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BumRushDaShow

(157,253 posts)

45. "I wonder why those big anchor stores left the malls in the first place."

Sat May 24, 2025, 09:51 AM

May 24

Here in the Philly area, the "anchor stores" were mostly department stores that eventually declared bankruptcy and went out of business.

I grew up with these as "anchor stores" at some of the older "malls" (indoor concept), where some completely closed and/or were reconfigured into standalone stores in the "modern strip mall" type of shopping complex. In some cases, the stores are phasing out of those locations (some you are probably familiar with where you are as an east coastie) -

Gimbels
Lits
Strawbridge & Clothier
John Wanamaker
JCPenney
Woolworths
Abraham & Strauss
Sears
Macy's
Bloomingdales
Caldor
Lord & Taylor
Saks
Korvettes
Hecht's
Hechingers
Allen's

We are down to just a few like Boscov's that are still alive as an anchor at some malls and Macys is still trying to hang on but closed their downtown Philly store that was in the John Wanamaker store building (just finished closing in the past couple months leaving a HUGE organ in its wake), when they took that over from Hecht's, that had taken it over from Woodward & Lothrop that bought Wanamakers.

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There is a large mostly abandoned shopping center near where I live. [View all] Takket May 23 OP

They paved paradise put up a parking lot. Joni Mitchell Ping Tung May 23 #1

COVID homegirl May 23 #5

Tesla/Musk..... magicarpet May 23 #2

There are dead malls all over the place and one is near me Warpy May 23 #3

I saw a video where they were converting some mall spaces to apartments. forgotmylogin May 23 #17

I am very impressed -- sounds like a lot of thought went into its conversion. nt Hekate May 23 #22

How cool! ShazzieB May 23 #28

That sounds FANTASTIC!!! What a way to reimagine that space! calimary May 24 #35

Thanks for sharing Auggie May 24 #53

Personally, I think the rise of online shopping had a great deal to do with the demise of malls. CTyankee May 23 #20

I have to disagree Warpy May 23 #30

Sears and Roebuck was mail order in a vastly different time. The Internet offers dazzling choices that the Sears catalog CTyankee May 23 #32

Malls didn't last because they lost their big anchor stores Warpy May 23 #34

I wonder why those big anchor stores left the malls in the first place. CTyankee May 24 #37

"I wonder why those big anchor stores left the malls in the first place." BumRushDaShow May 24 #45

Montgomery Ward Clouds Passing May 24 #49

Well Macy's was in the Wanamaker building until near the end of March of this year and that was that BumRushDaShow May 24 #52

I remember the sparkly enchanting Christmas tree in the grand entry. Clouds Passing May 25 #55

They still had that BumRushDaShow May 25 #56

Many US cities had local department stores Retrograde May 26 #60

I enjoy the touchy feely of shopping in a store. You can't get that at an Amazon. Clouds Passing May 27 #61

Greed. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E May 24 #38

Indoor shopping malls were never sustainable IbogaProject May 23 #23

I don't know if malls would have survived regardless mdbl May 24 #39

I worked in one briefly in 1986 IbogaProject May 24 #43

Ditto Cosmocat May 24 #44

Look at the Tons DENVERPOPS May 24 #50

Amazon didn't help. They made it too easy to buy online. OMGWTF May 24 #51

Interesting to see what abandoned shopping malls are converted to IronLionZion May 23 #4

Retail Is History! - At Deadmalls.com hatrack May 23 #6

that is an interesting link NJCher May 23 #14

Caldor, good lord... róisín_dubh May 24 #36

I lived at the Caldor's that had opened near me in the the '90s BumRushDaShow May 24 #54

One that I used to patronize Jilly_in_VA May 23 #8

in southern California, dead malls are rebuilt as malls... with apartments complexes attached. Demovictory9 May 25 #57

howdi AllaN01Bear May 23 #11

Catholic churches? RicROC May 24 #48

And those spaces are relatively affordable IronLionZion May 26 #59

as a teen i had to be bribed to do the mall. everything is the same. pansypoo53219 May 23 #7

Probably thought it looked better for their inventory ToxMarz May 23 #9

in my area, indoor malls are dying, but outdoor malls are thriving.... getagrip_already May 23 #10

sell them for scrap value. AllaN01Bear May 23 #12

When Musk talks about Tesla corporate performance... CaptainTruth May 23 #13

I live in a heavily Democratic district, and yet... cab67 May 23 #15

Our mall will soon be a casino. twodogsbarking May 23 #16

no Elon stickers everywhere NJCher May 23 #18

See, and I think those cars should be placed in the parking lot, out in the open ... aggiesal May 23 #19

This is a great idea, but there are complications. Shipwack May 23 #26

It can be done, look at this link posted in this same thread ... aggiesal May 23 #29

This message was self-deleted by its author NJCher May 23 #21

clever criminals will strip the batteries out of the cars soon. give it time. nt Javaman May 23 #24

Safer there than outside where idiots will attempt to vandalize them MichMan May 23 #25

The OP says that the cars are in the lot. niyad May 24 #40

Correct, it does MichMan May 24 #41

Musk foolishly threw his lot in with Trump PJMcK May 23 #27

I was expecting it to have become a homeless camp... ananda May 23 #31

Tesla's stock price is up on the news D_Master81 May 23 #33

I love... GiqueCee May 24 #42

Photos we need PHOTOS! justaprogressive May 24 #46

I've often wondered if all these abandoned malls could be converted to public housing. travelingthrulife May 24 #47

Before the one I used to patronize was razed Jilly_in_VA May 25 #58