After 22 years at SouthPark mall, retailer refreshes look for Gen Z shoppers
A more than 50-year-old U.S. apparel retailer is reopening with a refreshed, modern take at its only Charlotte store to reach its Gen Z shoppers.
Urban Outfitters reopens Thursday, May 7, at SouthPark mall with a new, brighter layout, according to the company. The Philadelphia-based schain, which opened in 2004 at SouthPark, closed temporarily on Dec. 13 for the remodel, company officials said.
The company’s new store concept follows Urban Outfitters curated and refreshed design strategy with an emphasis on Gen Z shoppers that began rolling out last year at stores in Houston; Glendale, California; and Bethesda, Maryland. Charlotte is one of another seven locations reopening this year in the U.S. with a new design.
Merchandising and floor plans vary by store, guided by customer insight and market preferences, according to Urban Outfitters.
“We’re evolving with our customer to offer pieces inspired by the culture, communities and moments shaping their style,” Bijon Javadzadeh, general manager of merchandising at Urban Outfitters said when announcing the new concept in the fall.
The flexibility considers local shopping behaviors so that each store offers a distinct and relevant feel.
Urban Outfitters Insiders found 72% of Gen Z consumers are shopping in malls, according to the company. UO Insiders is a community of more than 10,000 Gen Z shoppers, students and influencers created by Urban Outfitters to provide brand feedback, product testing and input.
What to expect at Charlotte’s renovated Urban Outfitters’ store
The Urban Outfitters store selling space will be nearly cut in half from 9,430-square-feet to 5,735 square feet.
The store’s new layout puts apparel in front, with women’s clothing and accessories on the left, and men’s on the right.
The Enhanced Shoe Shop is in the back of the store with an expanded area for footwear. The store also has additions like wood finishes, spacious fitting rooms and registers.
Urban Outfitters was founded in 1970 and now operates over 200 stores across the U.S., Canada and Europe.
More store openings at SouthPark mall
The SouthPark retail center continues to change with several new and upcoming additions, including the opening of TileBar on Monday, featuring an “immersive showroom.”
Charlotte marks TileBar’s fifth opening as part of a national expansion project that will see 10 new showrooms across the US by the end of the year, according to the company.
The showroom encourages tactile exploration of its tile, stone and bath products, with an on-site library of more than 1,000 samples and moodboarding zones, TileBar said.
.png "image (2).png")
This summer, two major debuts expected in June are Garage, a Montreal-based young women’s clothing brand opening near the dining pavilion, and A Material Good, a luxury boutique featuring three Swiss watchmakers: IWC Schaffhausen, Panerai and Jaeger-LeCoultre. In July, home furnishing brand Arhaus will relocate and expand into a standalone showroom at The Village at SouthPark, between Michael Kors and Coach.
Suitsupply, a European men’s suit company known for Italian fabrics from mills like Larusmiani and Vitale Barberis Canonico, is also expected to open this year. These additions follow recent North Carolina debuts by the Spanish fashion retailer Zara and Australian brand QUAY Eyewear. Last year’s openings included menswear stores Mizzen + Main and Johnnie-O, the family experience company CAMP, Sarku Japan, watchmaker Swatch, jeweler Gorjana, and Tommy Bahama’s first Marlin Bar.
Simon also owns Concord Mills mall in Concord and Charlotte Premium Outlets in Steele Creek, which last month announced it would add four new stores, including Ulta in the former Eddie Bauer spot.
This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 9:01 AM with the headline "After 22 years at SouthPark mall, retailer refreshes look for Gen Z shoppers."
