As soon as I knew I was moving to Greensboro, I looked for some of my favorite national chains and found them right here. The first place worth mentioning is REI. I usually park nearby, peruse the garage sale items, then go on a stroll around the whole shopping center. While I do like Whole Foods and will go there for certain specialty items, I tend to spend a little less at the gigantic Harris Teeter. There's a huge selection of clothing stores, you can get a legit (if pricey) massage at Hand and Stone, get your haircut, see a movie, and grab a great dinner from a wide range of restaurant options. This might be the most upscale shopping center in town. read more

In the 80s and 90s, the mall we went to the most in Greensboro was Four Seasons Mall (now Four Seasons Town Centre). It went downhill and beginning in the 2000s, we went to Friendly Center instead. This has been a general trend in America where people have shifted from going to traditional indoor malls to outdoor malls, some integrated with mixed-use developments and/or repurposed sites. Funny thing is Friendly Center has been around since 1957 and Four Seasons 1974. Both have changed over the years, for better or for worse. I came here multiple times with friends and family in 2008 and 2009. With my friends, we'd go to stores like REI, Great Outdoor Provision Co, and Barnes & Noble. It was around these years that I picked up a MacBook for my mom from the Apple Store. She returned several times for One to One trainings on how to use various Apple devices. Since 2018, I've been going to Friendly Center for Schiffman's Jewelers, for the most part. That's because I got my wife's engagement ring and wedding band from Schiffman's and have returned for inspections and cleanings. We returned just a few weeks ago to see Frances, who just celebrated 45 years at Schiffman's. Last month, I accompanied my wife and sister to Sephora and Anthropologie. Other brands that were or still are of interest to me at Friendly Center include Brooks Brothers and lululemon. There are also a Whole Foods Market and Williams-Sonoma. Friendly Center was sort of patchworked together over the years, so the design and routing aren't ideal and getting around can be confusing. It would be nice if there were maps of the property on-site, but we didn't see any during our recent visit. Also, at the time of writing this review, the map on their website is down. "Couldn't fetch map data." https://friendlycenter.com/directory Depending on what section of Friendly Center you're in, it's sometimes better to get back in your car and drive to another store than it is to walk. This is because of the awkward, inefficient layout and lack of sidewalks. Again, not ideal. The brands are the draw. Check out Friendly Center on Facebook and Instagram at the links below. The mall is currently active on these platforms. FB: https://www.facebook.com/FriendlyCenter IG: https://www.instagram.com/shopfriendlycenter/ read more

Love this mall and has lots of stores. Went to a deli and the food tasted great but was very expensive for the amount you get.

I went to lululemon Cindy is the sweetest and she was so helpful I found fun clothes and a fun bag My brother and dad played giant cornhole while I shopped The clothes are amazing quality and even if they are a little pricy they are worth it read more

We were visiting the High Point area and the Friendly Center was the ideal area to venture off to for one stop shopping. A great variety of stores to please everyone's needs and wants. There is everything from Rolex, Lululemon, Orvis, REI, Anthropology, and Old Navy just to name a few. It is a busy shopping area so navigating strategic parking is not for the faint of heart. We tackled one area and then relocated parking to another area. read more

I was just looking for an Anthro store and wow what a goldmine! I hit up the Whole Foods first and found some gifts for a few folks and got myself a coffee. Started walking and got so much done in a short time. Williams-Sonoma, Kendra Scott, Pottery Barn, DryGoods, and some other shops. They did seem to be hurting for some young mens shops like Filsons or Johnson Murphy. I was happy to discover this being new to town. read more

love the whole outdoor vibe. great many shops with lots to see and do. I went to Apple, Whole Foods, att, caribou coffee, rack room, old navy, Anthropologie , pita place and silver intl inc love shopping there will be back. read more

