Dillard's department store celebrated its grand reopening Thursday morning at Central Mall with a ribbon cutting, drawings and gift cards from $10 to $500 for the first 200 people through the door.
The 42,000 foot expansion and complete remodel of the existing store allows for space to feature more brands in each department. Shoppers will enjoy looking at fine merchandise in a classy, brightly lit atmosphere.
William Dillard III was in town from Dillard's headquarters in Little Rock to kick off the celebration.
"We love Texarkana. This is the second store to open in the whole chain. We really think Texarkana gave (my grandfather, William Dillard) the confidence to launch the chain into the thing it is today. We have a real passion for this market. I hope you'll see 100 things, if not more, that delight and please you in this store," Dillard told the crowd before the doors opened.
Hundreds of customers waited in a line wrapped around the exterior of the store before the event, some arriving as early as 6 a.m. Dillard's leadership made sure they knew how much they are appreciated.
"I want to thank all the loyal customers. You're the reason for this change," said Mary Staten, store manager.
Dillard's in Texarkana now boasts a new concept home department, one of only four in the company and a large, interactive, open cosmetics department.
"We have basically brought all the big city brands to Texarkana," Dillard said. "It's pretty unusual for a market the size of Texarkana to have all these brands, and it's a vote of confidence we have in this market. We pride ourselves on not underestimating our customers."
In cosmetics, a few of the brands added include Jo Malone, Tom Ford and Bobbi Brown. In the past, products were mostly kept behind counters but the new cosmetics department is open and accessible.
"It's about the experience. That's what we offer to our clients," said Jennifer McKindsey, Dillard's beauty divisional merchandise manager. "They can pick up make-up, touch it and test it with the help of skilled beauty advisers."
The men's department, once housed in a separate location, is now under the same roof, an added convenience for shoppers.
"They're combined and we've added more brands. Shoppers can see more in one spot and it's presented in a way that's more enticing," Staten said.
New brands in clothing include Free People, Zozo, Bryn Walker, IC Collection, Hugo Boss, Armani Exchange, The North Face and Michael Kors to name a few.
"We've also expanded choices within existing brands," Dillard said.
The expansion added 40 permanent jobs, a mixture between full-time and part-time. The store now has 163 employees.