Some of our favorite mall stores have vanished forever. They remain in our memory only as a monument to mall shopping days gone by. See if you remember shopping at these long-gone mall stores.
‘Sharper Image’ was a high-tech store offering the latest in home electronics, gifts, and even air purifiers. The store closed in 2008, but before its demise, Americans turned to the store for all their tech needs. ‘Lerner Shops’ were a popularly-priced nationwide chain of women’s and children’s apparel. Over the past two decades, Lerner Shops turned into New York & Company, and you will never see them again in your local mall.
If you were shopping for shoes at your mall, you’d visit ‘Thom McAn.’ The American brand of shoes was a retail chain that specialized in leather dress, casual, and athletic shoes. ‘Thom McAn’ had hundreds of retail stores in U.S. malls until the 1990s.
If you were bored while shopping, you could stop by and play some arcade games at ‘Aladdin’s Castle.’ The popular national chain of game arcades brought flashing lights and interactive fun to every local mall in America. At its peak in 1983, the chain had 450 locations.
‘Merry-Go-Round’ was a national clothing retail chain that existed from the 1970s through the 1990s. It featured short-lived fashion fads at its over 500 locations. Another mall favorite was the anchor store ‘Sears, Roebuck, and Co.’ which dominated the retail space through the 1980s. The store offered everything from clothes to appliances and even their famous brand of ‘Craftsman’ tools.
The place for all your music and entertainment was ‘Sam Goody.’ You could buy the latest cassette from your favorite band or movie memorabilia from blockbuster films. The stores have since converted to ‘FYE.’ ‘The Limited’ was a clothing retailer from the early 1960s through the 2010s. It focused on selling ‘Tweens’ clothes and trendy fashions. A popular long-lost toy store was ‘K-B Toys.’ The company started as a candy store in 1946 and switched to toys in the 1970s.
‘Filene’s’ was a department store chain founded in 1881 in Boston. The more popular mall location was its off-price sister store ‘Filene’s Basement.’ For all your candle needs, you would have gone to ‘Wicks N’ Sticks,’ which was a candle and home decor retailer. ‘Waldenbooks’ was a bookstore chain that populated many malls. They specialized in books, video games, and even children’s educational toys. All these great mall retail stores are gone, but the in-person shopping memories remain.
If you liked this, share it with a friend.
