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The Forum faces store closings; new owner, new openings may spark turnaround

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Williams-Sonoma at the Forum on Peachtree Parkway
Williams-Sonoma at the Forum on Peachtree Parkway (Photo by Nathan Deen)

After nearly 20 years, Williams-Sonoma is in the process of closing its location at The Forum in Peachtree Corners. In the same mall, affordable women’s clothing store Dress Up has already closed its doors to shoppers. 

Lindsey Hymel, marketing manager at The Forum, confirmed Dress Up has ended its lease, and the store is no longer listed on The Forum’s website. 

Hymel said she could not comment on the status of Williams-Sonoma, the kitchenware and home furnishing company based in California that has two other metro Atlanta store locations in Alpharetta and Marietta. As of this report, the store is still operating at The Forum.  

However, Williams Sonoma has placed a sign in its window announcing that it is closing soon and is in the process of selling off its current inventory. 

Williams-Sonoma at the Forum on Peachtree Parkway
Williams-Sonoma at the Forum on Peachtree Parkway (Photo by Nathan Deen)

Mario Mireles, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate property manager who has no specific knowledge of the Williams Sonoma situation, speculated that the closure could be due to a combination of poor sales and lease longevity. 

“Williams-Sonoma, like some of the better-known names in The Forum has a very favorable lease deal — usually only pays a small percentage of sales as rent, both due to the low overall occupancy of the property and the landlord’s desire to keep the well-known stores in the property as a method to attract other retailers,” Mireles said. 

“Due to its longevity at the property, Sonoma may have well been on a month-to-month agreement that is easily terminated. Depending on the location as well as the chain’s regional and national performance, retailers like Sonoma are opportunistically culling their locations as circumstances allow them. They could devote those resources to another store and see a sizeable increase in sales.” 

New mall owner rumored  

The Forum is currently managed by commercial real estate firm Bayer Industries, but a new opener could be announced soon, according to District 3 City Councilman Alex Wright  

In an interview with Peachtree Corners Magazine, Wright said the most likely buyer could be North American Properties, which owns the Avalon mall in Alpharetta as well as the Atlantic Station mall in downtown Atlanta and Avenue East Cobb in Marietta. 

A recent analysis by Forbes magazine shows that as the world moves toward a post-pandemic phase, physical retail is on the rise again. Even with online shopping becoming more prevalent, there is still an overall increase in demand for retail real estate.   

New stores could appeal to fitness community 

While The Forum is losing two stores, it’s already added a new one, and two more are on the way, according to a press release. 

Versona, a women’s fashion boutique owned by The Cato Corporation, opened to the public on Dec. 16 and became the brand’s ninth location in Georgia. The Forum location is managed by Norcross resident Tina Cehic and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. 

“Versona promises to be a fun shopping experience where women can find unique, on-trend styles at a great value,” said Cato Corporation president and CEO John Cato. “We are excited about our newest Versona store opening at The Forum on Peachtree Parkway.” 

The other two stores could catch the eye of the health and fitness community within Peachtree Corners. Club Pilates, a studio fitness center that offers full-body workouts and a diverse range of classes, will take over the space previously occupied by Gigi’s Cupcakes, while Chopt, a chain restaurant specializing in inventive salads and sells 17 house-made dressings, will take up a portion of the former Atlanta Bread Company. 

Hymel said there are monthly pop-up fitness classes at The Forum, which indicates Club Pilates will fill a big need within the Peachtree Corners community. 

“Peachtree Corners is already a fitness community,” she said. “Once a month, we’ll bring in a gym to do pop-up fitness, and that’s already gone well.” 

Out of 100 metropolitan areas, personal finance website WalletHub ranked the Atlanta area at No. 23 for active lifestyles making it an attractive market for fitness-related businesses.  

Pilates is a low-impact, mind-body exercise routine that works to strengthen muscles and improve posture and flexibility. 

