What’s happening at the Shoppes at River Crossing? New cosmetic store opens in Macon

The Shoppes at River Crossing just opened the last of a wave of new stores since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Sephora, a popular cosmetics and skincare brand, opened its first location in Macon Oct. 20.

“We’re very excited that they chose to enter the Macon market with us,” said Steve Bolger, vice president of leasing for the southeast region for Brookfield Properties, the company that manages the Shoppes. “If you’re a shopper of cosmetics, there’s nobody that’s hotter right now in that world than Sephora.”

Sephora was the last of the businesses who have signed leases with the Shoppes to open. The Shoppes has welcomed just over 10 new-to-market tenants in the past few years, including Popshelf, The Good Feet, Carter’s and Cotton on Kids.

“It’s a property that remains very well leased and very well occupied with a lot of runway for continuing evolution as we continue to try to bring the best and most sought after retailers to this market,” Bolger said. “As you look back over the last 12 to 24 months, it’s really ridden a great wave of momentum coming out of the pandemic.”

The most common reason for closures at the Shoppes is retailers facing bankruptcy or other financial problems that cause them to reduce their size, such as Pier 1 Imports, he said. Other closures in the past two years include Jos A Bank, Justice and Gymboree.

“As some of these other legacy brands might close or experience bankruptcy, we’re able to now proactively start to replace them with the newest kids on the block,” Bolger said.

The Shoppes at River Crossing have a few available spaces for new retailers, entertainment venues or a restaurant. They are in active conversations with possible new tenants for the spot that Zoes Kitchen used to occupy.

“We’re being highly selective because as I said, it’s arguably the best restaurant location in the market,” he said.

The Shoppes have one or two other strategic spaces available that they are looking for either a high quality retailer, like Sephora, or a food and beverage or entertainment venue to occupy the spaces, he said.

The goal is to find the right business to bring people to the Shoppes on a regular basis, but finding high quality, new-to-market tenants takes a little longer, he said.

In 2024 and 2025, Bolger said they should have some exciting announcements about new businesses coming to the Shoppes.