The Decline of Shopping Malls

[golden eagle]

We have a dying mall here in Jackson called Metrocenter, at the intersection of I-220 and U.S. 80. This mall opened in 1978 as the state's largest mall. It all but killed off the Jackson Mall, near the center of the city. The opening of Northpark Mall in Ridgeland in 1984 was the final blow for the Jackson Mall, which has since been repurposed as a "medical mall".

Back to Metrocenter, it was rather thriving even after Northpark opened. However, white flight, changing demographics and crime perception slowly began eating away at Metrocenter. Another big blow was Dogwood Festival Market in Rankin County after its 2002 opening. Metrocenter today boasts very few stores. The ones that are there are mainly athletic wear (Foot Locker, Champs, etc.) and foreign-owned local clothing & jewelry stores. Even then, there are more empty spaces, especially at the lower level. From what I was told, the empty lower level was because potential lessees were told that the mall would be redeveloped with residential lofts. This has never occurred.

The fact that the city of Jackson relocated some offices to a former department store, a Burlington Coat Factory moved in 2007, and new ownership about to take over is the only reason a wrecking ball and dynamite hasn't been applied to it.

[OCGuy81]

This might be too much of a tangent, but would you guys also argue that "big box" stores like Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Petco are dying business models as well in favor of online shopping?

[kkt]

This might be too much of a tangent, but would you guys also argue that "big box" stores like Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Petco are dying business models as well in favor of online shopping?

I'd still rather buy clothes where I can see them.  Colors look different in person than on a monitor, and I like to check fit.  Having things sent requires waiting and you have to know what you want, although the stores that just sell sealed boxes don't let you tell very much about the products either.

Online and brick and mortar stores both have their uses.

[Pete from Boston]

Best Buy is the most vulnerable, but will compete if they can keep excited people walking out the door with a TV they can watch today. 

Bed Bath and Beyond's relationship with Christmas Tree and Harmon is either saving it or killing it–I can't quite figure out what is happening in there, but it's chaotic.

Petco should go out of business.  Messy stores, high prices, poor selection.  Petsmart should buy them, shut the redundant locations, and be done with it.

[Brandon]

This might be too much of a tangent, but would you guys also argue that "big box" stores like Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Petco are dying business models as well in favor of online shopping?

Considering that online shopping is a very small percentage of sales, I'd say no.  Although, I much prefer Petsmart to Petco.  As for Best Buy, it's Target and Walmart that are killing it, not online sales.

[golden eagle]

How many big-box retailers have gone under in the Internet era? The ones I can think of are Circuit City and Linens N Things, but even those two relaunched as online retailers. I also remember Comp USA and a store called HQ.

[jeffandnicole]

This might be too much of a tangent, but would you guys also argue that "big box" stores like Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Petco are dying business models as well in favor of online shopping?

I don't think Best Buy is a dying business model; I just think they need to react more quickly to today's needs.  I like the fact that the majority of their sales aren't commission based, so you don't get what you get at HH Gregg or Toyota: Sharks that won't leave your side for a moment, and will tell you whatever they think will get you to buy the product.  But, they need to figure out how to get their staff energized and interested in helping the customer, and they need to keep their store stocked with stuff that people will be willing to take home with them.

BB&B, Petco, etc:  More than likely, these are stores that people aren't going to spend time researching the product.  While I can save substantial money buying a TV via the internet, I'm probably not going invest the time to go to BB&B to look at kitchen gadgets, bed sheets or doggie toys, only to go home and buy them online (or stand in the store and order them on my phone).

A rebuilt shopping center near me is basically an all-eggs-in-one-basket mall:  Bed, Bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, and That!, Harmon Face Values and buybuy BABY, which are all Divisions of Bed, Bath & Beyond, Inc.

[OCGuy81]

How many big-box retailers have gone under in the Internet era? The ones I can think of are Circuit City and Linens N Things, but even those two relaunched as online retailers. I also remember Comp USA and a store called HQ.

I'm sure there are more, but another that comes to mind is Montgomery Ward.

[Pete from Boston]

How many big-box retailers have gone under in the Internet era? The ones I can think of are Circuit City and Linens N Things, but even those two relaunched as online retailers. I also remember Comp USA and a store called HQ.

I'm sure there are more, but another that comes to mind is Montgomery Ward.

There are tons of general-merchandise retailers that fell over a recent ten-or-so-year period, but those seemed to be in part due to the growth of Walmart and Target, who operate at a scale affording much steeper discounts.  Same with the building supply/home improvement business.  There were a lot of chains in that field twenty years ago, but not anymore.

