One fashion retailer opens, another closing at Palmer Park Mall | Eat, Sip, Shop

PALMER TWP., Pa. – One fashion retailer has opened, while another is readying to close at the Palmer Park Mall.

Day 2 Night Style, offering women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, opened Wednesday near the center of the mall, Nazareth Road and Park Avenue, Palmer Township.

The space previously housed RJ’s Closet, which continues to operate at the American Dream retail and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, N.J.

A couple of doors down from Day 2 Night, kids’ apparel and accessories chain The Children’s Place is holding a going-out-of-business sale, with prices slashed 60% storewide.

The chain’s last day of business in Palmer is tentatively set for March 26, a manager said.

At the end of the third quarter of 2022, The Children’s Place had more than 650 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, a decrease of roughly 30% from the company’s 955 stores during the same period in 2019.

In June 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced that it planned to close 300 stores in the ensuing two years.

“Although we are facing a period of uncertainty regarding the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Children’s Place is moving swiftly and decisively to proactively address these challenges,” President and CEO Jane Elfers said at the time.

Following the Palmer store’s closure, the chain’s only Lehigh Valley presence will be at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township. A location at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley closed in 2020.

Day 2 Night, near Bath & Body Works, originally operated for a couple of years on Easton’s College Hill before owner Michele Roy closed that location in 2015 to pursue a career in real estate.

Roy is still in real estate, but she decided to venture back into the worlds of fashion and retail because they give her “a sense of fulfillment,” she said.

“I came back to this because it’s my passion,” Roy said.

Roy and her husband, Derek, added some cosmetic touches to the mall space, but it was mostly move-in ready with dressing rooms already in place.

Customers can shop women’s shirts, handbags and other items from well-known designers such as Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger along with more unique brands from New York, Los Angeles and other parts of the country, Roy said.

There are jumpsuits, sweaters, blouses, ponchos, palazzo pants, formal and casual dresses, beach wraps and more.

“The business is called Day 2 Night because we have items for daytime and nighttime,” Roy said. “I especially like pieces that can transition from day to night. We have some popular name brands, but we also have a lot of unique items that you’d never find at a department store.”

The store’s target audience is females, ages 25 and older, but Roy notes that the store also carries prom dresses and other fashions for young women.

In addition to clothing, Day 2 Night sells shoes and accessories such as jewelry and handbags.

“Our fashion handbags are what we’re really known for,” Roy said. “We have regular bags, but we also have really unique bags in shapes like a basketball, piano and jacket. There’s even a bag in the shape of a guitar, which has Bluetooth.”

The store carries clothing in all sizes, including plus-sizes, and Roy purchases many of the items in bulk, passing along the savings to customers.

“I really try to give the customers the best possible deals,” she said.

Day 2 Night, open during regular mall hours, will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony, 11 a.m. Feb. 11.