New stores are coming to Northshore Mall

By Chris Reidy

Just in time for the back-to-school shopping season, officials at Northshore Mall in Peabody said they are adding several new stores to the shopping center’s line-up of roughly 120 stores.

New additions include Cohen’s Fashion Optical, a boutique for fashion eyewear; and a Jamba Juice, where a weary shopper can buck up with a smoothie or chow down on menu items that include wraps and California Flatbreads.

Another newcomer to a mall whose anchor stores include Nordstrom, Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears is Armani Exchange, which plans to offer a youthful take on fashion by the famous Italian designer Giorgio Armani.

According to a Northshore Mall press release, Armani Exchange merchandise will be “a casual, yet sophisticated collection for the youthful, edgy, street-chic shopper.”

And for those who prefer a different kind of fashion edginess, there’s an Old Time Sports, whose specialties include “retro activewear” with a hockey flair. As a former Bruins hockey star, Adam Oates used to set up B’s immortal Cam Neely with perfect passes; now Oates is helping to set the retro-activewear fashion agenda as one of the guiding lights behind Old Time Sports.

“Our customers know of Old Time Sports as the largest supplier of NHL lifestyle apparel in North America,” company president Bob Magnuson said in a statement. “After 14 years of selling our product direct to retailers, we are proud to open our flagship location here in Peabody at the Northshore Mall.”

Also coming to the mall is a shop called Marbles: The Brain Store. It plans to sell puzzles and brain teasers that are guaranteed to keep a geezer’s IQ humming as well as products designed to aerobicize the mental faculties of an inquisitive youngster. According to the Northshore Mall press release, the merchandise will be a “smart collection of handpicked, expert-tested, certifiably fun ways to a healthier brain for all ages.”