According to its website, Club Pilates offers nine types of Pilates classes as well as a range of equipment that includes TriggerPoint foam rollers, TRX springboards, EXO-chairs “and other equipment designed to build strength, mobility and stability.” 

Keeoma Page, owner and operator of the Club Pilates location at The Forum, said Club Pilates brings affordability to what is normally an expensive workout method. 

“Pilates is super-expensive, and Club Pilates allows it to be affordable,” Page said. “Everyone has their own piece of equipment, which is totally unheard of. Club Pilates scaled it in a way so they could bring Pilates to the masses.” 

Club Pilates thrives from its membership packages, Page said, and she’s already had more than 50 people sign up well ahead of its spring opening. The club offers packages of four classes a month, eight classes a month, or unlimited classes. 

Page said she has been looking for the perfect venue since she became the owner of her franchise three years ago. The location at The Forum will be the 14th to open in the metro Atlanta area. 

“It’s such a perfect fit for Peachtree Corners,” she said. “People already know about it. I’m not introducing anything they haven’t already heard of. It’s a very active area.” 

Club Pilates and Chopt will also be located near the Press Blend Squeeze juicer, Hymel said, making The Forum a one-stop destination for people looking for a good workout and a healthy meal. 

“They’ll all be next to each other, so it’s really going to be a good mix for that fitness-minded community,” Hymel said. 

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Shadow-Soft Joins Curiosity Lab as Startup Program Partner 

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Shadow Soft Logo

Peachtree Corners announced that Shadow-Soft has joined Curiosity Lab as a Startup Program partner, providing additional resources for startups in the lab’s incubation program. Shadow-Soft specializes in helping companies modernize their infrastructure and applications with containers, Kubernetes, and the cloud for scale, speed, and cost.

“As an Atlanta technology leader, we are always looking to support companies as they grow and scale. We use proven methodologies to make sure people know where to start, identify a clear path forward and understand what open-source tools to use so they can start small, think big, and act fast,” said Shadow-Soft Vice President Nick Marcarelli.

“This aligns perfectly with companies at Curiosity Lab as they begin to grow their businesses. At times it can be overwhelming for growing companies to build a stable, reliable, and secure environment. We can provide the architectural insights and engineering knowledge necessary to scale with ease,” he explained.

Shadow-Soft is offering free 30 and 60-minute consultations with their team of experts to aid Curiosity Lab startup leaders in three separate areas: creating a technology blueprint to bring ideas to life, building rapid software development prototypes, and constructing a technology infrastructure to scale on demand.

“Adding Shadow-Soft to the Curiosity Lab adds an immensely valuable tool to offer our startups – complementing the opportunity they have to collaborate with some of the top technology brands in the world,” said Curiosity Lab Executive Director Brandon Branham.

“One of the largest challenges startups face is scaling rapidly. When the time comes, startups will often need executive guidance when it comes to scaling their company correctly, quickly, and in an affordable way. Shadow-Soft will be able to coach our startups from the beginning of their journey to their peak growth to ensure they have long-term success.”

For more about Curiosity Lab’s startup programs and Shadow-Soft’s startup program offerings, visit curiositylabptc.com/startups/.

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PCBA Donates to WellSpring Living

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Pictured: Matt Bettis PCBA Outreach; Audrey Boyce PCBA Outreach; Suzanna Martinez PCBA Outreach; jeAnne Jeter Wellspring Living; Lisa Proctor PCBA Board; Allison Reinert PCBA Board; Michael Pugh PCBA Board; Toby Anderson PCBA Board

The Peachtree Corners Business Association awarded a check for $500 to Wellspring Living at their February 2023 Business After Hours Speaker Series Event!

The mission of Wellspring Living includes transforming the lives of those at risk or victimized by sexual exploitation. Wellspring Living provides community-based and residential services as well as partners with a wide range of human service organizations to ensure that each victim’s needs are met.  Programs include residential programs, community programs, and graduate services.  Wellspring Treasures (one located in Duluth) is not just a source of revenue but a hub for communities to engage with our work and be a part of the solution to help restore lives.

