CAPE MAURICES TO HOLD GRAND RE-OPENING TUESDAY

Maurices will hold its grand re-opening at West Park Mall Tuesday.

"Actually we've never been closed," said Cindy Garcia, regional supervisor for Maurices Inc., headquartered in Duluth, Minn. "But we have been remodeling and we'll be ready next week to show the community our new-look operation."

The women's and men's fashion retail store has undergone a complete revamp.

"We have new carpeting, new color schemes, and have added the new men's department," said Garcia, who works out of Columbia. "We now have a large assortment of styles and items for men."

Maurices at Cape Girardeau was previously a women's store.

"About half of the stores in the Maurice fashion chain have men's departments," said Garcia. "Our exclusive Fluid brand is fast becoming a favorite label for fashion-minded young men."

"The newly-remodeled store is designed with the customer in mind," said Garcia. "It offers a more contemporary decor with special features such as larger, more- accessible fitting rooms and color-correct lighting, which helps to show the true colors of the merchandise."

"We're really excited about our new store," said Essie Poole, manager of the local operation. "Excellent customer service will continue to be a main focus at our store. We have always put a lot of emphasis on service here. It's important to us that our customers look good in their purchases and feel good about shopping our stores."

Maurices, noted for sportswear, also carries outerwear, dresses and accessories.

"We serve a wide variety of customers," said Poole. "We have something for everyone and our merchandise never looked better, especially our Paris Sport Club collection for women, which is available exclusively at Maurices.

A special sale is planned along with other in-store events for the grand re-opening.