SouthPark Mall

[TheOneRJ]

The occupancy seems really healthy currently. I’m only seeing two vacancies with one of them being in the foot court. 

[CLT2014]

On 7/24/2020 at 8:19 PM, AuLukey said:

Not even just the bookstores. They have another concept retail store called 4-star. They’re rather aggressively expanding into numerous cities, including the aforementioned one in Crabtree.

There is one glaring exemption on the list. Not sure why Charlotte got the snub on the expansion list.

Perimeter in ATL and Crabtree in Raleigh are both listed as Coming Soon. Even Nashville has one of their bookstores.

https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_ABFYSA_2a1_w?node=17608448011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-1&pf_rd_r=BC9NRAG5276PY6GFNSAW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=447ff123-178a-4d1e-95aa-168a402a6f1a&pf_rd_i=17608448011

Scratch this one off the wish list- Amazon has decided to close all of their bookstore and 4-star physical locations nationwide.

Edited March 4, 2022 by CLT2014

[turbocraig]

I just walked into Banana Republic in SP and they are closing in two weeks.  Half the store is empty.  The ladies there said the only two stores left in CLT will be at Blakeney and Birkdale.  That’s so surprising to me. 

[CLT2014]

11 minutes ago, turbocraig said:

I just walked into Banana Republic in SP and they are closing in two weeks.  Half the store is empty.  The ladies there said the only two stores left in CLT will be at Blakeney and Birkdale.  That’s so surprising to me. 

That store always seemed like it had little foot traffic, especially for the huge footprint. Always a nice escape at the holidays though to duck into a empty store with no lines. Gap's namesake brand and Banana Republic are still struggling and trying to find their place in the world with declining same store sales. Really Athleta, Old Navy, and online sales are keeping the corporation afloat and just being dragged down by Gap and BR (arguably should just sell or shut those brands down -> investors would probably be happy).

Edited April 12, 2022 by CLT2014

[Temeteron]

4 hours ago, turbocraig said:

I just walked into Banana Republic in SP and they are closing in two weeks.  Half the store is empty.  The ladies there said the only two stores left in CLT will be at Blakeney and Birkdale.  That’s so surprising to me. 

I had to buy some “business casual” clothes for my training a few months ago.  Mind you for my new job I wear a uniform so I didn’t want to spend to much money on clothes I needed just for a few weeks of training.  I decided to go into banana republic to see what I could find.  The reality is their clothes are too expensive for what they are.  And unfortunately the fact that a lot of people are working from home and that company isn’t doing well is not a good combination.  

Edited April 12, 2022 by Temeteron

[KJHburg]

Plus the rents are sky high at Southpark and those suburban stores for Banana Republic are much cheaper to operate for sure.

I still long  for the BR of the past with the old jeep inside and safari theme.  The first time I walked into one at the Shops at National Place in DC I loved it.  That being said I have not bought anything there in years.  I am sure Simon will replace it with a new to market high end store. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by KJHburg

[Temeteron]

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Plus the rents are sky high at Southpark and those suburban stores for Banana Republic are much cheaper to operate for sure.

I still long  for the BR of the past with the old jeep inside and safari theme.  The first time I walked into one at the Shops at National Place in DC I loved it.  That being said I have not bought anything there in years.  I am sure Simon will replace it with a new to market high end store. 

So Marmi (tacky womens shoes store) next door to Banana also closed.  If there is maybe one more store that closes connected to them that might be a big enough spot for a Zara!!

[turbocraig]

It’s sad to watch what’s happened to Gap and BR over the years.  I worked at a Gap in NY when I was in college in the early 1990’s and when I moved here in 1994, I worked part time at the SP store when it was where Pottery Barn is now, across from BR.  Those were the IT stores to shop at then.  Our physical Gap store had a decidedly upscale look then, with maple columns and walls and brushed silver accents throughout.  It had a 40’s department store vibe, which was what the company was doing at the time with their larger format stores.  We got Gap Shoes when they came out too - very few stores did (I even applied the new ‘Gap Shoes’ logos to the front windows the night before we started selling them).  I loved their shoes - my favorite boots I’ve ever owned were from there.  

Banana was always higher-end than we were in the hierarchy, but Gap clothes were still upscale and very in demand and wore like iron to boot.  You paid a bit more for them than most competitive store brands, but they were worth it and they definitely set trends for mass market apparel.  The company had its finger directly on the pulse of the Gen X market at that time.  

