There was more than church music drifting through the air early Sunday in Cornelia. A disc jockey pumped up the crowd at Habersham Village Shopping Center as T.J. Maxx opened its doors to the public for the first time.
The grand opening capped off more than a year of anticipation that began building in March 2021 when the retailer first announced plans to locate in Habersham County.
As part of Sunday’s grand opening, corporate officials presented a $10,000 check to the Circle of Hope to help victims of domestic violence. Circle of Hope Executive Director Suzanne Dow and volunteers were on hand for the ceremony.
“We’re excited to be here. We’re excited for the donation that they made; big gift for us – huge!” Dow tells Now Habersham emphasizing the importance of such a significant contribution. “It’s been a hard few years financially for nonprofits. The economy has really affected a lot of things.”
While T.J. Maxx has its avowed fans, it’s likely to attract even more locally because of the economy. The store sells name-brand merchandise at discounted prices. Well over a hundred shoppers stood in line to take advantage of the deals and pick up some grand opening freebies. The company handed out T.J. Maxx shopping bags and water bottles to thank shoppers for supporting its new store.
T.J. Maxx Cornelia is the latest addition to Habersham Village. It’s located in a subdivided section of a building that was left vacant in 2017 when Sears Holding closed the Cornelia Kmart and 107 other stores nationwide. Planet Fitness and Bealls Outlet also operate out of the renovated Kmart space.
T.J. Maxx opened earlier than normal Sunday for the grand opening and will remain open until 8 p.m. The store’s regular hours are 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sundays and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
The store is located at 351 Habersham Village Circle off US Business 441 in Cornelia.
