Major retailer heading to Clovis mall
Feb. 19—A major retailer's interest in locating to Clovis resulted in the chain's new store having a planned fall opening — and the North Plains Mall having a new owner.
Big R, the Pueblo, Colo.,-based retailer, plans the opening in late October and a grand opening in November, Chief Operating Officer Adam Carroll said via email last week.
Carroll said the store will be occupying the former Sears location at the mall.
"The store will occupy 42,000 square feet plus a 25,000 square foot outside display yard," Carroll wrote.
Carroll said the Clovis Big R store will have 22 to 25 employees to start.
The R in Big R stands for Ranch.
"The store was founded in 1962 in southeast Colorado," Carroll said.
Carroll directed The News to the corporation's website for details on the store's history and what it does in the retail industry.
The website outlines how Big R, family owned, has 35 stores in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The regional Big R chain describes their stores as "the dominant farm, ranch, and home retail chain for each of the markets it makes home."
Sam Mick of Colorado said in a phone interview with The News on Monday that his acquisition of Clovis' North Plains Mall last fall is tied directly to his relationship with Big R.
"I acquired a building in Leadville, Colo., and it sat empty for months," Mick said. "Then in September 2021 Big R opened a store in that building."
Mick said one of the things he likes about dealing with Big R is speaking directly with the decision maker, Carroll.
"It's pretty cool to talk directly with the main man," Mick said. "I asked Adam, 'Where would you like another Big R?'"
Carroll mentioned three towns in New Mexico, two of which Mick declined to name.
"He mentioned Clovis," Mick said.
Mick said he looked at what was available in Clovis and made an offer on just the section of the North Plains Mall that used to hold the Sears store.
He ended up buying that portion of the mall and leasing it to Big R.
Mick described how he was also interested in the section of the mall that used to house the Beall's location and then the former Dillard's location interested him.
Mick ended up buying the whole mall.
Mick's vision of the future for North Plains Mall includes Marshalls and Burlington department stores, and a Michaels craft store. He said he's also negotiating with other retailers he declined to name.
Mick describes himself as a developer and builder.
"I started as a home builder," Mick said. "It was in Black Forest, Colo., northeast of Colorado Springs. I built 100 homes there in the 1980s and 1990s."
Mick said he owns buildings that house grocery stores and hardware stores all over Colorado.
"I just own the buildings, none of the businesses," Mick said.
