ZCMI has scheduled July 31 for the opening of its new full-line department store here in the new Red Cliffs Mall.
ZCMI officials will cut the ribbon for the 40,000-square-foot store at 7 p.m., said Keith C. Saunders, executive vice president and chief financial officer.John Stanford, who joined ZCMI in 1982 and has managed the company's original St. George Home Furnishings store, will manage the new ZCMI as well as the home furnishings store.
A special VIP night will follow the ribbon cutting from 7-9 p.m. The store will then open to the public the following day, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m.
"A great deal of planning and work has gone into this facility," said Saunders, "and we are extremely happy to increase our commitment and involvement with the St. George community."
Saunders said the store will cater to all of southern Utah. "ZCMI has established a devoted clientele in the southern portion of the state, and the community has expressed a tremendous desire to have a large department store like ZCMI so conveniently located to them," he said.
Stanford said customers are clamoring for the opening - and won't be disappointed.
"I've been involved in retail management for 30 years, and this is the type of opportunity you dream about," said Stanford, who will oversee some 94 employees at the new store as well as the 20 at the home furnishings store.
"The St. George market is ready for a full-line ZCMI store and a state-of-the-art ZCMI of this nature."
Stanford is a 30-year veteran of retailing, having spent 23 years with J.C. Penney before joining ZCMI. He is past president of the St. George Retail Merchants Association and currently is a director of the association. He is a member of the St. George Downtown Redevelopment Board and is president of Garden South, the largest homeowners association in the city.