Apr 8

Apr 8 Parkway Plaza gains new anchor tenant as adjacent development continues

Gabe’s, a discount retailer, will have a grand opening at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Parkway Plaza shopping center in Lexington. {Vikki Broughton Hodges/Davidson Local}

Gabe’s, a discount retailer, will open for business Saturday, April 9, in the Parkway Plaza shopping center in Lexington near the busy intersection of Cotton Grove Road and Interstate 85.

The store will open at 9 a.m. and gifts will be given to the first 200 customers. Coupons worth $5 off purchases of $25 or more, which are good through May 7, have been mailed to thousands of homes in Davidson County.

Daily business hours will be from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gabe’s will become an anchor tenant in the shopping center with its 62,150-square-foot store at 37 Plaza Parkway. The retailer will be in the space formerly occupied by Magic Mart, which closed in 2018.

The Gabe’s website touts brands, such as Columbia, New Balance, Adidas, Wrangler and Carhartt, at discounted prices. The website states: “Save up to 70 percent off department stores on ladies, men’s, kids, shoes, accessories and home. Unlike other types of retailers that buy seasonally, we havenew deals arriving several times a week. So, stop by often to discover your next find at an incredible value.”

In addition to clothing and footwear, the store carries workwear, including scrubs. The home department stocks home décor, bedding, towels, storage solutions, furniture, rugs and pillows. Toys and luggage, as well as beauty, pet and cleaning supplies are also available. A pantry department sells food.

On Mondays, seniors 55 and older can receive a 10 percent discount on purchases with a valid ID. On Tuesdays, Gabe’s offers a 10 percent military discount on eligible purchases for people serving in the U.S. armed services, both active and reserve members, as well as veterans. A valid photo ID is required at checkout.

The discount department store has a customer loyalty program called Unbelievable Rewards that can be accessed by downloading the Gabe’s app.

The retailer was founded in 1961 in Morgantown, W.Va., by brothers James and Arthur Gabriel as Gabriel Brothers Stores. In 2005, new ownership rebranded the stores as “Gabe’s.”

Today, there are 120 Gabe's stores in the U.S. with locations in Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. In the Piedmont Triad, Gabe's stores can be found in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Greensboro and Kernersville.

The Parkway Plaza shopping center is currently relatively full, with only two small spaces vacant. Fellow anchor tenants are Belk, Tractor Supply Co., Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Planet Fitness. Smaller tenants include Dollar Tree, Hibbett Sports, Cato, GNC, Professional Physical Therapy Services, Sweet Frogs frozen yogurt and Coach’s Neighborhood Grill.

An International House of Pancakes is scheduled to open in the former Portobello NY Style Pizza & Italian Grill building that has been vacant for several years. A permit for renovations was issued in late 2021 but work has not yet started.

The IHOP will join several other restaurants located on outparcels in the shopping center, such as Applebee’s and Cracker Barrel, and newer arrivals Chick-fil-A and Starbucks.

Adjacent to the Parkway Plaza shopping center, there are two new buildings under construction next to Arby’s on the former site of Fairmont Presbyterian Church. That church closed in 2018 as it merged with Second Presbyterian Church and the building was demolished. City building permits indicate Dunkin Donuts, Mattress Firm and Aspen Dental will be subsequently opening.