A discount home furnishings retailer is moving into the former Barnes & Noble space at Sharon Corners Shopping Center in SouthPark.

HomeGoods, expected to open this fall, will occupy more than 23,000 square feet vacated by the bookseller more than a year ago. HomeGoods sells eclectic home decor, including tableware, bedding and children's furniture, priced at 20 percent to 60 percent less than department-store prices.

The shopping center at the corner of Sharon and Fairview roads has faced a challenge since losing Barnes & Noble, its largest retail tenant, to a newer development nearby.

The amount of available retail space in SouthPark has grown in recent years in part because of new developments begun in better economic times. A growing number of shops, meanwhile, have closed as people have lost jobs or seen their paychecks shrunk.

Since the bookseller closed in fall 2008, the space has been home to various temporary uses, including The Carolina Warehouse sale, where 20 upscale boutiques joined to sell leftover inventory at steep discounts. But the space, located at the back of the property, has largely sat empty.

Retail market and development analyst Kathleen Rose of Rose & Associates Southeast said the new tenant marks a positive move for Sharon Corners and reflects its "evolving tenant mix from luxury to more moderate tenants as consumers continue to focus on value. ... I think we will continue to see these types of tenants prevail as the economy slowly recovers."

With the addition of HomeGoods, the center has about 7,200 square feet available for lease. Another newly signed tenant, Verizon Wireless, will move into about 1,500 square feet formerly leased by Harpers to Go Go. The center also includes Jesse Brown's Outdoor, Destination Maternity, Baoding Chinese Restaurant and AAA Carolinas, which relocated to the center last year, taking 2,400 square feet.

"HomeGoods will be a great anchor and further enhance the shopping experience," said Susan McGuire, senior vice president of retail at Crosland, which developed the property.

Headquartered in Charlotte, Crosland develops, builds and manages properties in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The privately held company has specialized in retail, multifamily, office and land development.