We briefly stopped here to go to DSW but can not WAIT to return and explore some more! Unfortunately it was a rainy day and we had our baby with us so walking around this open-air mall was not an option. We were VERY impressed with the classiness of the buildings and the awesome store selection including but not limited to: Apple store, Anthropologie, Ben & Jerry's, Bruggers Bagels, Buckle, Carter's, Cold Stone, DSW, Express, Gap, J. Crew, Jason's Deli, Motherhood Maternity, Old Navy, Sephora, Starbucks, Teavana, Ulta, Victoria's Secret, White House Black Market, Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma and Yankee Candle. There is even a movie theater here as well as grocery stores!! A negative seemed to be the traffic flow... I can not even imagine how awful it would be at Christmas time. Luckily we found close parking to DSW but man, people drive like lunatics around there. We nearly got clipped by some idiot driving WAY TOO FAST through the parking lot. UGH! LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK ON A NICE SUNNY DAY!!!! read more

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Although I like the clothes, I was quite annoyed with a Sales person yesterday. I felt very rushed while trying on clothes in the dressing room. When I walked in, a Sales lady jumped out and shouted, "You look like you are on a mission!!" I said, "Umm ... No, I was just going to the Grocery Store, and saw the Sale sign. I glanced at some blue jeans, and she said, "Do you want to try those on?" I went ahead and tried them on. While I was trying on some jeans, she called out, "Do you have the first pair on yet?" I didn't have time to get them on yet. I had just gotten my shorts and shoes off. After I tried on a top, she tied the back for me, while smacking gum very loudly, right in my ear!! She continued smacking her gum while talking. Gum smacking is a pet peeve of mine, especially when done right on my ear. I didn't say anything though. I just wish she would have at least stopped smacking while she was tying the attached scarf to my top, since she was so close while smacking. After I tried on some jeans and the blouse, I decided to get the blouse. I sent a text to my husband asking permission to buy the blouse. While I was still texting, the Sales lady called out, "Are you ready to get that blouse now?!" I said, "Yes", and I reached out to hand her the blouse through the curtain. But she was already walking away. Instead of rushing to finish getting dressed, and hurrying out of the dressing room, I finished my text, took my time getting dressed, and waited for my husband to respond to the text. Fortunately, he responded right away, and said I could get the blouse. Never in my life has a Sales Clerk ever rushed me to get out of a dressing room!! The Sales lady kept calling me by the wrong name, which was no big deal, compared to everything else. A different Sales Clerk rang me up. As I was leaving, my Sales person said, "Bye Sheri." I said, "My name is Sharon!" I had had enough by then!! read more

Neat They have a great variety of stores and restaurants but sad that Tex and Shirley's is no longer there because the rent was raised where they had to move after 45 years there.So one wonders which matters the most for Friendly Shopping Center-loyalty to people or money or ??? ? I will point out that Jay's Restaurant has been there a long time which is good. I remember from the very first when they were a small shopping center before they became a huge conglomerate mostly good and some***. read more

Friendly Center - Shopping Centers Near Me - Greensboro, North Carolina

Parking lot is awful and an absolute nightmare to drive around in. It was raining and there was absolutely nowhere to find cover from the rain. Barely walkable because of the sprawling parking lots with no crosswalks to cross the streets or pedestrian crossing warning signs. One star because there is a good selection of stores, if you can get to them without getting soaked/sunburnt or run over by a car. I won't be back. read more

I have been coming to this shopping center for over forty years. My father use to own friendly center hair care which use to be beside the sweet shop bakery and Fleet Plummer back when it was a hardware store. Starmount and company has done a good job keeping this shopping center up to date, current and inviting. Back in the 70's I enjoyed eating at Jays and Text & Shirley's, it's nice that some family businesses are still in business. This is a very large onen air shopping center. Lots and lots of shops, stores and restaurants as well as lots of parking. read more

