About 30 retailers — including the first J. Crew in Hawai'i and stores selling Mexican folk art, home furnishings and yoga clothing — are slated to open next year at Ala Moana Center as part of the mall's Nordstrom addition.

The mall yesterday announced names of 20 of the tenants to occupy a two-level concourse connecting the state's largest mall with an adjacent Nordstrom store that is under construction and scheduled to open March 7.

Besides the iconic American apparel store J. Crew, other national retailers slated to open their first Hawai'i stores include Design Within Reach (home furnishings); Bare Escentuals (cosmetics); Vera Bradley (quilted cotton luggage, handbags and accessories); and Chico's (clothing and Mexican folk art).

Local retailers included in the mix are Sunglass Icon, a factory showroom of Hawaiian jewelry manufacturer Philip Rickard; a store selling Tori Richard's Kahala brand; and Blue Hawaii Lifestyle, a creation from the owner of Blue Hawaii Surf featuring a juice-bar/café and various made-in-Hawai'i goods.

From Japan, retailers include women's fashion accessories store Ash & Diamonds; a "couples jewelry" store The Kiss; upscale fashion boutique Le Grand Marqet; and children's clothing and family-related goods store Miki House.

Other tenants are Italian jewelry store Ponte Vecchio; yoga and exercise clothing retailer Lululemon Athletica from Canada; and a Gymboree Corp. store selling items for children and infants called Janie & Jack.

Sharon James, regional marketing vice president for mall owner General Growth Properties, said the stores will provide consumers new shopping options and shows a diverse interest by retailers seeking to enter the Hawai'i market.

Four existing tenants at the mall also are relocating to the Nordstrom concourse — Ann Taylor, Max & Co., Williams Sonoma and Chico's affiliate White House, Black Market.

General Growth said 10 other tenants should be announced shortly when leases are finalized.

The concourse initially was designed as a single level, but in January the mall disclosed that it was adding a second level to better connect the Nordstrom department store with the rest of the mall.

As designed, the upper concourse will connect the mall's third level with Nordstrom's third floor. The lower concourse will connect the mall's main level with Nordstrom's second floor, bridging Kona Street below.

The concourse stores will add about 100,000 square feet to the mall. Including Nordstrom's 200,000-square-foot store and 25,000 square feet of retail along Kapi'olani Boulevard, the mall will become just over 2.1 million square feet with 290 tenants.

An 800-stall parking structure also is being built for the Nordstrom expansion.

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com.