Rue 21 to move to Berkeley Mall
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on July 17, 2016 1:45 AM
Rue 21 will move into the Berkeley Mall this summer after operating from the Berkeley Commons for 11 years.
Rue 21, which offers men's and women's clothing and accessories, will also expand its merchandise and add a new line of women's plus-sized clothing, said Casey Sears, rue 21 assistant manager.
"I know we're getting a bigger store, so that will be nice," Sears said. "We'll have more room for clothes."
Rue 21 will be closed Aug. 1-3 in the Berkeley Commons, at 1211 N. Berkeley Blvd., as employees make the move to the new store, said Kelly Sulkosky, rue 21 marketing manager. The Berkeley Mall store, at 625 N. Berkeley Blvd., is planned to open on Aug. 4, she said.
Interior renovations are underway at the mall where crews have started to add an exterior facade near rue 21's future entrance, located between JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts and the main entrance of the mall.
The renovations are estimated to cost $150,000, according to a city interior upfit permit issued June 17, said Kathy Gwaltney, Goldsboro inspections permit clerk. The company plans to occupy 8,000-square-feet within three combined tenant spaces at the mall, Gwaltney said.
"They've completely gutted the new building," said Cindy Motsko, Goldsboro plan reviewer. "They're going to make it look nice. They're going to dress it up."
The store will offer an outside entrance from the parking lot and another inside the mall, just right of the main entrance.
Rue 21 opened in Goldsboro in 2005 at the Berkeley Commons, where Bed Bath and Beyond and Old Navy are located. The new store will increase the company's presence in Goldsboro by more than doubling its floor space and increasing its employee base.
Rue 21 held a job fair at the Berkeley Mall Wednesday, and the company plans to hire 13 part-time and 15 temporary employees, Sulkosky said.