Play It Again Sports "Scores" New Location in Decatur

Used sporting goods retailer to reopen next week

A local franchise of Play It Again Sports will soon reopen in a new home in Decatur.  The Play It Again Sports at North DeKalb Mall closed and will open this coming Monday, May 15th at North Decatur Plaza.  The second-hand retailer will open in place of the shuttered McMahan Shoes which closed in the center last summer after nearly 70 years in business in Atlanta.  

The new Play It Again Sports will be 4,000 square feet, significantly smaller their 6,446 square foot North DeKalb Mall store, but more in line with the 3,500 to 4,000 square foot average store size listed on their corporate website. 

The website further describes the store's "core customer group" as adults, ages 25 to 54, and parents with young kids, and its product mix as 60% new and 40% "quality used."  

M&P Shopping Centers, which owns North Decatur Plaza, indicates on their website that the center is 100% leased.  That said, the endcap former Camera Doctor space remains vacant. Local sources have said for months that a Mexican restaurant would open in the 2,500 square foot space. Over six months after the camera store's closure, nothing has been done to the space, with Jeremy Rosenthall of M&P confirming last year that a lease has been signed but declining to comment further.  

Play It Again Sports its the latest retailer to either close or relocate at North DeKalb Mall. 

Macy's closed their North DeKalb Mall store in early 2016, after over fifty years in business, originally as a Rich's.   At the time, it was believed that Macy's closing was the domino that need to fall for Costco to finally come to the mall.  Sadly, over a year later, nothing has been done with the space, and Sterling Organization, the mall's co-owner, has never returned any of my calls seeking comment.  

ROSS Dress For Less closed this past summer at North DeKalb Mall, opting to "relocate" to the redeveloped Suburban Plaza shopping center nearby.  Rack Room Shoes also closed their North DeKalb Mall store this past July, directing customers to their "nearby" location in Stone Mountain Square.  Stone Mountain Square is a large shopping center just off Highway 78 near Rockbridge Road, just over ten miles east of North DeKalb Mall.

A Play It Again Sports in Buckhead relocated from Chastain Square to Buckhead Court in 2014, increasing their size from 2,800 to 4,500 square feet.  

Minneapolis-based Winmark is a franchisor of various second hand businesses.  In addition to Play It Again Sports, Winmark franchises Once Upon a Child, which sells gently used and new children's clothing, Plato's Closet, which sells gently used and new name brand clothing and accessories for teens and young adults, Style Encore, which sells casual business apparel and accessories for women and Music Go Round, which sells gently used and new music equipment and instruments.

Are you excited to see Play It Again Sports move to North Decatur Plaza?  What would you like to see open in place of the Camera Doctor? Do you think Costco will ever open at North DeKalb Mall?

Please share your thoughts below.