A slew of new stores are set to open at Westmoreland Mall, including two that previously shuttered at the Hempfield site.
Charlotte Russe and Christopher & Banks, which previously occupied storefronts at the mall, will be joined by locally owned Neecs Sneaks and Rock Bottom jewelry store.
The announcements come after the mall for several years lost tenants, with 10 empty storefronts in 2019. The decline was part of a national trend that continued through the covid-19 pandemic, leading to the closure of thousands of stores — including Charlotte Russe and Christopher & Banks.
During the pandemic in 2020, more than 12,000 stores closed nationwide, according to CoStar Group, which tracks data for the real estate industry.
Now, some of those stores are making a comeback.
Charlotte Russe in March 2019 announced the closure of all of its stores, including five in the Pittsburgh region. That same month, the company was purchased by YM Inc., a Toronto-based clothing manufacturer. By April 2019, officials announced 100 Charlotte Russe stores would reopen.
At Westmoreland Mall, Charlotte Russe is expected to open next spring, said Stacey Keating, spokeswoman for CBL Properties, which owns Westmoreland and Monroeville malls. The store will reopen in its previous storefront on the upper level of the former Sears wing.
Millers’ Prom and Formal Wear, which opened in mid-January after moving from its location in Greensburg, currently occupies the space. Store officials said they are moving to first floor of the Macy’s wing where Dressbarn was located.
Christopher & Banks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February and began closing more than 400 stores nationally, including the Westmoreland Mall and Pittsburgh Mills locations. The store is slated to reopen in its former storefront at Westmoreland Mall, according to a sign posted outside the location.Keating said the store will open in early December.
The storefront is occupied by Knockerball Run, which will move to the second floor of the former Sears wing in a storefront previously occupied by Flix Up, a selfie studio.
Neecs Sneaks, which opened in Greensburg last year, will move into the former GNC storefront on the second level of the Macy’s wing.
Source: More new stores coming to Westmoreland Mall, with 2 set to reopen
