North Point Mall: North Atlanta's Premier Shopping Destination

North Point Mall is a super-regional mall located in Alpharetta, Georgia, a northern suburban of Atlanta. The mall is about 25 miles north of downtown Atlanta just off Georgia Highway 400, the major commuter route to the north of the city. North Point is in North Fulton County, one of the most affluent areas in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The primary trade area, which includes over 600,000 people, is growing at four times the rate of the U.S. population. More than four times as many people in the trade area are in the most affluent income group as in the U.S. at large.

The nearly 1.4-million-square-foot mall is currently anchored by Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, Sears and Belk, although Belk has announced that it is leaving the mall around Labor Day 2009 because of that particular store's underperformance. Built in 1993, North Point Mall has been a destination mall since it opened. Until recently, there was very little retail directly north of Atlanta, so the mall has traditionally drawn from all of north Georgia and parts of Tennessee and Alabama. Several popular restaurants are inside the mall, including the California Pizza Kitchen and the Cheesecake Factory. Among the stores that draw the most customers are Apple, Coach and Lucky. The mall's food court was completely renovated in 2008.

North Point has always been known as a family-friendly destination. The new food court includes a carousel, and a soft play area has also been recently added. The primary attraction for young people, however, is the American Girl Boutique and Bistro. The store is only American Girl's sixth retail outlet in the country, and it is the first boutique concept that the company has opened. The Bistro is a popular location for theme parties. The boutique draws 20 percent of its customers from more than 200 miles away, a very unusual statistic for a regional mall. In fact, the store has recorded customers from all 50 states. The store draws so many customers from out of town that local hotels offer "American Girl packages,'' which can include turn-down service for the dolls.

North Point also hosts events that entertain the whole family, as well as educational expos that benefit the community. For instance, Rock Ur Style is a "Rockband'' video game contest for children and teens. The annual Women's Expo targets professional women. An annual car show sponsored by a local fraternal organization provides entertainment for the entire family.

The mall's owner, General Growth Properties, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009, but the bankruptcy is not expected to affect North Point Mall. C. Whitney Knoll, a manager at an Atlanta commercial real estate firm, says, "I think it makes no difference to [North Point] if they go bankrupt.'' Indeed, the mall's customers give it almost uniformly good reviews. "The mall has the best selection of stores I've ever seen!'' raved one shopper. Another says, "This is the north side of town's `soccer mom mecca' for a reason.'' Even if General Growth is forced to sell North Point, the mall itself will continue to thrive.