Teen retailer closes suburban location.
Los Angeles-based Forever 21 closed its store at Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth yesterday. The store, located on the mall's second level between (the former) JCPenney and Sears, sported the retailers early-mid 2000s design elements of white frame windows. The store had previously relocated from a slightly smaller location closer to the former J.C. Penney, above the food court.
Los Angeles-based Forever 21 closed its store at Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth yesterday. The store, located on the mall's second level between (the former) JCPenney and Sears, sported the retailers early-mid 2000s design elements of white frame windows. The store had previously relocated from a slightly smaller location closer to the former J.C. Penney, above the food court.
A sign posted on the retailer's door invites patrons to visit them at nearby Sugarloaf Mills. The retailer relocated and enlarged their store at the "outlet" center over a year ago and is likely drawing significantly better sales from the more popular center.
Forever 21 is only the latest national retailer to pull out of the beleaguered mall. Williams-Sonoma, Banana Republic, Gap, American Eagle, Panera, and Planet Smoothie have all closed over the years in the mall. Anchors Belk (in the former Parisian) closed in 2013, while JCPenney hung in until this past April.
Despite the mall's struggles, a number of national retailers maintain a presence including Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker and Victoria's Secret.
Moonbeam Capital Investments LLC, which assumed ownership of the mall in 2012 when prior owner Simon Property Group allowed it to go into foreclosure, has made few noticeable improvements in the mall. They also don't update the mall's website as it still shows JCPenney as a tenant despite them having closed in April. On the other hand, they are current enough to have Spirit Halloween, a temporary store, listed as a tenant.
I've been working on a more in-depth post about Gwinnett Place Mall and hope to have that completed in the weeks to come.
What would you like to see happen to the mall? Are you a fan of Forever 21? What is your favorite "teen" retailer?
Please share your thoughts below.