THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 31, 1994 TAG: 9407290268
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Business
SOURCE: BY CAROLE O'KEEFFE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
LEGGETT WILL be making a return to Suffolk when it opens its newest outlet store at Suffolk Shopping Center on Aug. 17.
The company closed its store on Main Street about two years ago, before opening a new one at Chesapeake Square Mall.
About 50 full- and part-time employees already have been hired for the new outlet, said R. Nick Markham, corporate human resources manager.
Of those, about 20 percent are transferring from the company's Chesapeake Square, Greenbrier and Newmarket Fair mall stores.
The new outlet's manager will be Edward G. Hicklin, who managed the Newmarket Fair outlet center in Newport News until it closed earlier this month.
He is still splitting his time between his old store and the new one in Suffolk.
``There are still odds and ends that need to be moved,'' Hicklin said.
In Suffolk, interior construction of the new outlet center is complete. The carpet was installed in the 45,000-square-foot store late last week.
Markham said the family-owned chain chose the former location of the financially-troubled Rose's Stores Inc., because it ``was pretty well laid out for what we want.''
Robert Leggett III, company vice president, said the department store chain is very familiar with the Suffolk market because of the downtown store it operated here for years.
``We look forward to having a presence there again,'' Leggett said.
The new outlet store will sell clearance merchandise from Leggett department stores, Hicklin said.
It also will offer irregular merchandise and items from special purchases and close-outs.
``I think Suffolk is going to be very strong,'' Hicklin said. ``We have a lot of faith in Suffolk and think the community will be good for us, and we think we will be good for the community.''
Leggett operates five other outlet centers. They are located at Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, and in Bedford, Fredericksburg, Roanoke and Woodstock, Va.
In all, 44 department stores in the Mid-Atlantic states are run by the family business from offices in Danville, Lynchburg and South Boston, Va.
Leggett closed its 110,000-square-foot outlet store at Newmarket Fair because of poor sales, Markham said.
The department store opened in 1975. The outlet - Leggett's first - opened in 1991. MEMO: The Leggett Outlet Center, 1403 N. Main St. in the Suffolk Shopping
Center, will open Aug. 17.The Leggett Outlet Center, 1403 N. Main St.
in the Suffolk Shopping Center, will open Aug. 17.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12:30
to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Two years after closing its Suffolk department store, the Leggett
chain is relocating its outlet center to 1403 N. Main St. in the
Suffolk Shopping Center.
by CNB