Everyone loves the mall. When we were teenagers, we loved going so much that we’d save our allowance for weeks to get a day to buy whatever we wanted. However, the mall is not the same as it used to be, and many of the things that used to be there, that we’d see everywhere, are no longer there.
Orange Julius
This drink was a staple of malls, and everyone wanted to drink one. However, they have vanished from virtually every mall, and while some Dairy Queens still serve this drink, it’s few and far between. A shame because the sweet orange drink was so delicious and frothy that it made your mall experience.
Pay Phones
Pay phones used to be everywhere, and even musicians would make jokes in their songs about pay phones. If you needed to call your family for a ride home or make sure your friends were coming, you could use a pay phone. With the rise of cell phones, however, and just about everyone having one, there is no need for pay phones.
Suncoast
Suncoast used to be one of my favorite stores because you could get the best in anime merchandise, manga, or music. They also had DVDs, and it was a store that 99% of the time had exactly what you needed. Now, there are only two left. One is in Ohio, and the other is in North Carolina.
Travel Agencies
Before online booking was a thing, or travel agencies were more popular, there used to be a booth set up in the mall that would have tropical destinations and pamphlets out so that people would be enticed, and walk over. Then they would sit with you and talk before booking your vacation and creating a package for you.
Kb Toys
The company was founded in 1920, and originally, it didn’t sell toys; it sold candy. However, in the 1970s, it began opening toy stores all over the United States. At one point, it had hundreds of locations, but when the 2000s hit, it began closing more and more stores until only about 400 remained. Then, it all closed. Most people don’t even know what this store was, but millennials remember it.
Glamour Shots
Glamour shots were cool, and they made everyone look like a star. However, by 2019, there were only about five remaining, and when they finally closed, most of them were sad. Now, it’s believed that there are only two or three left still in business. If you’ve never gotten to try glamour shots, you’d have to travel to Texas or New Jersey to try it now.
Borders
Borders was the competing store to Barnes & Noble. It was a beloved store where you could hang out and find the best books, and they always had good sales or promotions going on. Many tended to prefer one store over the other, though there were stores that preferred both. Unfortunately, they had to close down in 2010.
Zany Brainy
These stores were so colorful and fun, especially for little kids. They had combined with another store to brand themselves as an educational toy store for children, and it was designed to help children learn in a more innovative way. There are still websites where you can get merch, but now the founders launched Five And Below.
Sports Authority
Sports Authority used to be everywhere. They offered a great selection of sporting goods and had both private and branded labels. They also had fitness gear and outdoor activities. Some of the private label brands included Aspire and Alpine Design. Unfortunately, they went bankrupt in 2016 and closed all of their stores.
Warner Bros. Studio Store
These were another staple. Everywhere you looked in the 90s, these stores were popping up. They sold high end collectables, merch with the iconic characters, and during the nineties there were over a hundred stores with hopes that there would be plenty more opening. Unfortunately for us, the early 2000s hit hard and they had to close all of their stores.
Blockbuster
Before the age of streaming, there was Blockbuster and a catchy little tune. Families would go to the mall, or more commonly mini malls, and pick what video they wanted to see. The stores would have new release walls, gaming, and created a great experience for customers. They even sold movie snacks. Because other platforms began to take precedence, however, Blockbuster unfortunately closed.
B. Dalton
Another bookstore that has unfortunately closed its doors. For a while, it became part of Borders, but then it was subsumed by Barnes & Noble. All of their stores closed down after a phasing period, and the final stores committed bankruptcy. While Barnes & Noble revived the concept and opened a single store in Florida, the rest are closed.
Sam Goody
When you were in the mall, you probably shopped at Sam Goody. It was opened in the 1940s, and after about thirty years, they expanded like crazy. Then it was acquired by one of their rivals. After going bankrupt and then being purchased by another company, the stores were changed to FYE. While you can still find FYE in some malls, the last two Sam Goody stores that are left in malls are said to be closing this year.
Wet Seal
Wet Seal had a lot to offer and promised to be a trendy, upbeat store. It gained popularity quickly and managed to hold on until about 2015. After closing most of their stores, they managed to hang on for another two years before finally closing for good. Shoppers were disappointed as the store was considered to be a fashionable store for teens.
Aerosoles
A women’s retailer, they were a great place to find shoes until they filed for bankruptcy about 8 years ago. They closed 74 stores, and it was suggested that they filed because they didn’t want to be bought out by another company. However, they were also involved in a few lawsuits, though details were not made fully available to the general public.
Times Are Changing
Malls aren’t what they used to be, and while they still get great traffic, it’s not the same as it once was. A lot of the staples that many of us had and loved as teens are gone, replaced by newer stores with changing fashions. Toy stores have been replaced with gaming stores and stuffed animal shops, but we all remember the stores we used to spend every waking moment in.
