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I'm a native Winston-Salem girl, and I visit every so often, thinking about relocating, but whenever I go to that mall, it gives me pause. it's gone downhill, I feel. I dont even know why stores like Williams-Sonoma would stay there. It needs better lighting; it needs to be cleaner. It feels old. Some of the stores, like Belk, are fine, but others are, for lack of a better word, low-class and selling off-brands. Even some of the better brands like Banana Republic and J. Jill seem to be carrying a 'B' class of clothing. I don't get it. There are plenty of people with money in the area who would support a higher class of store.
When I was growing up, it was THE place to come, especially after it expanded past Penney's.
Also, in general what's up with the dearth of businesses for kids -- like bounce places, or My Gym/Little Gym/Gymboree/Petite Ballet, etc. With so many young families in the area, I know they would be supported. I'm sure folks in Winston would rather not drive to Greensboro to enjoy this type of business. They don't even have an Ann Taylor anymore.
I really don't mean for this to come off so harsh, because I do love my hometown, I'm just really surprised by some of this. I know the community could support retailers such as:
BCBG
NY & Co
Hanna Andersson
J. Crew
Talbots
White House/Black Market
OP here. I live in suburban DC now, and it is just so different here. More people yes, but they are reinventing and redeveloping malls. Of course, all the new and hot concepts want to be in this market anyway, so I understand that's different, but it's just a shame that this huge piece of real estate that attracts visits from all the smaller areas around it can't look nicer and have some better quality tenants. My sister in law told me that Friendly Center in Greensboro is now where so many Winston shoppers go. She doesn't even feel safe with her kids at Hanes Mall, and I have to say, having been there on a recent weekday, I get it.
I don't believe there is any safety issue in the least at Hanes Mall, so I'm not sure where that is coming from. Hanes Mall is crowded even on weekdays just judging from the parking lot...it isn't lacking foot traffic, and there are very few vacancies there from what I understand. It is still THE place to shop in Winston-Salem, along with Thruway. I hate malls but a lot of people seem to love this one.
I'm not sure where you're coming from with this thread. It doesn't seem to be based on any factual information. Malls in general have not done well in the past decade, but Hanes Mall hasn't followed that trend. You listed the stores that AREN'T found there, but neglected to note the stores that ARE found there, like H&M, Coach, Pottery Barn, Aeropostale, Express, Sephora, Limited, etc, etc, etc. I mean, every mall doesn't have every store - there is only so much room.
The middle class shopper supported the Malls and now with their demise stores like Belk, Penneys, Sears, Macy's are
in trouble. Online shopping is getting much easier for me as I can avoid the crowds and the thugs. I hope the Malls stay
around a while longer.
The only downside I noted on my last visit to Hanes was that it appeared the original section had a higher vacancy than the expanded portion. This was during the holiday shopping season a couple of years ago. I don't know what people mean when they say they feel unsafe, but I didn't note anything that made me feel unsafe. I'm not a mall shopper nor a fashionita so name brands don't really click with me. In my opinion a portion of department store poor earnings is stagnant wages. Two percent of the earners can't support ninety-eight percent of the economy and as long as wages are stagnant for the middle class retail sale will suffer as a result.
The middle class shopper supported the Malls and now with their demise stores like Belk, Penneys, Sears, Macy's are
in trouble. Online shopping is getting much easier for me as I can avoid the crowds and the thugs. I hope the Malls stay
around a while longer.
If online shopping is so popular and malls are in trouble, then why are there still crowds at malls? I don't recall a lot of "thugs" at Hanes Mall, but it's still pretty crowded for a mall in 2015. Some malls are actually still crowded while some have declined or died out, but it will take a long time for them to completely go away.
I don't do a lot of shopping for clothes, but if I were looking for something to wear I would want to try it on before buying it. I predict that people will grow tired of online shopping and the trend will be back in favor of buying clothing in person. It's less convenient, but the hassle of returning things that don't fit isn't convenient either. For other items I do prefer online purchases.
What I hate about Hanes Mall is the lack of pedestrian connectivity to surrounding areas; even Forsyth Medical Center across the road or Forsyth Tech's West Campus nearby. Hanes Mall is surrounded by three treacherous roads: Silas Creek Parkway, Hanes Mall Boulevard, and Stratford Road. It's just awful urban planning and very dangerous for pedestrians.
At least Thruway Center and Greensboro's Friendly Center are a little bit more pedestrian friendly, but that's not saying much.
There is also a negative perception about indoor malls. It has been said that some shoppers feel uncomfortable shopping where groups of "inner city" teens roam the malls. It's a reason Four Seasons put policies in place banning people from walking in large groups. The Triad will never see a new enclosed being built again unless the indoor mall is reinvented.
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I don't recall a lot of "thugs" at Hanes Mall, but it's still pretty crowded for a mall in 2015. Some malls are actually still crowded while some have declined or died out, but it will take a long time for them to completely go away.
