Goodbye Saks, Hello Forever 21

By Janae Tanti

CHARLESTON, S.C.--The boutiques of King Street here in Charleston offer shoppers a variety of beautiful clothing and accessories to choose from. From Louis Vuitton to Gucci to Tommy Bahama, King Street is a shopper’s paradise…but quite the expensive paradise.
Where are the students at the College of Charleston to shop? A small fraction may be able to afford luxurious Louis, but the majority of students cannot. Fret no more, ladies and gentlemen, for the prayers for affordable clothing have been answered.
The Beach Company, a local Charleston real estate developer, announced on May 17 ^th, 2010, that Majestic Square on King Street will say goodbye to Saks Fifth Avenue and say hello to Forever 21 later on this year.
Saks Fifth Avenue is scheduled to close its doors on July 17 ^th of 2010.
Saks Fifth Avenue is currently occupying 33,000 square feet of the 225,000 square-foot Majestic Square, located at 211 King Street, and has been a tenant there for over fifteen years.
“Fifteen years ago, when Saks came to King Street they had not built a new downtown store in America in 30 years, so it was a national event, and for King Street to have Saks to come there was extraordinary. Since Saks came, we have seen the extraordinary growth of quality and energy and success of King Street that Saks’ arrival was part of,” said Mayor Joe Riley, according to ABC News 4. “Saks contribution to our city has been tremendous, they came 15 years ago and helped establish King Street as a major retail shopping destination,” Riley said.
Steve Sadove, Chairman and CEO of Saks, said in a press release, “We are very appreciative of our Charleston customers and are sad to leave the city. Closing our store was a difficult decision to make, but our strategy is to focus our resources on our most productive stores.”
According to the Charleston Regional Business Journal, Saks Fifth Avenue will be offering transfer opportunities or severance packages to its sixty Charleston employees.
Saks Fifth Avenue will also close two stores in San Diego, Calif., and Portland, Ore., during July of this year.
Forever 21 operates 480 stores worldwide, but the Charleston location will be Forever 21’s first store in the state of South Carolina.
Known for its affordable clothing and accessories, Forever 21 carries 5 brands of merchandise. These brands have been defined and described by The Beach Company as “Twelve by Twelve, a couture-like aspiration line designed exclusively for Forever 21; Heritage 1981, a lifestyle brand for women; 21MEN, a line of fresh, fast fashion for men of all ages; Love 21, a contemporary line for women; and HTG81, a kids line for girls and boys ages six to fourteen.”
John Darby, President and CEO of The Beach Company, said in a press release, “We are excited that Forever 21 has decided to expand to Charleston. Forever 21 is sure to increase the foot traffic for King Street. Securing a top international retailer like Forever 21 is a huge addition to Downtown Charleston and will undoubtedly benefit the entire retail shopping district.”
The Beach Company isn’t the only one excited to see Forever 21 coming to Charleston. College of Charleston student, Mercedes Dickson, jumped with joy at the news. “I am super excited and can’t wait to be able to shop somewhere other than Urban Outfitters. I’m going to need a limit or I might just blow my wallet opening day!” said Dickson.
Larry Meyer, Executive Vice President of Forever 21, said “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to expand our business into Charleston and offer the latest fashion to the local community. Additionally, we expect to create up to 150 new jobs at the Charleston location.”
Even Mayor Joe Riley realizes the positive impact Forever 21 will have on downtown Charleston. “Forever 21 fits a niche that I think will be very valuable for King Street, so I think it’s net positive,” said Riley, according to WCBD News.
Though it seems that the addition of Forever 21 to King Street has gotten a positive reaction by many Charleston locals, there are some that are not pleased to hear the news.
Page Grove, a student at the College of Charleston, is quite disappointed that the national retailer will be replacing Saks Fifth Avenue.
“While the clothes at Saks were a bit pricey, they offered nice, elegant, designer stuff. Forever 21 stores are always crammed with cheap clothes that fall apart within days,” said Grove. “I will not be shopping there.”
Susanna Brylawski, a sophomore at the College of Charleston, will be shopping at the new Forever 21 and hopes it will help eliminate identical outfits walking around Charleston.
“I am VERY excited because forever 21 is cheaper. Hopefully since there will be two large stores (21 and urban) there will be less duplications of the same clothing every where," said Brylawski.
Forever 21 is scheduled to be open for business by the fall of 2010.