I think this is a nice little outdoor shopping center. It contains many different major retail and restaurant chains including an Apple store, Buckle, Eddie Bauer, Ben & Jerry's, Gap, J. Crew, Jason's Deli, Mimi's Cafe, Brooks Brothers, Old Navy, Sephora, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and others. I also really enjoyed visiting the spice shop and the oil and vinegar boutique, nerdy cook that I am. However, I wish that the signage for getting around was better. Some shops can be difficult to find since they are tucked in a corner. Also, I would have liked to have seen more signs pointing to the major stores in the area as well, since this is a pretty large area to explore. Also, the traffic here can be pretty bad during peak times and therefore it can be quite a task to walk on the crosswalk because drivers here more often than not do not yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and I feel that I have to channel my northeastern aggression be more aggressive when it comes to that so I am able to cross safely. Other than that, it's a pretty decent shopping center. I would highly recommend it. read more

Love the stores! The. Best place to go for Christmas shopping or birthdays or more definitely recommend just don't go when It gets closer to Christmas it gets busy. Good parking Not busy at all read more

Good stores but in the July heat it is not a walkable shopping center. Stores seemed smaller also.

The Shops at Friendly Center, adjacent to Friendly Center, have many shops to choose from so it makes it easy and convenient for all your shopping needs. There are a variety of shops to choose from to enjoy whether it's for your basic needs or just to walk around to buy something nice for yourself or someone else. During your shopping excursion there are several restaurants from a wide variety to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy my friends! read more

If you live in greensboro, then you already know that friendly center is where it's at. This is the premier destination for shopping, trumping four seasons mall by a wide margin. It is an outdoor shopping center, so the downside is that you do have to drive around if you want to go from store to store (if they aren't side by side or nearby) BUT in a way, that's also friendly center's attraction: you can park right outside the store you want to go to, versus mall parking where you have to walk in the mall and walk awhile to get to that store. Traffic in friendly center is also not ideal, lots of stops, right of way, etc. and during holiday season, it gets crazy here so avoid prime hours on weekends! read more

They have traffic people directing traffic at the busy Christmad times and they have trolleys also at certain times. read more

Friendly Center - Looking towarrd Tex's and Shirley's from Pembroke Rd at night - Shopping Centers Near Me - Greensboro, North Carolina

First time there didn't get a chance to explore the whole place like I wanted to and hoping to do it in the near future

Definitely a great, if not a bit expensive, place to shop around Greensboro. Wonderful to walk around the area when it's warm outside, and they have outdoor seating to eat or enjoy the day. Many "premium" stores are located in the Friendly Center, and while it may leave a bit to be desired, for the city if Greensboro, it's pretty good. Overall, I think the Friendly Center is fun, and while I wish they would expand it and add more stores, I do enjoy it how it is. read more

They need to post correct hours! They close during the week at 6:30 pm, NOT at 9 pm as shown on their web site. Bad for public relations and customer service. I arrived at 6:38 pm with UPS prepaid labeled package only to see the guy inside turn out the lights and leave. Had the correct hours been posted on their website, my wife and I would have wasted out time, or our gas to get their. Unhappy customer. Not happy one little bit! Please correct your posted hours for the benefit of those who have the presence of mind to look you up prior to making the drive to your location ... please. read more

Friendly Center is such a good selection of so many stores in one place that it is one of the only places I've heard people mention in the Martinsville area (as in, the girls are getting together to go to Friendly's). I tend to go at least once a year for Macy's, DSW (shoes), and Charming Charlies. When Mother was with me, we'd stop in at Merle Norman too. Traffic is quite a bit more than we are used to in Henry County but, once you get there, you can hoof it (although, admittedly, it covers a LOT of ground). We did actually drive from place to place there because it covers a lot of ground and Mother could only handle so much walking. Having experienced shopping there through my mother's eyes and feet, it would be awesome if the Friendly Center had a tram service to help cut down on the walking required to cover the whole area and I really think that it could be worth their while to do something like a charter tour where they send a bus up to Martinsville and take the ladies down for a day of shopping. read more