Announcing The Whaley Center Grand Opening in Fayetteville, NC

The Whaley Center, a new shopping mall in Fayetteville, will include three franchised retail resale stores, including OUC, Clothes Mentor, and Plato's Closet.

FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES, October 17, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new shopping center has come on the scene in Fayetteville -- with Karese Whaley, a long-time resident of the city, finally being able to take residence in her brand-new commercial space and building. The project is completed and open to the public at 4544 Yadkin Road in Fayetteville.
For Whaley, this is an ambitious vision that has finally come to fruition.

Whaley said "The site of Dixie Pawn was the perfect place to build a new shopping center. I started looking in 2017, realizing that I could pay less rent for three businesses combined than if they had stayed on their own". Whaley said, "I think it's just awesome because you get all these different business types together under one roof. The same day that a property was listed for sale, I made an offer on it. It is located at the busiest intersection in my area and Nichols Buildings helped me make sure people could see the shopping center from Skibo Road as well. It all worked out!"

“Even my storage that I’ve used for years backs up to my new building,” Whaley said. “It is impossible to run these businesses without storage and it physically shook me when I realized how close they would be".

All three businesses, Once Upon a Child, Plato's Closet and Clothes Mentor utilize the same business model although they specialize in different sizes and styles.

Once Upon a Child Fayetteville NC

Once Upon a Child is an organization that helps parents, guardians, and caretakers save up to 70% off retail while recycling their gently used items to make room for all the new things ever- growing children need.

The Once Upon A Child buys and sells gently used toys, children’s clothing, shoes, baby gear and furniture helping area parents spend less and gain more—all while focusing on sustainability. By doing this, Once Upon a Child is able to keep everyday things that all children need out of landfills and bring patrons a variety built on the brands and prices they love!

Plato's Closet Fayetteville NC
Plato’s Closet buys and sells gently used teen/young adult clothing, accessories, shoes, outwear, and athletic wear for both guys and girls. Staying with the sustainability theme, Plato’s Closet makes it their mission to keep these items mentioned on their racks and out of landfills. Now that’s shopping that you can feel good about!

Clothes Mentor Fayetteville NC
Clothes Mentor is all about women’s fashion! An incredible selection can be found here, including sizes from 0-26 that include popular brands such as Lilly Pulitzer, Michael Kors and Tory Burch.

Clothes Mentor buys and sells women's fashion items including handbags, shoes, accessories and designer wear. They have a wide range of products throughout the seasons so it’s easy for anyone to find their favorite styles at great prices. Quality is important at Clothes Mentor and the franchise believes that we can all make a difference by reusing and recycling fashion.

Whaley visited the franchise in Wilmington after she saw an advertisement for Once Upon a Child, which had her thinking about which direction she wanted to take her idea.

Whaley said, “I was looking to bring European children’s clothes to Fayetteville, but when I visited the store in Wilmington, it seemed like a good fit. It was an easy decision for me to open this up at our Fayetteville location as well."

Once Upon a Child was an immediate success at the Crosspointe Center. In fact, Whaley realized she turned away many items that should be sized for youth because of quality or condition so her plan to open Plato’s Closet began shortly after this realization.
"It took me a while to find the right spot, but I opened Plato’s Closet in 2011 in that same shopping center."

As she was operating Once Upon a Child and Plato's Closet, Karese Whaley realized that women’s clothing would be another market to explore. She opened her third store in 2013 called Clothes Mentor in the Westwood Shopping Center.

"The three businesses will have a centralized location in the Whaley Center. Not only that, but they'll also have new designs for their franchises."
The Whaley Center is going to be home to all of these businesses and not just because it's centrally located; each business has completely revamped its design as well!

Whaley attributes her success to the unconditional love and work ethic that she inherited from her father.
Whaley is a triple threat: she's got the business acumen, strong volunteer work ethic and a true passion for her community. She works with Cumberland County foster programs and health department (maternity clinic), Fayetteville Urban Ministries, and the Junior League of Fayetteville in hopes of making an impact and lending community support to members who are struggling. Whaley is continuously looking for new opportunities to give back to her local community.

"I’m a sustainer with the Junior League of Fayetteville. I've focused on children's organizations, and I think it is important as a business owner to also give back to the community," said Whaley

Not only will the new building bring all three businesses together for one shopping experience, but it also gives Whaley peace of mind that she has been both mother and mentor who always strived her best in life. "I’ve wanted this my whole life... Being my own boss was important"

The Whaley Center will be having its grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration on 10/30/21 and they hope you’ll be able to join them in this momentous occasion!

Zulkifal Ahar
Duff Digital Marketing
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