The Belk store in Fayetteville joins 300 stores in 16 states Wednesday, May 29, to celebrate the department store company’s 125th anniversary.
Day-long festivities begin with a ceremony Wednesday morning including local business leaders and officials, according to store manager Kim Jones, who said the first 100 customers will win gift cards. A fashion show featuring the private label brand “Cynthia” is slated for 11 a.m.
Free makeovers, cosmetic samples, live music and other special activities, including a visit from “Belkie Bear,” are also on the agenda. Guests are encouraged to wear Belk blue to this party.
Belk got its start when 26-year-old William Henry Belk opened a small bargain store in Monroe, N.C., on May 29, 1888. The company came to Fayette in 1987, opening a store at Banks Crossing in Fayetteville. Three associates from the original Fayette store continue to work now at the new Pavilion location, which opened in 2000.
Belk continues to invest in Fayette, Jones notes. An $800,000 remodel of the local store was concluded last year. Additionally, Belk continues a strong tradition of community service, giving 2.5 percent of pre-tax income back to the communities it serves.
For the past three years, Belk has led all American department stores’ year-over-year revenue increases. Annual sales are currently $3.9 billion.
More than 23,000 employees carry out the company’s mission: to satisfy the modern Southern lifestyle like no one else, so that our customers get the fashion they desire and the value they deserve.
