Publix to open first Charlotte store in February

Publix Super Market's new Ballantyne store - the retailer's first Charlotte location - is set to open in late February, spokeswoman Kimberly Reynolds said.

An exact date hasn't been set, but the store will likely do so in the coming weeks. Publix is waiting for a temporary certificate of occupancy.

The Ballantyne store will join two locations just over the South Carolina border, boosting Publix's total store count in the area to three.

You can check Charlotte.Publix.com for more information on the planned openings for other area stores. The grocer plans a total of 14 local stores for its new Charlotte-based division. Publix is also opening stores in Cary, Winston-Salem and Asheville as it pushes into North Carolina.

Publix's plans for the Charlotte area

Charlotte's last Kmart store closing

The Kmart on Freedom Drive - Charlotte's last - is closing in the coming weeks, and the store is holding a going-out-of-business sale.

An employee at the store said a final date for the store hasn't been set. That will depend on how long it takes to sell out the remaining merchandise.

The Freedom Drive store is the final Kmart in Charlotte city limits. Remaining locations include Kmarts in Pineville, Gastonia, Rock Hill, Concord and Monroe.



Photo credit: Mike Kalasnik of www.deadanddyingretail.com/

The closure comes amid continuing dismal results from Kmart and its parent company, Sears. In early January, the company warned investors to expect a big loss for its fiscal year ending Feb. 1.


The retailer said it will report a full-year loss of at least $1.3 billion, worse than last year's $930 million loss. Sales were down 3.7 percent year-to-date at Kmart, and 3.9 percent company-wide.

"We continue to reduce unprofitable stores as leases expire and in some cases accelerate closings when circumstances dictate," the company wrote.

Kmart and Sears are closing stores around the country. According to news reports this month, Kmart is closing stores near Dayton, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; Montgomery, Illinois; Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Mount Pleasant, S.C. and three in Wisconsin. And that's just the first page of news results on Google.

The Shelby Star also reports that a Sears store in Shelby is closing in April.

So what do you think: Do Kmart and Sears have a future? Do you still shop there? If not, why? What could bring you back?

New stores, renovations headed to Concord Mills

Two new stores are set to open soon at Concord Mills, the mall said, and more retailers are getting a facelift.

Children's clothing retailer Janie and Jack is opening an outlet store near Michael Kors at Concord Mills in May. An exact date hasn't been set. This will be Janie and Jack's first outlet location in North Carolina.

Here's the store's description of itself: "Providing a wide selection of fashion-forward apparel for newborns, toddlers and children up to size 6, the chic children’s retailer will offer finely crafted clothing and accessories at incredible prices."

Buckle is set to open in July, across from Forever 21. The retailer is aimed at young adults. The store carriers designer jeans, apparel, accessories, shoes and accessories. Buckle describes itself as "a leading retailer for trendy young men and women featuring a wide selection of brand names and private label casual apparel, like Buffalo, Fossil, Hurley, Oakley, PUMA and Roxy."

Three retailers are also undergoing extensive renovations. Eddie Bauer Outlet and Off Broadway Shoes are set to reopen in late February, while American Eagle's factory store will reopen in March. And in addition to the updated stores, a touch of sea life is moving to Concord Mills: The mall's new 36,000-square-foot aquarium is also set to open Feb. 20.

Carolina Place H&M opening pushed back to February

First, we were told the Carolina Place H&M was set for December, then that the apparel retailer would open Jan. 16. Now, however, the store is saying the opening has been pushed back to mid-February.

"We're all excited for the opening of H&M, and it's not going to be much longer! The new date is mid-to-late February. Some reports are still showing the opening date as Thursday, January 16. Please note that the store will not open on this date. We'll let you know as soon as we have the exact date," read a message posted on the mall's Facebook page.

The 17,000-square-foot store in Pineville will be H&M's second Charlotte-area location, joining the recently-opened store at Northlake Mall. It will be located in Carolina Place's upper level, near the Dillard's store.

A third H&M is planned for SouthPark mall, in the Macy's wing.

Pho restaurant headed uptown

Brevard Court, the outdoor row adjoining Latta Arcade uptown, will soon have a new restaurant serving Pho, the Vietnamese soup.

The restaurant, called Pho Plus, is going into the space formerly occupied by China King (whose name is still on the awning). The restaurant doesn't give an opening date.

Here's a Wikipedia definition of pho, if you're not familiar: "Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles called bánh phở, a few herbs, and meat."

Brevard Court still has several unfilled spaces, including the store left empty when Alexander Hats moved to a new location off East W.T. Harris Blvd. The opening of Romare Bearden Park across the street, along with the planned new minor league ballpark next door, should add to Brevard Court's traffic.

But the older retail strip also faces more competition from new food spots that have opened up nearby, including the Mellow Mushroom a stone's throw away. What do you think of Brevard Court and the tenant mix there now?

Elements Massage adding Dilworth franchise

A local franchisee is opening a second Elements Massage location in Charlotte, this one in the Kenilworth Commons shopping center in Dilworth.

The location was formerly a dry cleaning store. Elements plans to open Saturday, Jan.18.

"What sets us apart is our dedication to listening to clients’ needs in order to pair them with the right massage therapist," said Lucy Anderson, a Charlotte native and owner of the new Elements. "We identify key details such as type of massage desired, specific pressure needs and individual issues before matching clients and therapists."

The store will be open seven days a week, and accepts walk-in clients. Elements joins other massage studios in Dilworth, such as Zen Massage, Dilworth Bodyworks and Day Break Massage.

Elements opened its first Charlotte franchise in 2011, near SouthPark mall.

Rack Room Shoes closing at Park Road Shopping Center

The Rack Room Shoes located in Park Road Shopping Center is closing, adding to the list of merchants closing their doors at Charlotte's original suburban retail center.

The shoe store's last day of business is set for Saturday, an employee said. Everything is 50 percent off for the location's closing sale.

There are a half-dozen other Rack Room locations in Charlotte. The Park Road one is the closest to uptown and the city's central neighborhoods.

Park Road Shopping Center was bought by EDENS more than two years ago for $82 million. Since then, the new owners have given the 58-year-old shopping center a face lift, with new finishes, a redone parking lot and other renovations.

But smaller merchants have also complained about rising rents under the new owners, as my colleague Eric Frazier wrote about in September. Since then, other businesses including Roland's Salon and Piedmont Music Center, have closed at Park Road.

What do you think of the changes at Park Road Shopping Center, both to the way the center looks and to the merchant mix?