Everyone who visits Southern Lion, located in the former Sears store at Carolina Place Mall, receives a personal welcome from owner Sonja Nichols or her staff. That warm “Southern Embrace” is intentional and just the beginning of the unforgettable Southern Lion experience.

Southern Lion is modeled after Blacklion, a family-owned shopping icon owned by Bob Emory that closed in 2022 after 27 years in business. Former fans will be thrilled to find here many of the same vendors they frequented at Blacklion, including The Raggedy Rooster, 2 Twenty 2 Interiors, Trade Secrets, Barnett Interior Decorators, Jeanelle Sorenson Designs, Vera Bradley and Christopher Radko Christmas decor and holiday collectibles. There is also a “man cave” with leather recliners, large TVs and an indoor pond (perfect for selfies).

The beautiful store is a 50,000-square-foot, smartly designed shoppers’ dream with over 100 merchants selling everything to make your home stand out. “To me, Southern Lion is that one place where you can find anything you can imagine for your home,” says Nichols. Store Manager of Operations Eric Mechum describes Southern Lion as a mall within a mall. “You can get an awesome pair of lamps and a grill in the same space,” he says.

If “Wow, where did you find that?” is your brand, Southern Lion is your new home away from home. “Your neighbors will not have this,” says Nichols. “You come to us because you want that thing that is unique, and your friends don’t have it.” She adds that shopping here is akin to a High Point, Atlanta or Las Vegas market experience. “I admit, it is about the grandest pop-up shop I’ve ever been in.”