Seven New Stores Add Northtown Jobs

Seven new stores at NorthTown Mall will add new retail concepts and about 70 new jobs to the Spokane economy, NorthTown officials said.

The eclectic lot of stores, which offer everything from body piercing services to corporate time management calendars, will all be open by Monday. Some, such as The Body Shop, Under the Sun and Franklin Quest, are already open.

Michelle Driano, NorthTown communications director, is especially proud of Hot Topic, a Generation X-oriented clothing and music store that opened its first Spokane franchise Thursday.

Crowds of Spokane teens waited in line for the store’s debut. “There’s really nothing else like it in Spokane,” Driano said.

Other stores, such as children’s clothier Gymboree, sportswear outfitter Pro Image and jewelry store Piercing Pagoda are in various stages of opening.

, DataTimes