Lula B’s Antique Mall expanding to second location in Dallas

by PegNews wire

In addition to their original location off Greenville Avenue, Lula B's will now be open at 1010 N. Industrial Blvd.

Bucking current retail trends of downsizing, cutting back, and even closing their doors, Lula B’s Antique Mall will open a second Dallas location October 15.

Owners Mary Ann Kaylor and Patrick Springer announced that the second location at 1010 N. Industrial Blvd. contains 11,000 sq. ft. as well as an adjoining outdoor patio space. Their original two-story location at 2004 Lower Greenville Ave. was expanded by 3,000 sq. ft. in 2007 to a total of 12,000 sq. ft. fully occupied with 60 vendors.

Sixty percent of the Industrial location space was preleased by early August, according to Kaylor, who added that 6,000 sq. ft. will be occupied at opening, with the remaining 5,000 sq. ft. completed after the first of the year. “Lula B’s consistently has a long waiting list for dealers: It’s one of few antique malls with dealers whose livelihoods are their booths, not just their hobbies.”

Kaylor and Springer attribute the store’s growth to an eclectic mix of offerings, highly knowledgeable dealers who offer depth and excellence of merchandise, and the savvy, new age of frugality shopping of their customers.

Among the dealers’ offerings at Lula B’s are vintage fashion and jewelry; mid-century modern furniture, lighting, and décor; movie and music memorabilia; retro and classic kitchen items, textiles, and dinnerware; authentic cowboy boots and pearl-snap western shirts; fine pottery; collectible toys, vinyl, photography, cameras, and art; kitschy knickknacks and retro bric-a-brac; and designer names such as McCoy, McCobb, Heywood-Wakefield, Saarinen, Eames, Herman Miller, Blenko, Frankoma, and Redwing.

Among the truly rare finds is a dealer specializing in totally refurbished 1960s and 1970s AM/FM stereos and radios, which sell across the country. And, Kaylor and Springer point out, vintage clothing sales volume spirals during the Halloween season.

Customers have voted Lula B’s “Best Antiques and Vintage Store” from Reader’s Voice Awards and “Best Oldies but Goodies” and “Best Scavenger Hunt” from Dallas Observer Best of Dallas awards. Internet site Apartment Therapy, headquartered in New York and serving major metropolitan cities across the country, in September 2009 visited and reviewed the store. Colleen Quinn reported “Lula B’s is a treasure trove of everything — lighting, seating, clothes, art,” and she was “especially fond of the quirky elements peppered throughout the store … with plenty of décor eye-candy.”

Formerly dealers in the mall for 10 years, Kaylor and Springer purchased the antique mall in 2005 from original owner Marshall Bowdoin, who opened the store in 1992.

Source: Lula B's Antique Mall