By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — National clothing retailer Buckle is moving from its home inside the CherryVale Mall to Forest Plaza this summer.
Construction is underway now at the former Kirkland’s space, 6335 E. State St., with a goal to open in late June or early July, employees at the local store said. A closing date is not set for the second-floor store at the mall. The company plans to quickly transition from the mall to Forest Plaza once construction is complete.
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The new location has about 3,000 additional square feet of space, roughly doubling the size of the Buckle at the mall. Signs are posted on the Forest Plaza space now saying Buckle is coming soon.
Kirkland’s closed its Forest Plaza store at the end of January after more than a decade in business there. The company, which had operated at the plaza since October 2013, said it was unable to reach a lease renewal agreement with the landlord.
Buckle is a specialty retailer selling denim, casual clothing, shoes and accessories at more than 440 stores across 42 states. The company was founded as The Brass Buckle, opening its first store in 1967 in Kearney, Nebraska. It opened its first mall stores in 1977.
In November, another CherryVale Mall tenant opened at Forest Plaza. Spencer’s opened its second location at 6125 E. State St., in the former Sally Beauty Supply. It continues to operate inside second-floor space at the mall, where it has been a tenant for years.
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Sally Beauty Supply, meanwhile, moved to 741 S. Perryville Road. It’s preparing to relocate to space next to Boot Barn, 6280 E. State St., suite 2, which opened in March.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
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