Jul. 21--WILKES-BARRE TWP. -- National beauty retailer ULTA has expanded despite a deep retail recession and determined the Arena Hub is a good place to open a new store.

ULTA, a one-stop shopping center for cosmetics, fragrances, skin and hair care products with an in-store salon, will open July 31 in an 18,000-square-foot building constructed last year that also houses discount retailer Five Below. A "soft" opening for ULTA is planned for Monday at 10 a.m., said store manager Lisa Kistler.

It is the first location in Northeast Pennsylvania for the Bolingbrook, Ill.-based chain, which has 320 locations in 36 states. The store will employ 30 full-time and part-time workers.

"We determined that Wilkes-Barre is a good market for ULTA because it is a regional retail hub and it has over 200,000 people and 100,000 households in the trade area," said Alex Lelli, ULTA senior vice president for growth and development.

Arena Hub owner TFP Limited Real Estate Development lured ULTA to the 500,000-square-foot shopping center through "persistence," said trustee and general partner Robert Tamburro.

Since the Arena Hub opened in 1998 with its first big-box retail tenant, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, it has grown significantly, with ULTA becoming its 19th store. Its retail portfolio includes big name tenants such as Barnes and Noble, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Michaels, Old Navy, Olive Garden, Pier 1 Imports, Staples and T.J. Maxx.

"We have had an unparalleled lineup of tenants in this region. What makes this center successful, in my opinion, is we have a great tenant mix," Mr. Tamburro said. "We've been fortunate enough to have tenants that have done pretty well through the recession."

He would not provide specific financial numbers about sales. Arena Hub store officials also would not provide local sales figures.

There is currently no plan to open more stores in the Arena Hub, Mr. Tamburro said.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

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