But the COVID-19 retail environment still appears murky, at least locally.
The Shoppes at Grand Prairie lost one of its major tenants Saturday, when H&M closed for good. Grand Prairie Marketing Director Megan Otto confirmed the closing.
H&M is a Sweden-based chain that specializes in fast fashion mass-produced replicas of high-fashion designs. It operates in 74 countries.
The Peoria outlet opened about five years ago.
Brick-and-mortar shopping was not in the greatest of shape even before the coronavirus pandemic struck. Non-essential retailers have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic s effects. Assessing and reviewing our store portfolio to adapt to changing customer behavior is something that we have done ever since we opened our first store, H&M stated in an email regarding the Peoria store s shuttering.
PEORIA – Adieu, J. Crew.
The Peoria factory outlet of the national specialty-retail chain is to close by the end of January, according to management at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie.
In September, J. Crew emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, for which it filed in May. It became the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy during the coronavirus pandemic.
When it filed for Chapter 11, J. Crew had 181 namesake stores and 170 factory stores. Post-bankruptcy, it shed 11 namesake stores and no factory stores. While we were fortunate enough not to have our location close immediately, the company did decide it was a location to close in their restructuring efforts, Megan Otto, a Grand Prairie spokeswoman, stated in an email.
PEORIA Some things have changed about the holiday-shopping experience this year at the two major Peoria malls, thanks to COVID-19.
Visiting Santa Claus, for instance, has become a highly choreographed affair. Business hours aren t as late as they once were. COVID mitigation, including face masks, is in full effect.
But one aspect of the traditional busiest time of year for retailers strong sales might be a constant. We knew that there was pent-up demand for the goods and services [we] provide. However, the results have exceeded our expectations, stated Ryan Whalen, general manager of Northwoods Mall.
According to Whalen, most of the 75 or so businesses at Northwoods have reported an increase in sales, compared to the 2019 holiday season. That appears to be in line with a National Retail Federation survey Whalen cited.