There was even a policy that Gap absolutely refused to brand its clothing with the word ‘Gap’ or the logo on anything but the inside tag, less they cheapen the brand’s image.  As a matter of fact, Gap ran a promo for their 25th anniversary in 94 and if you bought two pairs of jeans, you got a free white Tshirt that said “Gap 25 years” or something like that on the front, and we ran out of them so quickly because no piece of Gap clothing had ever displayed the logo like those Tshirts did.  A few years later, as soon as they started plastering ‘GAP’ all over their clothing, I knew it was the beginning of the end.

I stopped into the current Gap a few weeks ago and instantly became depressed.  It looks like a garage sale inside and even the upfitting of the store looks like it was done by a team from the old Trading Spaces TV show.  The signage even looked like it was hand drawn on poster board.  Good god it was awful.  Truly sad that they just seemed to have lost their way over the years.  I realize this discussion started with Banana, but I can’t help but think Gap isn’t too much longer for SP either.  
 

PS - I still have several Gap shirt pin tags from my time there - most the standard navy with white letters but I also have one with copper letters because I was a “Sales Specialist”.  I was damn good, you best believe. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by turbocraig

[TylerFerreroSorel]

Have you guys seen the new Rolex boutique as part of Fink's Jewelers? It's gorgeous! It has its own dedicated entrance, but you can also enter through Fink's. There are private lounges within the store and everything. There is also a similar concept at Windsor Jewelers in Phillips Place, so now the Charlotte market has two such options for Rolex shoppers.

Speaking of Phillips Place, Marmi (mentioned upthread) is moving there, so it's not leaving Charlotte. 

I've heard lots of interesting rumors concerning Phillips Place lately... Very big news if true!  

[SydneyCarton]

Deleted

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by SydneyCarton

[Blue_Devil]

On 4/15/2022 at 3:44 PM, TylerFerreroSorel said:

Have you guys seen the new Rolex boutique as part of Fink's Jewelers? It's gorgeous! It has its own dedicated entrance, but you can also enter through Fink's. There are private lounges within the store and everything. There is also a similar concept at Windsor Jewelers in Phillips Place, so now the Charlotte market has two such options for Rolex shoppers.

Speaking of Phillips Place, Marmi (mentioned upthread) is moving there, so it's not leaving Charlotte. 

I've heard lots of interesting rumors concerning Phillips Place lately... Very big news if true!  

What rumors, tell us 

[sclark]

22 minutes ago, Blue_Devil said:

What rumors, tell us 

As CBJ reported this week, management of Phillips Place will be taken over by HP Village, a retail group from Dallas that owns and operates the Highland Park Village shopping center. HP Village is a top-tier shopping center that has a premium mix of retail tenants. If you want to imagine what the future of Phillips Place looks like, look at their website. 

Fun fact, my uncle used to be the president of AG Hill, who owns HP Village. 

[rancenc]

2 hours ago, Blue_Devil said:

What rumors, tell us 

There is an article from Charlotte Biz Journal that posted yesterday concerning upcoming management changes at Philips Place.  It is under the SOUTHPARK PROJECTS topic.

[Madison Parkitect]

4 hours ago, sclark said:

As CBJ reported this week, management of Phillips Place will be taken over by HP Village, a retail group from Dallas that owns and operates the Highland Park Village shopping center. HP Village is a top-tier shopping center that has a premium mix of retail tenants. If you want to imagine what the future of Phillips Place looks like, look at their website. 

Fun fact, my uncle used to be the president of AG Hill, who owns HP Village. 

Wow, you're not kidding when you say premium tenants. 

[Rufus]

If Philips Place even reaches 10% of what Highland Park Village is, it will be incredible. I mean, Highland Park Village is up there with Americana, Bal Harbor and River Oaks in terms of the most exclusive, expensive shopping centers. 

[TylerFerreroSorel]

On 4/27/2022 at 3:18 PM, Blue_Devil said:

What rumors, tell us 

I've heard Cartier and Hermès want in... We'll see! 

[turbocraig]

50 minutes ago, TylerFerreroSorel said:

I've heard Cartier and Hermès want in... We'll see! 

Is that odd since Hermes briefly had a store in the Neiman wing at SP about 7-8 years ago?  It didn’t last too long. 