[spooky]

How many big-box retailers have gone under in the Internet era? The ones I can think of are Circuit City and Linens N Things, but even those two relaunched as online retailers. I also remember Comp USA and a store called HQ.

Borders is the one that most quickly comes to mind.

HQ and Builders Square were two big-box home improvement stores that went out in the 90s, so really before internet shopping reached the masses.

Tweeter is another one that comes to mind. I think they had more than just a New England presence, although they were Massachusetts-based.

[1995hoo]

This might be too much of a tangent, but would you guys also argue that "big box" stores like Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Petco are dying business models as well in favor of online shopping?

I'd still rather buy clothes where I can see them.  Colors look different in person than on a monitor, and I like to check fit.  Having things sent requires waiting and you have to know what you want, although the stores that just sell sealed boxes don't let you tell very much about the products either.

Online and brick and mortar stores both have their uses.

I also prefer this, though I do order business shirts from a place in London. I prefer to buy clothes in person not just for checking the fit but also because I can look over the seams for loose stitching, check for holes, etc. Yes, if you order online and it arrives damaged you can send it back, but that's a hassle and it means you don't have the clothes for that much longer.

Regarding Tweeter, they had some stores here in the DC area too. There was one at Bailey's Crossroads across the street from Borders. I think it's now a Panera. I went into Tweeter once but didn't see anything I couldn't find at more familiar stores.

The outdoor amphitheatre in Camden, New Jersey, was called the Tweeter Center. I don't know what it's called now. We saw the surviving members of the Who play there the summer John Entwistle died.

[PHLBOS]

The outdoor amphitheatre in Camden, New Jersey, was called the Tweeter Center. I don't know what it's called now.

It's now called the Susquehanna Bank Center.  It originally opened in 1992 as the E-Centre.

Coincidentally, during the Tweeter Center years; the amphitheatre in Mansfield, MA was also called the Tweeter Center.  It was originally known as Great Woods (when it opened in the 1980s) and is now called the Comcast Center.

[spooky]

The outdoor amphitheatre in Camden, New Jersey, was called the Tweeter Center. I don't know what it's called now.

It's now called the Susquehanna Bank Center.  It originally opened in 1992 as the E-Centre.

Coincidentally, during the Tweeter Center years; the amphitheatre in Mansfield, MA was also called the Tweeter Center.  It was originally known as Great Woods (when it opened in the 1980s) and is now called the Comcast Center.

Comcast actually changed the branding last year; it is now called the Xfinity Center. I avoid all that nonsense by continuing to call it Great Woods.

[Pete from Boston]

The outdoor amphitheatre in Camden, New Jersey, was called the Tweeter Center. I don't know what it's called now.

It's now called the Susquehanna Bank Center.  It originally opened in 1992 as the E-Centre.

Coincidentally, during the Tweeter Center years; the amphitheatre in Mansfield, MA was also called the Tweeter Center.  It was originally known as Great Woods (when it opened in the 1980s) and is now called the Comcast Center.

Comcast actually changed the branding last year; it is now called the Xfinity Center. I avoid all that nonsense by continuing to call it Great Woods.

Me too, but mostly because I can't remember what it (or the former Harborlights Pavillion) are called from one year to the next.

[golden eagle]

What was Tweeter? I wanna make sure I'm not confusing them with Harris Tweeter.

[spooky]

What was Tweeter? I wanna make sure I'm not confusing them with Harris Tweeter.

Electronics store.

[sbeaver44]

What was Tweeter? I wanna make sure I'm not confusing them with Harris Tweeter.

Electronics store.

Specifically and especially, car and home audio.  Harris Teeter is a higher-tier grocery store owned by Kroger, and, last time I checked, is doing rather well. 

In York, PA, we recently saw the closure of the West Manchester Mall, which is being converted into a traditional shopping center.  WM's death was allegedly due to the early 90s opening of the Galleria in East York which gradually stole the stores.  JCPenney just closed their Galleria store, so I wonder if we'll see a long drawn out death for the Galleria as well.  A new shopping center with a Chipotle, Best Buy, Christmas Tree Shops, and a whole bunch of other stores opened a few years ago across US 30 from the Galleria.  West Manchester was also done in by a similar conversion of the old Delco Plaza Mall into a big-box haven center complete with Giant Food, Lowe's, Chili's, Panera, etc.  Delco is on the same side of PA 74 but across US 30 from WM.  With the conversion, Delco actually stole WM's Giant-Carlisle location (which was in an unattached annex)

Some say the death knell for WM was when Walmart rebuilt the store at the end of the mall as a Supercenter and closed off the mall entrance from the store.  You had to walk the whole way around outside to access the mall.  As a kid, we used to go to WM a few times a month on Friday nights, so I was sad to see it go, but it was long past its glory days.

