Retailer At Home hopes to open by October at Peachtree Mall
Details surrounding the debut of home decor superstore At Home at Peachtree Mall are starting to fall into place, with the Texas-based company confirming Monday the Columbus location should open this fall.
At Home’s Stacey Sullivan, director of public relations and corporate communications, said the 86,000-square-foot store at 3131 Manchester Expressway likely will be welcoming customers by October, which would be just before the holiday shopping season ramps up.
How much money does it take to build out space for such an anchor tenant at the mall? A city building permit dated May 31 shows just under $1.9 million is being spent, at least initially, on construction. General Growth Properties, the mall’s parent company, is listed as the owner on the permit, with Parkwood C&P the contractor.
The home superstore that carries more than 50,000 items is going in the former Parisian department store space that has been vacant since February 2006 after it was bought from Charlotte, N.C.-based retailer Belk by Little Rock, Ark.-based Dillard’s for $4.4 million. Dillard’s, one of three longtime mall anchors — the others are JCPenney and Macy’s — did nothing with the space until selling it to Chicago-based mall operator General Growth last November. The purchase price was $2 million, according to city tax records.
Peachtree Mall general manager Onassis Burress declined Monday to comment on At Home’s addition to the mall and how it might enhance the 809,563-square-foot shopping center that opened in 1975. The mall recently held an auction for the remnants of the Parisian store, which included shelves, racks and other items, clearing the way for At Home in prime space — front and center — facing Manchester Expressway.
Sullivan, via email, said the Columbus location will be the second Georgia store opening this year and give it eight in the state overall. The retailer has more than 100 locations in 28 states. The Columbus store will be open seven days a week, she said, with hours of operation 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
At Home touts its “everyday low pricing” selection on the inventory it sells — which includes a dozen product categories — with furniture and accessories for each room of a house, as well as storage, organization, patio and garden goods.
“At Home has a rich, home decor heritage of inspiring our customers to create a home that reflects their unique personality and style, both inside and out,” the company said. “From quirky to traditional, modern to exotic, we pride ourselves on having something for everyone.”
Founded in 1979 as Garden Ridge Pottery, it reorganized and exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2005, then rebranded its stores to At Home in 2014.
Recent At Home store openings have indicated the Columbus location will employ about 25 people. The retailer already is seeking a “store director” for Columbus.
This story was originally published June 6, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Retailer At Home hopes to open by October at Peachtree Mall."