NV, a classy menswear store, J. Alane's, an intimate apparel store, and Scout & Molly's, a women's boutique, have all moved from their temporary locations to The Alexan North Hills.

The trio of stores will be the first in a vanguard of retail slated for the first floor of the Kane Realty apartment building. The stores were waiting on city permits for the apartments before moving in. Now that the papers are in hand, the retailers are in place.

North Hills is expecting more retail to join the three stores.

For more information on NV visit, www.nv4all.com; for more information about Scout & Molly's, visit, www.scoutandmollys.com; and for more about J. Alane's, call 881-8058.

The Alexan North Hills is located at the intersection of Six Forks and Lassiter Mill roads.

* * *

Also coming to North Hills is a big name in North Carolina furniture.

Interior Design by Boyles, part of the Boyles Distinctive Furniture brand, will be opening a 5,400-square-foot store next to Total Wine, facing out towards Six Forks Road.

Boyles has just signed a lease and there's no word yet when it will open.

This will be the first Interior Design store in Raleigh. Boyles are also partnered with the Thomasville brand in the newish furniture store in Brier Creek. Boyles has close to a dozen locations around High Point, Charlotte and Hickory.

For more information, visit www.boyles.com.

* * *

On the other side of town, Triangle Town Center opened it's Charlotte Russe store late last month.

The San Diego women's apparel retailer, specializing in threads for the 18- to 34-year-old demographic, now has three stores in the Triangle. The Triangle Town Center store follows earlier openings of a location at Crabtree Valley Mall as well as another location in Durham's Streets of Southpoint shopping mall.

For more information visit: www.charlotte-russe.com.

* * *

The Cotton Company in Wake Forest will hold a post- holiday sale starting the day after Christmas through Jan. 15.

For more information visit www.thecottoncompany.net. The Cotton Company is located on 306 South White Street.