Shoppers in the Pemberton Square mall pass by a vacant store front. (Jenny Sevcik The Vicksburg Post)

[10/14/03]With some businesses leaving Pemberton Square and others arriving, mall merchants are split on what it all means.

Carlos Smith is the co-owner of Shabaka’s, which sells black collegiate products. And he reports that business has taken a turn for the worse.

“We’re not sure whether we can come back for another year,” Smith said, of the store he’s co-owned with two others for about six years. “I can’t really say what’s causing this, but people are constantly leaving, and I can’t really stay if I can’t make any money.”

Piccadilly Cafeteria closed last week, citing an organizational restructuring of the national chain. The Shoe Dept., Arby’s and a jewelry store have also pulled out from the 17-year-old mall on Pemberton Boulevard this year.

Smith said the economy and lack of mall advertising may be to blame for the decrease in his business.

“We used to do OK, but in the past six months it’s been very slow,” Smith said.

Khaled Abdeen, owner of Prestige Footwear, said he believes the mall needs local support to bring in big-name retailers. He said about 80 to 85 percent of his business is from out-of-town.

“Unfortunately, the locals here in town give no support to the mall whatsoever,” he said, noting that he loses business to shopping centers in Jackson and Monroe, La.

“I’m positive with a little community support and with more traffic here, we will get the big names here that everybody wants,” Abdeen said.

Abdeen noted that when Trustmark closed its branch in the mall in 1999, business slowed, but when Dillard’s opened later that year, traffic picked back up.

Meanwhile, it’s business as usual at McRae’s, a regional chain.

Store manager Brad Kerrigan said his store is having a good year.

“We have very loyal customers who continue to shop with us,” he said. He added that McRae’s has been in Vicksburg for 30 years. “Traffic and business continue to go up. Even though we’ve had some closings in the mall, it hasn’t affected us at all.”

In an effort to revamp business, renovations were completed in 1997, including carpeting floors, upgrading lighting and renovating entrances. The Pemberton Square area remains home to the largest concentration of retailers.

A walking survey of the stores in the mall indicates about eight of about 45 units not rented.

Major department stores at the time were McRae’s, JCPenny, Goody’s and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart moved across U.S. 61 South in 1998. Dillard’s Inc. opened a department store in the vacated west-end spot in 1999. Goody’s has since closed.

The mall’s general manager, Renee Williams, said plans are in the works with potential tenants.

“Our corporate leasing department is constantly in touch with retailers,” she said. The mall is owned by CBL and Associates Properties, Inc.

New stores opened this year are Cadillac Sal’s Diner, which leases the space where Arby’s operated; King of Hearts, a tuxedo shop; and Sports Addition, Williams said.

She said 20/20 Eye Works and Source Clothing have expanded.

Williams said “specialty tenants” would also be set up in the mall during the holidays including merchants selling handbags, photos and plaques.

Additionally, the mall is hosting a holiday job fair Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. for those seeking supplemental income for the holidays.