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.