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New look for Old Navy
Changes to layout, visibility
Old Navy 3 es
Mackenzie Major checks out with her grandmother, Robyn Major, Tuesday afternoon at the newly remodeled store. - photo by Emily Saunders
Recent renovations are bringing a new look to an Old Navy.

Cumming Town Center Old Navy has undergone a redesign, though the store opened less than three years ago.

“We did a lot to open up the store and make it brighter and just make the product a little bit more visible,” said Derrick Smith, district manager “You’re going to see a different store layout.”

The interior resembles a racetrack, Smith said. Instead of blocking off sections with walls, the new layout frees traffic and allows customers ability to get from one section to the next.

There is also an interactive cube for children.

One of the most noticeable changes is the centralization of the cashiers and fitting rooms.

“It makes it easier to find,” said Smith, adding it provides quick access from any point in the store.

Changes to the Cumming location, which debuted in November 2007, are also being made to about 200 other stores across the country this year.

About 60 stores were upgraded in 2009, when Smith said the company’s new president “really kind of refocused our company on our target customer.”

Smith said the store remained open throughout the remodeling.

“There was a point where we had a barricade that was 8 feet high that encompassed the cash wrap and the fitting rooms,” he said. “But all of the construction actually happened overnight ... no construction went on during the day.”

Upgrades extend beyond the store, said James McCoy, president and chief executive officer of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce.

“It is reflective of a lot of things that we’re starting to see in the marketplace right now,” he said. “People are increasingly optimistic about the future.

“They’re making investments in their stores and companies and in the not-too-distant future I think we’ll start to see that result in increasing numbers of hirings and ... retail sales.”

Smith welcomes what he described as “an exciting new concept.”

“I think for our customers that are used to coming into our Old Navy store, there are definitely some exciting things to see and experience,” he said.