Big Names, Successful Local Businesses Lure Shoppers From the Region
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They arrive here from Crossett and El Dorado in south Arkansas, as well as from Monticello and Waverly near the Louisiana-Mississippi border. They even drive from as far away as Vicksburg to the east, and the fringes of Shreveport to the west.
And, of course, there are many shoppers from Ouachita Parish itself.
Shopping is hopping in the parish, and one of its big regional retail destinations for nearly 25 years has been Pecanland Mall. The mall has the distinction of being the only regional shopping center within 90 miles in all four directions of Ouachita Parish.
“We are on Interstate 20 and offer five anchor stores – Belk, Burlington Coat Factory, Dillard’s, JC Penney and Sears,” says Randy Barnett, general manager of Pecanland Mall. “But besides the five anchors, we have a solid tenant
mix of big-name retailers that include Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Foot Locker, Gap, GapKids, Old Navy and Victoria’s Secret.”
And Pecanland Mall certainly isn’t the only retail option that people have in Ouachita Parish. For instance, there is Antique Alley, which has become a national attraction with its 35 stores located in the Cotton Port Historic District of West Monroe.
“Our Antique Alley Association advertises on the Internet as well as in regional magazines and local ads, plus via e-mails to past customers,” says Jackie Green, owner of Jackie’s Collectibles on Trenton Street. “We keep our stores in the minds of people as much as possible, and it certainly pays off.”
Green says he has even had customers from a number of European countries.
“In 2007, a riverboat from New Orleans sailed up the Ouachita River, docked here and all the European passengers on board spent the entire afternoon shopping in Antique Alley,” he says. “Then I know a couple of ladies groups out of New Orleans and Jackson, Miss., who come here for one weekend every year just to get away from home. It’s true that people travel quite a distance to shop here. This parish is indeed a shopping destination.”
Such is the case at The Toggery/Her Toggery in Monroe, which for many years has been the premier regional clothing shop for men and women. Then there are The Shoppes on Tower, which features nine stores of varying sizes within a new neighborhood development in Monroe.
“This development is ultimately going to feature homes, townhouses and upscale apartments, and many of its residents will often frequent the nine retail units,” says Chuck Bradshaw, director of development with Holyfield Construction Inc., which is constructing The Shoppes on Tower. “Already on site are Portico Bar & Grill, Moe’s Southwestern Grill, PieWorks and River Outfitters II, which features men’s and women’s clothes.”
Bradshaw says Holyfield Construction will build more retail plazas in the surrounding area once the residential development is completed over the next 3-5 years.
“Ouachita Parish is already a strong retail destination,” he says. “We just want to be a part of all its shopping success.”
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Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Todd Bennett
