Big News at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza

Today I received confirmation that a furniture store rumored to be located within Phipps Plaza will be Arhaus Furniture, a Ohio based environmentally conscious company, established in 1986. The store at Phipps will be the chain's first in the state and Georgia will be the 15th state in which they will have a presence. Arhaus prides itself on selling only the highest quality furniture and sends its buyers around the world to work directly with artisans to ensure exclusivity. Given the Frontgate store already open at Phipps, there was the question of space when I first learned of the upcoming store. Apparently, Arhaus will be 17,000 s/f and be located on the Lenox Road side, near the new Davio's. The store will be two levels, with its own elevator, pegged to open in the Fall of 2011. The store will occupy a number of spaces currently open as other businesses including Bijou, Atlanta Dental Spa, Monarch Watches & Estate Jewelry, and the shuttered American Cafe space on the upper level.

At Lenox Square, Forever21's XXI store will finally enter Buckhead with its largest store in Georgia. Although I was originally informed the store would be a Forever21, the size of the store forced me to question this and Simon's local PR agency just now confirmed that the store will in fact be an XXI rather than Forever21. XXI stores are thought of as the flagship of the chain with expanded offerings and usually a large footprint. Up until recently the brand was known as XXI Forever, but for differentiation of the two brands, the "Forever" was dropped. Encompassing 27,000 s/f, the store will open in the fall of 2011 and be located near Urban Outfitters. The exact location is being withheld but I'm told it is not the now vacant Ann Taylor space. My only other guess would be the Restoration Hardware space as there has been talk that they may relocate to the Shops Around Lenox.

XXI will carry the full clothing line, including the Forever21 maternity line, along with shoes and accessories. I had once suggested Forever21 for the vacant Mark Shale and while it may not be there, it will be in Lenox. Currently the chain operates XXI stores in Atlanta at Perimeter and Cumberland Malls. The chain also operates a number of Forever21 locations in the area, at Mall of Georgia, Discover Mills, Gwinnett Place, North Point Mall, Town Center at Cobb and Stonecrest. The store joins a crowded field with Zara and Gap at the mall already but will benefit from the absence of an H&M, one if its most direct competitors. ToNeTo Atlanta

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