Hiba to Open Downtown Store

In a time when retail stores seem to be gravitating toward the Northwest Arkansas Mall, Mason Hiba, the owner of two stores in the mall, is opening a shop on the downtown Fayetteville square.

Hiba moved to Fayetteville in 1986 and enjoyed shopping at Campbell-Bell, a department store that was a landmark on the square for almost a century.

When Campbell-Bell closed in 1995, Fayetteville’s square lost some of its personality, Hiba said. So he decided to open Mason’s on the Square in the newly renovated Campbell-Bell building to help resurrect the old downtown character.

“I’ve always wanted to do something in downtown Fayetteville because it’s our signature,” he said. “The downtown is now back, and we want to be part of that growth and that movement. That’s why I’m doing this. We want the downtown to be what it was.”

Hiba said the new 2,400-SF store will carry upscale apparel for men and women. He said it will combine fashion, quality and good prices.

Hiba keeps an eye on the competition to make sure he’s carrying different lines of clothing. He recently put several shoes on sale because he discovered a competitor began stocking the same lines.

Hiba said he has imported 100 butterflies in display boxes from New Guinea to decorate the new store. He said the butterflies will represent change, as from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

Hiba also owns Mason’s Leather Boutique and Departure, a luggage and travel accessories store, in the mall. He said Mason’s on the Square will be totally different from his mall stores.