Belk’s newly renovated 112,000-square-foot department store opened in Covington Thursday with much fanfare as hundreds of waiting patrons accepted free gift cards and complimentary makeup coupons while the Covington High School marching band ushered in the event.

“This is my favorite store,” one patron said as she rushed inside after Belk officials cut the blue ribbon.

The store, Belk’s first in Louisiana, received a 40,000-square-foot addition just four years after it opened in the Stirling Covington Shopping Center off Louisiana Highway 21, said Jan Clevenger, chairman of the western division for Belk. “When looking at dollars per square foot, this store outperformed its space right away,” she said. “Immediately we knew we wanted to expand.”

The rush to expand was cut from 18 months to a year and became the fastest renovation in company history, she said.

It’s added at least 24 designer brand names, including Polo, Nautica, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand Jeans, Kenneth Cole and more while expanding virtually every department, she said.

But the question remains: Can a department store sustain such lavish offerings in an economy in shambles?

Profits are “not going to be as good as it could have been,” Clevenger said. “But we’re still be able to support this expansion. It’s just about offering the right thing at the right time with the right price. Our niche is the bedroom communities. That’s why we chose the Northshore. There’s enough competition that we can all split the pie, especially in time for the holidays.”

Patrons also found an incentive to shop Thursday when Belk announced it was giving away 400 gift cards with a surprise amount included, one of which was worth $5,000. On Thursday it gave away 200 gift cards and planned to give away another 200 on a first-come, first-serve basis Friday.

Meanwhile, Covington Mayor Candace Watkins milled about, eyeing a new watch on sale for $19.99.

“It’s just wonderful to have a nice department store that’s going to pump sales tax revenue into the city,” she said.

She then decided to do her part, too. She chose a dainty, gold-plated watch and checked out.