Gwinnett Place Mall
Encyclopedia
Gwinnett Place Mall is a super-regional shopping center located in Duluth, Georgia
, in Gwinnett County
. For the first 16 years, Gwinnett Place was the leading mall in the region, drawing shoppers from as far away as South Carolina
and centering what was then one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.
, Davison's
and Sears
. In 1986, Mervyn's joined the mall and Davison's was changed over to Macy's
. Further anchor shuffling occurred in 1993 and 1995 when Parisian joined the mall and Mervyn's left the mall, respectively. Macy's and Rich's joined teams after years to form Rich's-Macy's until 2006 when they separated and Macy's took over. JCPenney took over the Mervyn's spot the following year. In these aspects, the mall developed on a very similar fashion as Town Center Mall on the northwest side of Atlanta, and were in many ways sister malls. However, one of the distinct features about Gwinnett Place Mall is the Macy's (former Rich's), which features an exterior almost entirely covered in mirrored glass.
in 1999 and Discover Mills
in 2001 (both also owned by Simon) which both hurt Gwinnett Place Mall. Not only did the mall take a large part of its affluent customer base and all of its out-of-state shopping base, but also the mall was unable to attract any new anchors for several years to fill the void of the former Davison's/Macy's, until a Korean department store finally stepped in to fill the void. This will be particularly challenging considering the mall contains five anchors. While the mall has the population base to support it, much worry is in the future of this mall because of the glut of malls around it and the major demographic shift of the surrounding area. However, the Atlanta area has historically had a very low failure rate of its major malls and the mall continues to prosper, though not at the original levels it once had.
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
, in Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
. For the first 16 years, Gwinnett Place was the leading mall in the region, drawing shoppers from as far away as South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and centering what was then one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.
Beginning
When it first opened in early 1984, its original anchors were Rich'sRich's
Rich's was a department store retail chain, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated in the southern U.S. from 1867 until March 6, 2005 when the nameplate was eliminated and replaced by Macy's...
, Davison's
Davison's
Davison's of Atlanta was the major competition to Rich's, once itself an Atlanta shopping institution. The chain took the Macy's name in 1986.-Founding:...
and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
. In 1986, Mervyn's joined the mall and Davison's was changed over to Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. Further anchor shuffling occurred in 1993 and 1995 when Parisian joined the mall and Mervyn's left the mall, respectively. Macy's and Rich's joined teams after years to form Rich's-Macy's until 2006 when they separated and Macy's took over. JCPenney took over the Mervyn's spot the following year. In these aspects, the mall developed on a very similar fashion as Town Center Mall on the northwest side of Atlanta, and were in many ways sister malls. However, one of the distinct features about Gwinnett Place Mall is the Macy's (former Rich's), which features an exterior almost entirely covered in mirrored glass.
Today
While still successful, the mall was seriously challenged by the opening of Mall of GeorgiaMall of Georgia
Mall of Georgia is a regional shopping mall located in the Mill Creek District of Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Built in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, consisting of more than two hundred stores on three levels...
in 1999 and Discover Mills
Discover Mills
Discover Mills is a , single story shopping mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia with over 180 specialty retailers. The mall features 13 anchors as well as a variety of theme restaurants, casual dining and entertainment venues. Discover Mills is the first mall in the United States to have naming rights...
in 2001 (both also owned by Simon) which both hurt Gwinnett Place Mall. Not only did the mall take a large part of its affluent customer base and all of its out-of-state shopping base, but also the mall was unable to attract any new anchors for several years to fill the void of the former Davison's/Macy's, until a Korean department store finally stepped in to fill the void. This will be particularly challenging considering the mall contains five anchors. While the mall has the population base to support it, much worry is in the future of this mall because of the glut of malls around it and the major demographic shift of the surrounding area. However, the Atlanta area has historically had a very low failure rate of its major malls and the mall continues to prosper, though not at the original levels it once had.
Sears Prototype
In January 2007, Sears unveiled a prototype on the Gwinnett Place store. The store is modeled to look like a classier department store, complete with a "showroom" like atmosphere and a classic logo.Mega Mart
In February 2008 it was announced that the former Davison's/Macy's location will become the first US location of South Korea's discount retailer MEGAMART. The first floor will be a supermarket, the second will contain department store goods, and the third floor a food court and event facility. The store is slated to open in the spring of 2010.Anchors
- JCPenney (82,253 sq ft.) (former Mervyn's)
- BelkBelkBelk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
(126,822 sq ft.) (former Parisian) - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(232,000 sq ft.) (former Rich's) - SearsSears, Roebuck and CompanySears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
(185,513 sq ft.) - Eastern Wells Market
Former anchors
- Davison'sDavison'sDavison's of Atlanta was the major competition to Rich's, once itself an Atlanta shopping institution. The chain took the Macy's name in 1986.-Founding:...
(1984-1986; later Macy's) - Mervyn's (1984-1995; JCPenney today)
- Rich'sRich'sRich's was a department store retail chain, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated in the southern U.S. from 1867 until March 6, 2005 when the nameplate was eliminated and replaced by Macy's...
(1984-2003; Rich's-Macy's 2003-2005; Macy's today) - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(1986-2001; MEGAMART today) - Parisian (1995-2007)
External links
- http://www.GwinnettPlaceCID.com