Big Field Trip - Retail

On this trip we viewed three different retail areas; Old Friendly Center, Four Seasons Mall, and New Friendly Center. All three sections seem to be catering to the upper middle-class demographic. The new section of Friendly Center seems to have the most expensive shops, and each storefront is completely unique to the individual store. The Four Seasons mall has a mix of stores, with some expensive ones, as well as some that are less expensive. There was a very large variety to choose from, all in a small, enclosed space. There was also a large presence of jewelry stores, of which there was about one jewelry store in each section of the Friendly Center. The older section of the Friendly Center had more chain stores, that typically have a lower price range. There were also more stores that were geared toward children than the newer section. All of these areas seemed to be very family-friendly. There was a noticeable presence of security in all three which would make shoppers feel safe to bring their entire family there.

The Friendly Center is much more spread out since the store front are all facing outwards towards the parking lots. There is a lot of parking available, and some stores even have spaces just on the other side of the sidewalk in front of the front doors. There are medians out in the middle of the lots with trees and tables with chairs for shoppers to go sit at.

This center is cornered by three large stores; Sears, Belk, and Macy's. It is accessible from all four surrounding streets; Friendly Ave, Pembroke Rd, Northline Ave, and Green Valley Rd. Most of the stores have a very similar face, with the exception of the New York & Co. and Bear Rock Cafe.



Other than stores there are places to eat, and around the perimeter. The newer section of Friendly Shopping Center is also easily accessible, but has less organization. It is mainly clothing shops and places to eat, with a large Harris Teeters right in the middle. While it is within walking distance of the older section, there does not seem to be very much continuity between the layout of the two areas.

In contrast to both sections of the Friendly Center, the Four Seasons mall has all of its stores inside of one building. There is a large amount of parking around the perimeter of the building, but it has no large foliage or areas for shoppers to go outside to sit and eat. Everything is indoors, and it is very easy to get from one store to another quickly. In addition to the larger stores, there are also small kiosks in the middle of the walkways selling things like jewelry, cell phone accessories, and custom apparel. The mall is located just off High Point Rd, which is a very busy route.