Amazon 4-star, Peloton and Warby Parker opening new locations at Durham’s Southpoint
Three new stores are coming to The Streets of Southpoint, including a brick-and-mortar adaptation of the world’s largest online retailer.
Amazon 4-star, Warby Parker and an expanded Peloton will join more than 170 retailers at the Durham mall in coming months.
Southpoint’s Amazon 4-star will be North Carolina’s second after a location at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh that opened last year.
The online juggernaut’s in-person concept, which debuted in 2018, curates Amazon’s top-rated and locally trending products. Customer review placards and digital price tags are tied to the fluctuating online market, and Amazon Prime members maintain discounted rates on select items.
The store is designed to capture a tangible experience many shoppers crave, while still feeling “the same as if you’re shopping online,” Drew Sheriff, director of Amazon’s physical stores, previously told The News & Observer.
Rachel Wille, a spokesperson for Southpoint, said the mall “can’t speak to Amazon 4-star” and when it might open. But Peloton and Warby Parker will both open on Feb. 9, she said.
Peloton, a popular exercise equipment manufacturer, has operated at Southpoint in a pop-up space on the mall’s first floor near Nordstrom. The company will be moving into a larger, more permanent location.
Warby Parker, which sells prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, has three previous North Carolina locations: two in Charlotte and one at North Hills in Raleigh. The eyewear retailer will open at Southpoint on Saturday, Jan. 15.
Safety concerns
Southpoint has made headlines in recent months for a string of gun-related incidents.
On Nov. 26, Black Friday, three people were shot when two men approached a jewelry salesman and one threatened to rob him, according to Durham police.
A 10-year-old child and two others were left with non-fatal gunshot wounds, while the aftermath of the shooting left three other people injured, The N&O reported.
Two more gun incidents were reported in following weeks, including an altercation between two groups of people in the mall’s food court on Dec. 8 in which a man was assaulted and a gun stolen.
On Dec. 19, Durham police responded to reports of a suspicious person at the mall. Officers received a report of shots being fired as they arrived, but did not hear any gunfire themselves, according to a police statement.
Such reports have triggered consternation among some shoppers, but the mall is working to improve security, its senior general manager, Patrick Anderson, previously told The N&O. Southpoint has enlisted a gun-sniffing dog to roam the complex and stymie future firearm threats, the N&O reported.
“The well-being of all guests, tenants and employees is paramount, especially as we head into the home stretch of the holiday season,” Anderson said in a statement. “We hope that taking this action will help us to move forward together.”
This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Amazon 4-star, Peloton and Warby Parker opening new locations at Durham’s Southpoint."
