Christiana Mall is Delaware's seemingly impregnable fortress of retail.
As other malls struggle across America, Christiana remains the First State's most-visited shopping hub, a source of SimCity-caliber holiday traffic jams and a destination for tax-averse shoppers all over the tri-state region. The mall is more than 90% leased, according to representatives from mall owner Brookfield Properties. As of July, it's home to 185 stores and restaurants.
At least five more are on the way this year, while others are refreshing and remodeling.
Notable openings last year included jewelry and accessories store Kendra Scott, Swiss watch company Tag Heuer, jeweler Radcliffe (with a wee Rolex annex), activewear titan Lululemon, and plush toy spot Squishable.
Last year at Christiana Mall: Kendra Scott, Tag Heuer, others coming to Christiana Mall
A couple big-name spots exited at the beginning of this year , namely Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn. But some new big-name retailers already have stepped in to take their place — and plan to open as soon as a month from now.
Abercrombie and Fitch will return to northern Delaware. Uniqlo also will come. Chinese-American mainstay P.F. Chang's , long the mall's most anticipated and delayed tenant, will finally put the orange on their chicken. Yet more retailers also are on their way.
Lingerie brand Victoria's Secret has remodeled and re-opened its store with an all-new design. This season, Pittsburgh-based lifestyle clothing brand American Eagle Outfitters also has shut down temporarily to refresh and renovate their space.
Here are the new stores to expect at Christiana Mall in 2024, as the holiday season looms on the far horizon.
For more updates, you can join our Facebook group What's Going There in Delaware and subscribe to our free What's Going There in Delaware newsletter .
Christiana resiliency: 5 reasons why the Christiana Mall is bucking doomsday predictions for retail
Projected opening August 30, 2024.
The next big opening at Christiana will be a Japanese casualwear company devoted to the simple things: plain T-shirts, basic pants, classic clothes that don't go quickly in or out of style.
Uniqlo plans to open its first Delaware location on Friday, Aug. 30 at Christiana Mall, in the former location of Pottery Barn.
Uniqlo, whose stated strategy is to focus on enduring casual essentials and "totally ignore fashion," already controls more than 5% of the entire Japanese clothing market, according to company materials. Now it's coming hard for the American shopping mall.
Uniqlo's first U.S. store opened in New Jersey in 2005, but for years its US footprint remained selective and small. The Delaware location is part of a rapid expansion for the back-to-basics retailer this year, with 20 locations projected across the United States in 2024. Uniqlo hopes to reach 200 U.S. locations by 2027. The Christiana location will come in at more than 10,000 square feet.
Projected opening late summer/ fall 2024
Legacy collegiate lifestyle brand Abercrombie & Fitch is on the upswing again these days — boasting double-digit sales growth and leaving far behind the days when it ranked as the nation's most hated brand, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Abercrombie closed at Christiana Mall in 2022, alongside tween brand Abercrombie Kids, but they didn't actually leave. Instead, Abercrombie converted those stores into two of its high-performing subsidiary brands : the laid-back, California-themed clothing store Hollister, as well as the Gilly Hicks underwear and activewear brand.
In the meantime, Christiana leasing manager Bill King said that Abercrombie had been on the hunt for a new space to launch an updated Abercrombie store.
When home furnishing store Williams Sonoma decided to leave Christiana, Abercrombie jumped right back in.
"They're gonna have a brand new design concept for the store. So we're really anticipating a beautiful presentation in the space," said mall leasing manager King, who said the previous Abercrombie & Fitch store at Christiana had always performed well. The store is anticipated by the holiday season, King said.
Projected opening winter 2024/2025.
Oh lordy, the Christiana P.F. Chang's.
For more than a year and half, the arrival of the wok-centric, Arizona-based Asian fusion chain — famous for Chinese-American stalwart dishes like kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef — has been an object of mystery, supposition, skepticism, frustration and now, finally, construction fencing.
After signaling in November 2022 that it would enter the space of a former Panera at the front of Christiana Mall, P.F. Chang's appeared to be at a standstill for more than a year, existing only as a promise on the mall website.
The opening was originally projected for 2023 . Then early 2024. Then late 2024 . Construction has been visibly underway since May of this year. The new projections are in, according to corporate spokespeople: "Winter."
Which is to say, possibly late 2024. Possibly early 2025. Stay tuned. Sesame chicken cometh.
Projected opening in 2024
Dry Goods is the contemporary young women's brand for legacy department store Von Maur, selling dresses, shoes, accessories and gifts in stores designed to have a vintage-store aesthetic.
Though Dry Goods' first store opened in 2010 in Illinois, the chain's branding materials claim roots in Von Maur's original 1872 "dry goods" store in Iowa.
The Christiana Mall location will be the first in Delaware. The Cherry Hill Mall location, scheduled this year, also will be the first in New Jersey. By the end of 2024, Dry Goods expects to boast 84 locations in 24 states.
"We are thrilled with Dry Goods' continued success as we introduce the brand to new, fashion-forward shoppers in these exciting markets,” wrote Melody Wright, chief operating officer of Von Maur, Dry Goods' parent company, in a June statement.
Projected opening late summer/fall 2024.
Also listed as coming soon on Christiana Mall's website is Bee & Co., a store themed for bees.
Mostly centered around home goods and wellness, Bee & Co. offers bee-themed candles, bee-themed pillows ("Keep Calm and Buzz"), bee books, beeswax candles, habanero-infused honeys, and a host of wellness products derived from honey and pollen.
"Nobody works harder than the bee," says the store website. "Bee & Co. has taken inspiration from these mighty little creatures and curated a well-rounded collection of products that promote natural and wholesome well-being."
Building a better bee hive: Can this Delaware-invented beehive help save bee colonies from dying?
Each Bee & Co. retail store is independently owned and managed, according to the brand website.
Matthew Korfhage is business and development reporter in the Delaware region covering all things related to land and money: openings and closings, construction, and the many corporations who call the First State home. Send tips and insults to mkorfhage@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Abercrombie, Uniqlo and other big names are coming to Christiana Mall this year
Most Popular
Comments / 0