Wednesday, October 30, 2019

[EXCLUSIVE] Retailer Rock/Creek Strikes Out at The Battery Atlanta

Rock/Creek, a store which when it opened late last year we said should never have opened and would likely not last long, is closing. The 17,000 square foot store, located on two levels at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park, opened last December and will close January 31. The store is currently offering 40% off all in-stock merchandise ahead of its planned closure.   
Shopping carts in long-term parking  inside Rock/Creek
On our three visits to the store, we never saw a single transaction take place, saw a total of five customers, and witnessed rather amateurish merchandising. The store, and its expensive outdoorsy merchandise, even including a bike repair area, was far larger than it needed to be and never made sense in the project.

The Chattanooga-based outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment retailer was purchased in 2018 by Uncle Dan’s Outfitters, which itself is owned by Camping World Holdings.  Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CWH) was started and is currently helmed by Marcus Lemonis, star of CNBC’s “The Profit.”  After disappointing results, CWH this past August sold both Uncle Dan’s and Rock/Creek to Gearhead Outfitters, an Arkansas-based independent retailer like the businesses it acquired.  

The sale included five Uncle Dan's stores in the Chicago area as well as seven Rock/Creek stores in Tennessee.  The sale excluded one Uncle Dan's store in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg and the Rock/Creek store at The Battery, which CWH still owns.  

Rock/Creek is the second permanent retailer to close in the mixed-use project in just the past months, following the August closure of the Tomahawk Harley-Davidson store. ToNeTo Atlanta reported in September that River Street Sweets will open later this fall in the old Harley space.  

Lemonis had originally announced that Sweet Pete’s and a revival of the beloved Farrell’s Ice Cream would open where Rock/Creek opened, but abandoned those plans for unclear reasons.  Given the success that restaurants have experienced at The Battery, and the brand equity that Farrell’s still has in the market, there is little doubt that the candy and ice cream combo would have been the better choice.   

There is no word yet on what may replace Rock/Creek. Did you ever shop Rock/Creek? Are you surprised Rock/Creek is closing? What would you like to see open in place of Rock/Creek?   

Please share your thoughts below. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another restaurant incoming, most likely. Way better choice for that spot.

Unknown said...

wow. granted I don't live over there but I had no idea that retailer was even there.

Unknown said...

I live in the battery and am not surprised at all. Even on game days I never saw it that busy. I also never thought it stood a chance from the moment it was announced. I wish they'd turn that space into a convenience store! It would be awesome to have something like a CVS here.

perimeter285 said...

I wonder if anyone knows there is a sunglass store in the Battery?

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