[nakers2]

I feel like Southpark (the neighborhood) has enough demand/draw to support two high end shopping centers. While Simon might not care for it, if anything it may motivate them to do better. I do love Southpark Mall for what it is, however there's certain things that I think keep it from being, or at least feeling as high end as it could be. I recall them saying they were remodeling a few years ago but I've yet to see any major changes other than the bathrooms. If their idea of remodeling is putting fresh paint on the walls and repairing broken tiles, then I'd call that more like neglected maintenance than a full remodel.  

[Rufus]

3 hours ago, nakers2 said:

I feel like Southpark (the neighborhood) has enough demand/draw to support two high end shopping centers. While Simon might not care for it, if anything it may motivate them to do better. I do love Southpark Mall for what it is, however there's certain things that I think keep it from being, or at least feeling as high end as it could be. I recall them saying they were remodeling a few years ago but I've yet to see any major changes other than the bathrooms. If their idea of remodeling is putting fresh paint on the walls and repairing broken tiles, then I'd call that more like neglected maintenance than a full remodel.  

Many high-end areas of the country have multiple centers: Galleria and River Oaks in Houston, NorthPark and Highland Park Village in Dallas, Lennox, Phipps, and Streets at Buckhead in Atlanta, Bravern and Bellevue Square in Bellevue, Santa Row and Valley Fair in San Jose. Philipps Place and SP are just the same, and can coexist in a lot of ways. Plus, the key is to always have one major draw at both locations so that you can build between them. 

[TheOneRJ]

12 hours ago, Rufus said:

Many high-end areas of the country have multiple centers: Galleria and River Oaks in Houston, NorthPark and Highland Park Village in Dallas, Lennox, Phipps, and Streets at Buckhead in Atlanta, Bravern and Bellevue Square in Bellevue, Santa Row and Valley Fair in San Jose. Philipps Place and SP are just the same, and can coexist in a lot of ways. Plus, the key is to always have one major draw at both locations so that you can build between them. 

All of these examples excluding San Jose (and Santa Row’s tenant list is not really comparable to any of the others mentioned) have much larger population centers than Charlotte to support that kind of retail. I don’t think Charlotte is at the point yet. Luring actual high end names such as Gucci and Saint Laurent took way longer than it should have and SouthPark has a history of losing high end stores as well.

[nakers2]

On 5/2/2022 at 8:53 AM, TheOneRJ said:

All of these examples excluding San Jose (and Santa Row’s tenant list is not really comparable to any of the others mentioned) have much larger population centers than Charlotte to support that kind of retail. I don’t think Charlotte is at the point yet. Luring actual high end names such as Gucci and Saint Laurent took way longer than it should have and SouthPark has a history of losing high end stores as well.

Charlotte is large enough to support at least one of each major luxury brand. There is money here. With that being said, I think the lack of the aforementioned brands is more related to retailers not wanting to make a bad gamble. Southend, and even Uptown is becoming a contender again for retail. With the Epicenter being (more than likely) reimaged and remodeled, and nearly every new development in Southend having their retail spaces booked before opening, high end retailers might question where the best place to locate themselves to catch visitors who will often patronize retailers like that. If Phillips Places becomes a high end shopping center, it will make Southpark the *obvious* choice.

[joenc]

On 5/2/2022 at 8:53 AM, TheOneRJ said:

All of these examples excluding San Jose (and Santa Row’s tenant list is not really comparable to any of the others mentioned) have much larger population centers than Charlotte to support that kind of retail. I don’t think Charlotte is at the point yet. Luring actual high end names such as Gucci and Saint Laurent took way longer than it should have and SouthPark has a history of losing high end stores as well.

If '08 didn't go down like it did, it would have happened a lot faster.

Was the same way with nightclubs, high-end restaurants, condo towers. Everything become more Brooklyn/hipster/artisan style, breweries, coffee shops, maybe that started wearing off because of 2020-2022. See watch and handbag sales.

Edited May 11, 2022 by joenc

[SydneyCarton]

Deleted

Edited May 13, 2022 by SydneyCarton

[PuppiesandKittens]

SouthPark is getting a Blue Nile (online jeweler) store and a Levi’s store- I guess now Levi’s is an upscale brand?

Edited May 20, 2022 by PuppiesandKittens

[TheOneRJ]

On 5/20/2022 at 1:46 PM, PuppiesandKittens said:

SouthPark is getting a Blue Nile (online jeweler) store and a Levi’s store- I guess now Levi’s is an upscale brand?

Definitely not upscale but they do have or plan to have locations at multiple upscale malls throughout the country.