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A discount clothing retailer called Famous Labels has opened in the former Goody's space at the Rock Hill Galleria as a new anchor tenant.
The announcement came as business and government leaders gathered at the mall to kick off a "Shop York County" campaign to urge local residents to keep their holiday shopping south of the state line.
Comporium Communications announced it will donate television advertising equal in value to $250,000 to promote the campaign. Also, merchants at the Galleria and Manchester Village will team up to form a new association to market the area as a shopping destination.
Famous Labels opened this week, offering clothes and gift items comparable to Marshall's and TJ Maxx. The Las Vegas-based retailer has 40 stores, including locations in Anderson and High Point, N.C.
Friday afternoon, Dani Berry browsed clothing racks at the new anchor store. The 21-year-old Winthrop University student said she was about to head for Charlotte.
“There's always that stereotype of ‘Charlotte's bigger,'” she said. “They're going to have better stuff. All my friends go to Charlotte to shop.”
Four years ago, Galleria owners put together plans to remake the mall's front entrance with a snazzier façade and new restaurants. The project has been put on hold indefinitely, general manager Jeff Kirby said Friday.
City leaders have pushed forward with their own set of improvements. In front of the Galleria, workers put in brick markers and black granite water fountains, as well as sidewalks, curbs and landscaping.
Kirby said the mall is positioned for success as the economy rebounds.
“We've come a long way in the last two decades,” he said. Retail space is 85 percent occupied, including some Christmas-themed stores that move in for the holiday season, Kirby said.
Job applications poured into Famous Labels as word spread of the store's opening. Regional Director Milford Whitfield said he has a stack of 300 sitting on his desk and plans to hire about 10 employees.
