Shoppers ready to embrace Fashion District Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - After close to 20 years of planning and construction, the all new Fashion District Philadelphia opened its doors Thursday. The over 800,000 square foot retail space rose from the crumbled remains of the Gallery and now promises Philadelphia consumers a shopping experience the likes of which they've never seen before.

"It's been an eye sore. Not very nice to look at, a lot of noise," Lorre Chavez said. "Now this is where it's at."

Developers are calling the new mall the largest retail experience in Philadelphia. To lure shoppers back to the site, Fashion District features around 30 stores new to the city and several locally owned shops.

"There's a lot of new stores that we haven't heard of, I know I haven't and I'm a shopper," Kristi Blocker said.

The mall industry is as volatile as it's ever been, with stores around the world closing brick and mortar locations due to the rise in online shopping. But some real estate experts insist the retail experience isn't dead. 

"Stores are still very popular," Real Estate agent Steven Gartner said. "People still want to touch and feel merchandise, people want the experience of going to shop."

The full shopping experience at Fashion District Philadelphia might still be a few months away, as roughly 20% of shops are still not open. But shoppers are ready to celebrate what is open and what it is replacing.

"It's just bright and refreshing," Imani Davis said. "It's a whole new experience than what it used to be."