Stonecrest Mall (Atlanta, Marietta, Decatur: middle-class, hotels, house)

[williamchilders]

I live on the west side of Atlanta but decided to check out Stonecrest on the way to Augusta Friday. Very nice mall but why arent there better stores. Apple, Banana Republic, William Sanoma should be at that mall to say the least. The atmosphere is much better than Town Center but the stores need to be updated before the mall declines. REI would also do well near there as well.

[cittic10]

Stores go where they believe there's a sufficient number of people at a particular demographic and income level to keep them in business.
Same goes for Dollar General for that matter.

[HayateWind]

Yep, well, that's pretty much sums it up. The mall, at least locally, serves a very middle-class, very African-American neighborhood, but it's not uncommon for people living in Stone Mountain or South Decatur to commute to Stonecrest, simply because it's close and they have the best stores in South Dekalb. Outside of Macy's, good luck trying to get your shopping done at South Dekalb. Even though the mall is doing much better than it was five years ago, I can't really find anything I like there.

It's weird, because given it's size and the number of strip malls, big-box stores, hotels and other development that surrounds it, you think they would have better stores. But it's pretty much gotten the shaft. And I don't think it's just because the clientele can't afford to shop at those stores. Instead, I feel like everyone there is trying to cater to a population whose income might not be as high as other, hence all of the privately-owned stores there and such. I think it's no reflection of the community surrounding it at all.

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by HayateWind

And I don't think it's just because the clientele can't afford to shop at those stores.

You're right, it's not just their ability to afford it. They need a certain demographic that they have found to buy their products.
An REI can open in an extremely wealthy area where the highest concentration of individuals are aged 45+, located hundreds of miles away from any sort of recreation areas and it probably wouldn't last too long. Where my parents live in florida is an example of that kind of place.

There may also be a large number of competing stores or the mall or shopping center may already have an exclusive agreement with another tenant selling similar merchandise.

Also don't forget about internet sales.
Many stores have found that with growing internet sales, they don't need to expand their brick and mortar presence like they would have 10 or 20 years ago.

I'm pretty close to REI's niche market and there's one less than 10 minutes from home. They have some great stuff. But to tell you the truth, in this economy, I'm always looking to save money and the Internet or the Dick's sporting goods across the street is where I usually find those lower prices.
They've got a great selection of bikes too but there's a lot of bike shops in this area.

[GRS86]

One thing that has to be considered about the area surrounding Stonecrest is that while the area surrounding it is a solidly middle class area, the downturn in the economy had more of an effect on that area than it did in many other similar middle class areas. Concerning the overall economic make-up of Stonecrest's service area, I'd say that the current retail mix is a pretty good match. There may be a couple of national retailers that would normally locate in a regional mall missing, but overall, I think the current retail mix is about right for the area.

Most of the upper middle class and upper income households that are located in what's considered the Stonecrest service area tend to be on the northern fringe of the area, and have the option of choosing between Stonecrest, the big box retailers along Scenic Highway, or for that matter, Lenox/Phipps, or Perimeter malls. A lot of people that use the Stonecrest area, tend use it for their more basic retail shopping, but tend to utilize other outlets for more upscale needs.

[MilkMachine]

I don't think every mall has to be upscale, anyway. I'm okay with going to Lenox when I need the Apple store (not frequently) and Northlake (similar to Stonecrest) when I need JCPenney or Kohl's.

[phillipmaloney]

Stonecrest may well be the metro's best kept secret. I live in Marietta but my kids kive with their mom in Conyers and on the weekends I'd take them to the movies at Stonecrest. At xmas I'd take them shopping there. It was never what I would consider crowded like Lenox or Town Ctr. Its a wierd shopping area. We used to eat at a Wendy's there outside of the mall and it closed. Seriously how does a Wendy's outside a mall go out of business? Its a good mix of retail and Best Buy and other stores are across the street. I just think outside of the immediate neighborhood nobody knows about this place

[phillipmaloney]

Just another thought. Stonecrest is located on the Dekalb/Rockdale county line. So one would think that they would draw shoppers from Conyers, an area that strikes me as a somewhat white affluent community. If I might draw a conclusion from my wife's attitude when I would tell her the girls and I are going to the movies at Stonecrest she would just groan and say there are movie theaters on Dogwood Dr which is where most of Rockdale's upscale retail is located. Unlike the Stonecrest area the traffic on Dogwood Dr is absolutely horrible and I wouldnt even consider it. But to my wife that would be her only choice. I guess folks in Conyers would rather choke themselves on Dogwood Dr rather than consider Stonecrest and its laid back relaxing atmosphere. Is Stonecrest somewhat oriented to the African American community? Yes I'd say so. Their Santa Claus is African American. My girls saw him once and said Daddy, Santa is a black man and I said it's ok, he is a reflection of this community and that's alright. The folks in Conyers are really missing out on a good shopping experience by sitting in traffic on Dogwood Dr instead of going 1 or 2 exits to Stonecrest. Their loss. I love the place.

[Big L]

Originally Posted by phillipmaloney

Stonecrest may well be the metro's best kept secret. I live in Marietta but my kids kive with their mom in Conyers and on the weekends I'd take them to the movies at Stonecrest. At xmas I'd take them shopping there. It was never what I would consider crowded like Lenox or Town Ctr. Its a wierd shopping area. We used to eat at a Wendy's there outside of the mall and it closed. Seriously how does a Wendy's outside a mall go out of business? Its a good mix of retail and Best Buy and other stores are across the street. I just think outside of the immediate neighborhood nobody knows about this place

Actually, most people do know about the place, which is why they aren't there. Any mall that has to enforce a curfew on teens isn't high on the chart for us.

Stonecrest is about the same distance from our house (Gwinnett) as the Mall of Georgia, but we happily go to the Mall of Georgia if we need to shop or go to a restaurant in the surrounding area. We even hit Perimeter or Northpoint before even giving Stonecrest any consideration. Gladys and Ron's is the only restaurant that we go to near Stonecrest since the service at most other local spots leaves a lot to be desired.

Before someone throws the race card, my wife and I are both African-American.

[Big L]

Originally Posted by phillipmaloney

Just another thought. Stonecrest is located on the Dekalb/Rockdale county line. So one would think that they would draw shoppers from Conyers, an area that strikes me as a somewhat white affluent community. If I might draw a conclusion from my wife's attitude when I would tell her the girls and I are going to the movies at Stonecrest she would just groan and say there are movie theaters on Dogwood Dr which is where most of Rockdale's upscale retail is located. Unlike the Stonecrest area the traffic on Dogwood Dr is absolutely horrible and I wouldnt even consider it. But to my wife that would be her only choice. I guess folks in Conyers would rather choke themselves on Dogwood Dr rather than consider Stonecrest and its laid back relaxing atmosphere. Is Stonecrest somewhat oriented to the African American community? Yes I'd say so. Their Santa Claus is African American. My girls saw him once and said Daddy, Santa is a black man and I said it's ok, he is a reflection of this community and that's alright. The folks in Conyers are really missing out on a good shopping experience by sitting in traffic on Dogwood Dr instead of going 1 or 2 exits to Stonecrest. Their loss. I love the place.

"Laid back relaxing atmosphere"? At STONECREST? Are you kidding me?

My mother and her husband live in Conyers, so I have some familiarity with that area as well. People would rather go to the movies on Dogwood Drive because a)it's closer and b)the crowd tends to be calmer overall. I'm sure there are some tame moments in Stonecrest's theater, but they must not have been the times that my peers and I have been there. Stonecrest is one of the places that you go if you want to talk back to the screen and not get asked to leave.