Billboards and advertisements carrying the message “Shop York County” will roll out for the Christmas shopping season, part of a marketing campaign to keep your wallet south of the state line.
Beleaguered retailers said they could use the help. As shoppers milled around the Rock Hill Galleria food court on Friday, Joseph Gurkan manned a kiosk that sells glass art jewellery. Gurkan had his laptop open and was checking out pictures on Facebook. He said he also was looking for other jobs.
“Right now, we are losing money,” he said. “Hopefully, it's going to get better at Christmastime.”
Nearby, in the vacant Fashion Bug space, business and government leaders gathered to kick off the “Shop York County” campaign. They made some announcements:
Comporium Communications will donate air time for TV spots to promote the message.
Stores at the Galleria and nearby Manchester Village will team up to market the area as a shopping destination, officials said. They will form a permanent merchants' association to share group advertising and partner on special events.
“It's a really important step in the right direction,” said Rock Hill developer Warren Norman III, whose grandfather developed the mall 20 years ago.
Battling perceptions
The Galleria long has battled perception problems among shoppers in search of trendier options. Many make the 25-minute drive north to Carolina Place Mall in Pineville, N.C.
Dani Berry browsed clothing racks at the new anchor store, Famous Labels, on Friday afternoon. The 21-year-old Winthrop University student said she was about to head for Charlotte.
“There's always that stereotype of ‘Charlotte's bigger,'” she said. “They're going to have better stuff. All my friends go to Charlotte to shop.”
Four years ago, Galleria owners put together plans to remake the mall's front entrance with a snazzier façade and new restaurants. The project has been put on hold indefinitely, general manager Jeff Kirby said Friday.
City leaders have pushed forward with their own set of improvements.
In front of the Galleria, workers put in brick markers and black granite water fountains, as well as sidewalks, curbs and landscaping.
The goal is to brand the Dave Lyle Boulevard exit as a gateway entrance into South Carolina, City Manager Carey Smith told the audience Friday.
Kirby said the mall is positioned for success as the economy rebounds.
“We've come a long way in the last two decades,” he said. Retail space is 85 percent occupied, including some Christmas-themed stores that move in for the holiday season, Kirby said.
Wanted: More jobs
Job applications poured into Famous Labels as word spread of the store's opening. Regional Director Milford Whitfield said he has a stack of 300 sitting on his desk and plans to hire about 10 employees.
The high number of job-seekers helps explain why the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce looked for ways to jump-start the economy as Christmas approaches.
One in five people in Rock Hill is out of work. The city's unemployment rate stood at 20.6 percent in September, according to the most recent figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The countywide jobless rate is 14.1 percent.
“We are in a much different world today,” said Tony Berry, the developer of nearby Manchester Village. “What little dollars we all may be spending this year, we need to think about spending locally.”
About Famous Labels
Rock Hill Galleria lands anchor tenant
Famous Labels opened this week in the former Goody's space, selling discount clothes and gift items in a store comparable to TJ Maxx.
The Las Vegas-based retailer operates 40 stores nationwide, including locations in Anderson and High Point, N.C.
Galleria officials are exploring options for the space left vacant by Steve & Barry's discount clothing store. The space might be divided into smaller units, but nothing is imminent, general manager Jeff Kirby said.
For Famous Labels job information, visit famouslabels.net or e-mail milford@famouslabels.net.
Matt Garfield 803-329-4063
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