Sterling mall shuffle: Three stores close, one soon to reopen, one short-term, seasonal store coming

STERLING – Northland Mall, almost fully reopened after being closed for a couple of months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is three tenants down: Glik's, Rue21 and GNC are gone.

That leaves 10 retail or other tenants: Bath and Body Works, Maurice's, Dunham’s Sports, Shoe Sensation, Christopher & Banks, Claire's, Your CBD Store, Warrior Nutrition, Planet Fitness, and Bushel Basket Candle, said Adelaide Godwin, UpSpring PR communications director, on behalf of mall owner Namdar Realty Group. Eleven if you count the mall management office.

Bath and Body Works reopens Friday.

Spirit Halloween, which sells costumes and Halloween apparel, decor and accessories, is a short-term, seasonal retailer; it will open in late August in JC Penney former location.

Spirit, owned by Spencer Spirit Holdings Inc. has popped up most every year recently, mostly in empty retail shops the Shopko and Walmart shopping centers in Dixon.

Go to work4spirit.com to apply for jobs.

GNC, a longtime Northland tenant, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June. It still plans to sell its health- and sports-related vitamins, supplements, herbs, drinks and snacks through Rite Aid and online.

The GNC location in Dixon at 168 Keul Road also has closed.

"We will be exiting unfavorable lease terms burdening our business more quickly and shifting resources to our standalone store locations," GNC said in a recent announcement.

Glik's, a retail clothing chain based in Granite City, opened at the mall 5 years ago. Brands at Glik's included North Face, Silver Jeans, Billabong, Hurley, Roxy, Fox, Under Armour and Miss Me.

Rue21, a women's casual apparel and accessories chain, opened at the mall in 2014.

Messages left with Glik's and Rue21 seeking explanations for the closures were not returned.