus draw more shoppers.

Has the Sears been remodled lately? It seems as if it should do a little better then the other dept stores since Sears is typically a tiny step below Dillards, Belks, JCPenney....I mean Sears isn't expensive and they're not just clothes, house decorating stuff and knick knacks like the other dept stores tend to be....
Sears Eastland was pretty ugly to start with (as were most '70s Sears stores) and time has not done it any favors, but it's only a notch or two behind Sears' latest prototype. It's been renovated more than the other department stores in the mall, to be sure. They might move up front iwhen Belk and Dillard's leave, but there's a good chance they won't.

If Dillard's Eastland did have more Sean John and Rocawear, it is partically a reflection of the community and partially because those brands are more popular now than they were when Dillard's Greenville Mall got converted.

Honestly, I doubt the Myers Park crowd wants anything to do with that store. The media has done a very good job of making Eastland sound like a Charlotte version of "Fort Apache, The Bronx"

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Given this is the only Sears in Charlotte now, I predict they will move to North Lake. There is an interesting blank wall at the end of a corridor at North Lake that is obviously a place intended for an expansion by a major anchor. Its hard to imagine that Sears would rely on its run down store in a dying mall to serve the very well off city of Charlotte. (and N. Meck)

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Very interesting re: Sears at Northlake. That makes sense. I foresee some of the Eastland crowd heading to shop and socialize at Northlake if Eastland closes, so that would help the store retain some of its current customers.

I was thinking that if and when Belk and Dillard's close at Eastland, a Kmart, Steve & Barry's, Old Navy and Magic Johnson movie theater would be perfect for that mall; similar urban retail areas have thrived with those types of anchors. Maybe a Peeble's store and a Hispanic grocery store could come as well. Any thoughts about whether or not they would come to Eastland? That mall still has such strong traffic that for it to survive in the long run, it just needs to have anchors that match the needs of its customer base.

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Very interesting re: Sears at Northlake. That makes sense. I foresee some of the Eastland crowd heading to shop and socialize at Northlake if Eastland closes, so that would help the store retain some of its current customers.

I was thinking that if and when Belk and Dillard's close at Eastland, a Kmart, Steve & Barry's, Old Navy and Magic Johnson movie theater would be perfect for that mall; similar urban retail areas have thrived with those types of anchors. Maybe a Peeble's store and a Hispanic grocery store could come as well. Any thoughts about whether or not they would come to Eastland? That mall still has such strong traffic that for it to survive in the long run, it just needs to have anchors that match the needs of its customer base.

I could see a Peeble's or a Marshall's Megastore come to Eastland. I don't see a Kmart... seeing as Kmart closed all their stores on the east side of town (Independence near Eastway; North Tryon Street; University City; Matthews; Independence at Sardis) and Kmart hasn't built a new store here in over 15 years or so. I don't see Old Navy coming there either... they don't seem to be building many intown stores (if anywhere Old Navy will go to Midtown though)... Old Navy failed at Cotswold, remember? Steve & Barry's is a possibility though... so the anchor stores could be Peeble's, Marshall's Megastore, Steve & Barry's and Burlington Coat Factory. We'll see...

Sears did not open at Eastland until 4 years after the mall opened in the first place.

Yes, but that was 1979. This is 2006... different era.

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