York has actually had many malls, at least 3 I can think of, that were converted to shopping centers at one time or another.  York city has 40,000 people but draws shoppers from Maryland as well.

[J Route Z]

Those pics are insanely awesome... How did you get in?!

[KEVIN_224]

http://articles.philly.com/2015-01-22/news/58310898_1_market-east-station-gallery-mall-preit

Yep...the Gallery Mall sucks a big one now. I was there today (February 6th) and at least 1/3 of the place is gone, including the Chick-Fil-A in the food court and a newsstand/PA Lottery agent elsewhere in the mall.

[thenetwork]

Here are some of the latest shots of Akron's abandoned Rolling Acres Mall:

http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/features/2015/02/09/snow-fills-abandoned-rolling-acres-mall/23118053/

There is now several inches of snow in some of the areas which used to have glassed-in skylights.

[Scott5114]

This might be too much of a tangent, but would you guys also argue that "big box" stores like Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Petco are dying business models as well in favor of online shopping?

I don't think Best Buy is a dying business model; I just think they need to react more quickly to today's needs.  I like the fact that the majority of their sales aren't commission based, so you don't get what you get at HH Gregg or Toyota: Sharks that won't leave your side for a moment, and will tell you whatever they think will get you to buy the product.  But, they need to figure out how to get their staff energized and interested in helping the customer, and they need to keep their store stocked with stuff that people will be willing to take home with them.

I've read several anecdotes from people who worked at Circuit City and CompUSA during the commissioned-salesperson timeframe that said that when the commissions were eliminated, all of the motivated, knowledgeable sales staff took off for greener pastures. They were replaced by the caliber of employee that you see in Best Buy today. That meant Circuit City and CompUSA were nothing special and so they lost enough business that they had to fold.

[tidecat]

Last I heard in Cleveland, The Galleria was still pretty much dead and Tower City was still hanging on, thanks to the Horseshoe Casino setting up shop in the former Higbee's Department Store.  But Tower City is still a far cry from it's heyday when they had such trendy national chain stores as Barneys, Disney Store & the Warner Brothers Store.

I'm kind of surprised more casinos haven't set up shop in dead malls. It seems like the large, vacant building would make for an excellent match, especially since you can reuse the existing food court and parking facilities. Turn an anchor into a poker room, use a few storefronts for offices/cash cage/vault, and cover the rest with slot machines.

Too many of the states that allow casinos require them to be in the water - Indiana has that requirement, and Mississippi did pre-Katrina.  The actual gaming area is the boat; the hotel, theater, restaurants, etc. are on the shore.


iPhone

[ZLoth]

From Albany, NY Times Union:

No checks, no payments, no power

Dilruba Koli sat at her perfume kiosk in the darkened Rotterdam Square Mall on Thursday, waiting for a customer who had called saying they were coming in to pick up something. Everything around her was shuttered and dark, even the post office.

But unpaid power bills by the mall owner, Kohan Retail Investment Group, led to electricity being shut off in the mall that morning by National Grid to the surprise of business owners and their workers. The lights were still off later that day, with National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella saying the utility was still "in negotiations" with Kohan.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[Roadrunner75]

From Albany, NY Times Union:

No checks, no payments, no power

Dilruba Koli sat at her perfume kiosk in the darkened Rotterdam Square Mall on Thursday, waiting for a customer who had called saying they were coming in to pick up something. Everything around her was shuttered and dark, even the post office.

But unpaid power bills by the mall owner, Kohan Retail Investment Group, led to electricity being shut off in the mall that morning by National Grid to the surprise of business owners and their workers. The lights were still off later that day, with National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella saying the utility was still "in negotiations" with Kohan.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

I like the last line in the article:

On Kohan's company website, there is a listing for Northland Mall, which leads to a page containing nothing but gibberish.

Here's the page....anyone care to translate?
http://kohanretail.com/index.php/northland-mall

[Zeffy]

Here's the page....anyone care to translate?
http://kohanretail.com/index.php/northland-mall

In the web design world, "Lorem ipsum..." is a phrase that designers like to use as placeholder content. Some editors even have a Lorem Ipsum generator to fill a page with content.