“The PCBA is proud to donate a check for $500 to Wellspring Living in support of their efforts to save lives at risk or victimized by sexual exploitation.  Our Outreach Committee and Board are impressed with the extent of the Wellspring Living programs and resources available in our community.  With the PCBA’s continuous commitment to supporting our community in a meaningful way, we are excited to be a part of the success of their survivors”, says Lisa Proctor, PCBA President. 

Funds for the PCBA Community Outreach program are raised throughout the year from PCBA membership, sponsorship, and our annual charity event.  Donations and scholarships are awarded at their monthly events, so the members have the opportunity to learn more about these organizations.

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International Floriculture Industry Leader Chooses Peachtree Corners for Headquarters

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Dave & Bev Garcia, Brenda & Pete Garcia, and Kathy & Jim Headlee

Garcia Group recently located its main office and showroom for Flora Mart in Technology Park.

Pete Garcia, a recent inductee, and recipient of the highest floral honor in the industry from the Society of American Florists Floriculture Hall of Fame doesn’t mind that he’s not a household name. But anybody in the floral industry — retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, growers, wholesalers, importers, and event florists, as well as floral students, educators and researchers — have probably heard of the man who has been a major player for more than 60 years.

His contributions to the advancement of floriculture and his never-ending advocacy for floral research, scholarships, and grants are why the highest honor of the floral industry was bestowed upon him.

During his acceptance speech, Garcia acknowledged the hard work and dedication of his family and staff. “We hope that we have left a footprint in the industry and that we’re all successful through what we have accomplished together,” he said. 

Besides his strong work ethic and business savvy, Garcia hopes to encourage younger people to take advantage of opportunities like he did.

Flowery path to success

With his son, David Garcia, now at the helm, Pete has relinquished control of the Garcia Group and Pete Garcia Co. The firm does business across the U.S. and North America as well as Europe.

Garcia’s passion and determination are just as strong as when he first drove a delivery truck for a wholesale flower company in Jacksonville, Fla. “My older brother went to college to be an electrical engineer and the pressure was on me to do something else. I was going to be an architect, but I hated school,” said Garcia.

When he and his first wife were expecting a baby, he just needed a job. So, in 1956, history was made when he decided against college. He took his creativity and earnestness and applied them to the floral industry.

“Our family was very detailed by nature,” he said. 

Garcia’s father came to the U.S. from Spain when he was 16. A skilled cabinetmaker, he was a genius who devised floating staircases and other marvels. Garcia Sr. was so dedicated to his craft that his tools have a place of honor in the Flora Mart building.

Garcia applied that same type of ingenuity to his career, and he eventually became an assistant manager for the florist company Carlstedt.

Call it luck or the right opportunity for the right man, but several years later, Pete Garcia found himself a salesman for the eastern zone of the U.S. selling floral supplies. In his first year, he increased the business by $1.2 million. When the owner died four years later, Garcia took over the business.

A year later, 1970, he incorporated the Pete Garcia Co. He’d realized that there was nobody supplying florists with mouth-blown glassware on a large scale. Garcia worked out agreements with several suppliers to smooth out the supply chain.

Peachtree Corners location fits perfectly

After 46 years in Chamblee, the company now has a 30,000 square-foot showroom in what many consider the gateway to north metro Atlanta. The sophisticated, state-of-the-art operation in Peachtree Corners is unique in that it fills the needs of virtually everyone in the floral industry around the world and provides convenient access for domestic and international clients.

“We chose this spot because we didn’t need to be in a retail environment,” Garcia said. “We only sell to wholesalers and growers and creators of the products themselves.”

Although 2023 had just kicked off, the headquarters was already bustling with clients looking to place orders for next Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Related links:

facebook.com/PeteGarciaCompany

garciagroupinc.com

Photos by George Hunter

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