We normally wouldn't venture out this far to the mall, but this was where the closest JC Penney was. I was definitely expecting a bigger mall from one titled the "Carolina Mall", and was surprised at how small it was. Despite a small size it wasn't a total loss.
One thing I will say is that parking was pretty great, especially for a mall in the afternoon on a weekend. It was also pretty clean and not too skeevy, which is always a plus. But come on, you don't go to a mall for decent parking and a good maintenance crew...you go for the stores! This is unfortunately where the Carolina Mall slacks off.
This mall isn't big and is definitely not a place to dedicate a day of "shop til ya drop" to. It's only one floor (though Sears...and maybe Belk...did have two floors) so there is really a limit to what you can cram inside. As I mentioned we came mainly for the JC Penney and were not disappointed...good selection at good prices. The other anchor stores consist of Belk and Sears which have their moments. Then there is a smattering of other stores selling clothing, shoes, beauty products, etc. Of course it wouldn't be a mall if there wasn't a Gamestop, and the Carolina Mall didn't disappoint.
There is also a detached movie theater in the lot, but can't say much about the quality/price since we didn't go. Same goes for the food court...I took a quick glance and noticed the likes of Chick Fil A and some other basic stuff.
The Carolina Mall was far from the worst, most run-down mall I've been to, but I've been to a heck of a lot better. While it's easy for me to get to (right off 73) it's still a bit far east and the Northlake Mall is not only closer but offers a better selection of stores. I would probably only return here again for another Penneys spree and that's it.