Hecht's, Friendly Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (1997 expansion) 1/12/10/04

In 1990, Thalhimers was purchsed by the May Department Stores Company which operated the chain as a seperate division until 1992, when it was folded into May's Hecht's division. The Friendly Center store was retained, even as May closed several of its sister stores in the area, including the Four Seasons location.

After years of decline, Friendly Center began to attract upscale merchants in the mid '90s. The mall was revitalized and portions of it were rebuilt. As the anchor with a central location in the center, Hecht's became a major part of the new upswing and sales grew enough to justify a major expansion of the Friendly Center store, especially after the deal for a larger replacement store at Four Seasons fell through.

Opened in 1997, the new expansion added nearly 50,000 square feet on two levels to the old store and was augmented by a major interior renovation, the first in over a decade. The old exterior design was continued in the additon, with a second major entrance added, facing a new retail building and a rebuilt Belk store.

This store is still an integral part of Hecht's future, with sales that are well above company averege. It was joined by an additonal free-standing location four miles southwest along Interstate 40 at Wendover Avenue in 2002.