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Can new Kildeer mall succeed as others struggle?

At a time when retail store closures seem to be the norm, the developer of newly opened Kildeer Village Square thinks it can buck the trend.

Roughly 20 new stores will occupy the mall in the Rand Road corridor in southern Lake County. Nike, Nordstrom Rack, Designer Shoe Warehouse and Forever 21 are among the retailers to open since the 200,000-square-foot mall built by Chicago-based Bond Cos. debuted April 6.

Robert Bond, who heads the 30-year-old development firm, said mall success today means finding retail "holes" and attracting the right mix of stores skilled in bricks-and-mortar and online operations.

He said the hole he's filling will serve the needs of mostly Barrington, Kildeer, Deer Park, Lake Zurich and Long Grove residents who have been traveling to Schaumburg and other areas for stores that now are closer to them.

"The best-in-class retailers have - the buzzword is an omnichannel strategy," Bond said. "So, it's a combination of multiple ways of getting the product to the customer. And what that experience is like for the customer is what drives it."

The mall is expected to remain the only large-scale shopping center to debut in the Chicago area this year, Bond said. The retail openings at Kildeer Village Square are happening in the wake of store closing announcements that have come with frequency in the past few months.

Macy's Inc. is among the major retailers to announce closures this year, including the location at Stratford Square in Bloomingdale. J.C. Penney announced this month it plans to shut 138 stores but is now delaying the move due to better-than-expected sales.

Payless Shoe Source also said this month it intends to close roughly 400 of 4,400 stores in the United States and other countries.

However, Payless competitor DSW is growing, in part, by locating in malls with successful retailers and visibility, such as Kildeer Village Square, said district manager Lester Giedrojc.

He said DSW moved from the Quentin Collection on Rand Road in Kildeer south to the village's new mall to gain greater visibility.

In addition to finding what the company considers prime locations, Giedrojc said, DSW has done well with meshing online shopping and the in-store experience.

"We have a healthy dot-com channel," he said. "We feel that brick-and-mortar is a complement to that."

Nordstrom Rack spokesman John Bailey said physical stores remain important to the company and that they offer customer convenience.

Shoppers were mixed on how often they envision themselves in the new mall.

Kim Talleur of Lake Zurich said she ventures only to Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack. The rest of her shopping likely will continue online even with Kildeer Village Square so close to home, she said.

However, Emiri Fukai of Palatine said she likes the mall experience.

"I prefer to go to the store and (examine) the materials," she said.

Bond said it's not only the strong retail lineup that will lead to success at Kildeer Village Square, but also the internal roadways that have been designed to bring shoppers from one place to another. Visitors don't have to use Rand Road if they want to shuttle between Kildeer Marketplace, Kildeer Village Square, Shops of Kildeer and Deer Park Town Center across the street.

"Connecting us to three shopping centers, with a stop light to go into Deer Park, makes that a really comfortable experience for the shopper," he said.

Construction underway on new Kildeer mall on Rand Road

Kildeer Village Square moving forward

Kildeer Village Square opens with Nordstrom Rack, DSW

  Judith Peacok looks through clothes at Nordstrom Rack when it opened this month at Kildeer Village Square. Robert Bond, who heads the development company that built the new plaza, said mall success today means finding retail "holes" and attracting stores skilled in bricks-and-mortar and online operations. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
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