Hundreds of members of the Lynchburg community, including Liberty University students lined up for the grand opening of Palmetto Moon, a South Carolina-based retail store, which opened its first location in Virginia at the River Ridge Mall on March 28.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 10 a.m., after which people flooded in to shop at this new store. The first 200 shoppers who spent at least $50 received a custom YETI tumbler with the Palmetto Moon logo on the side. Promotions continued throughout the day with shoppers getting a chance to win prizes in hourly drawings.
As customers walked into the store, they were handed raffle tickets that were drawn every hour to receive prizes from different brands sold within the store.
One of the students who attended the event, senior Nathan Moody, won one of the drawings and was able to pick a prize.
“I didn’t really expect to win anything, but it was really cool to win something,” Moody said. “I’ve heard of Palmetto Moon, but it was fun to come with some friends and to check it out.”
Kelly Brown, the vice president of stores for Palmetto Moon, said the company offers a variety of apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Brands carried in the store include Local Boy Outfitters, Burlebo, Free People Movement, YETI and Owala.
“We are the type of retailer that is for anyone of all ages and we get people that are shopping for themselves and for their families for gifts,” Brown said.
The Lynchburg location includes Virginia-themed merchandise, including apparel from Liberty University, Virginia Tech and University of Virginia.
“In this store, we have Virginia T-shirts and sweatshirts,” Brown said. “And then we’re also carrying product from three of the universities in the state of Virginia.”
The store has hired over 20 local employees, with additional hiring ongoing. Brown said the company is also seeking opportunities to become involved in the local community.
“We’re new to this community, so we’re still looking for opportunities to get involved,” Brown said. “They’re (marketing) always on the lookout for different ways we can get involved in the various communities where we have stores.”
Palmetto Moon offers a range of products across multiple categories aimed at both individual shoppers and gift buyers.
“We have so much product from different categories and different brands that people get really excited about,” Brown said. “It’s really a general feel of excitement that I think people walk out with — that they now have a store here that serves that need.”
Clardy is the off-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.
McKinney is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.