A sign in the window of Charming Charlie’s inside the Outlets at Wind Creek announces its ‘going out of business’ sale.
A well-known women’s apparel and accessories retailer and a children’s clothier are closing their stores in the Outlets at Wind Creek in Bethlehem, which has recently been losing tenants at an alarming rate.
Charming Charlie and Hartstrings, both of which are located on the first floor of the outlet mall attached to Wind Creek casino, are just the latest stores to close there.
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Earlier this winter, Under Armour and Corningware both closed their stores in the mall.
An employee working at Hartstrings said that unless there is a special event taking place there, the mall typically receives little foot traffic.
The first floor concourse in the Outlets at Wind Creek was virtually empty Thursday evening. One worker at a store there that is going out of business in the mall said foot traffic is typically light unless a special event is taking place. At least one third of the units at the property are currently vacant or will be empty in the near future.
She said the store’s closing sale had just gotten under way, and further markdowns were possible as its inventory is reduced. No firm closing date had yet been set, she added.
Inside Charming Charlie–which reopened in December following a temporary closure–signs indicated that the store’s fixtures, furniture and equipment were also for sale.
As of Thursday evening everything in the store was discounted 30 to 50 percent off the lowest ticketed price.
Charming Charlie is a Texas-based women’s accessories and apparel chain that has struggled in recent years, as exemplified by the store in the Outlets at Wind Creek, which reopened in December only to begin a liquidation by late February.
The mall is home to approximately 28 units, at least nine of which are currently vacant or being used by Wind Creek, which also operates a hotel attached to the mall and casino.
Some of the directional signs in the mall and information listed on the Outlets at Wind Creek website–including a property map–was not up to date as of Thursday, with some stores that are no longer open still listed.
A business that opened in the mall late last year–Angry Jack’s Axe Throwing Club–was not shown on the property map.
Other local shopping centers and malls have struggled to retain tenants over the last few years, and particularly since the COVID pandemic began nearly two years ago.
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley also has a high vacancy rate, although several businesses have recently opened or have announced openings planned for later this year.
Among the Promenade Shops businesses that have recently closed are New Balance, Plow & Hearth and Wells Fargo.
Hartstrings, a children’s clothier, is closing its store in the Outlets at Wind Creek in Bethlehem. Signs in the store indicated that “everything must go.” An employee said no firm closing date has yet been established.
A property directory inside the Outlets at Wind Creek includes some out-of-date information. Since January, both the Under Armour and Corningware Corelle & more stores have closed. Charming Charlie’s–which was closed until December, and is now going out of business–is not shown on the map.
