Marshalls is located in the Kroger Plaza. Gemma Flores | Collegian 

After months of anticipation, retail chain Marshalls is scheduled to open today in Hillsdale.

Marshalls, which sells clothing, accessories, and home goods at discounted prices, will occupy the long-empty retail space between Kroger and Shoe Sensation in the Kroger Plaza on Carleton Road. 

Assistant City Manager Sam Fry said the opening signals the wave of development that Hillsdale is undergoing. 

“We’re excited to see Marshalls opening up,” Fry said. “Within the past two years, we’ve had Aldi, KFC, and now Marshalls. We’re kind of seeing that new wave of investment and development in Hillsdale, so we’re obviously excited.”

Fry said the store takes the place of Peebles, a retail chain that went out of business in 2020. 

“This one is a long time coming,” Fry said. “It’s been a little while since we’ve had a retailer like Marshalls here locally. Some folks might remember Peebles from a number of years back, so it’s nice to see that space being utilized again.”

Ward 3 Councilman and mayoral candidate Bob Flynn said he hopes the addition of Marshalls will help keep business in Hillsdale. 

“This is a wonderful thing for Hillsdale,” Flynn said. “It’s bringing in jobs, it’s bringing in shoppers. Not only, hopefully, is it keeping people in Hillsdale from going outside of Hillsdale to shop for their needs, but it’s bringing people from outside in.”

Flynn said he hopes shoppers will be attracted to Hillsdale businesses, so as to stimulate the town’s economic growth. 

“I’m hoping that it brings more people from the outside. And then, once they’re here, they see some of the things that are starting to happen and things that have already happened here in Hillsdale, and make this a destination instead of Jackson or Lansing or Ann Arbor or Battle Creek,” Flynn said. “I know we don’t have everything yet, but I’m hoping that this is yet another step of getting more and more people to come to Hillsdale, instead of going out from Hillsdale to other places.” 

Hillsdale College junior Alyson Early said she’s looking forward to shopping at Marshalls and said she’s been waiting until it opened to buy certain accessories and hair products. 

“I haven’t lived by a Marshall’s in 10 years, so I’m pretty pumped to be in close proximity again,” Early said. “I’m excited for the ladies of campus, and gentlemen, I suppose, to have a resource to become even more fashionable.”