The End of the Year Review of Events

       

 
          Has another year really gone by already, I guess a lot has happened to the world, in Politics, war, and society. But when it comes to malls and shopping, maybe this wasn't that bad a year really for store closures, not too many clothing chains left our shopping centers this year, but for groceries, maybe Peapod might be the only alternative for the Eastcoast because of the loss of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, or the Westcoast with Haggen and Fresh & Easy.

          There was definitely too many malls our great country lost this year, more than enough stores closed there doors, but there is always next year when it comes to Sears and Kmart finally finding peace where Wards, Bradless, Circuit City, and Ames all went...retail heaven:)

I will go through each month of posts on Trip to the Mall to recap on the most significant retail blunders and milestones in my pursuit to preserve quirky retail from the past.

January

Recapping on all the malls I have been to in the past to start the year off right.

Literally all the preteen clothing stores closed there doors for the last time the start of 2015. Deb,Wet Seal,Delia's, and Body Central all closed and there spaces are now H&R Block's.

Annual Macy's, Target, JCPenney closures announced

All  Target stores in Canada closed quicker than they opened!

February

Radioshack filed for bankruptcy and publicly telling millions of Superbowl fans they know they are out of date.

The last few Super Kmart stores transitioned into regular formats stores

March

One of the last HOJO restaurants announced it would close

April

Beloved, Michigan born, retail anthropologist A. Alfred Taubman died

May

Anna's linens closed all locations

June

Cubs Foods in Bloomington, Illinois closes leaving one left in Illinois

July

The Father of the modern mall was celebrated on Victor Gruen day

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. announces its bankruptcy and closures of stores

August

Merchandise idea that never took off.

September

What was the shopping mall like in 1989

Pre 9/11 Kmart Bluelight commercial

October

What we've been waiting 30 years for!

November

Trip to the Mall on Soundcloud

How Sears needs to turn themselves around once and for all!

December

Montgomery Ward is inducted toto Trip to the Mall's Hall of of Fame unofficially

My Winter tour 2015 through the Midwest. I revisited Milwaukee, Davenport, Iowa, and Indianapolis.

Thank you for continuing to support Trip to the Mall and following us on Facebook and now listening to us on Soundcloud. I continue to look forward to bring more malls and store knowledge to all in the new year, the sweet 16.

Oakbrook Center Around Christmas 2015!

          One of the best malls in the suburbs of Chicago, of course, other than Woodfield to holiday shop and spend time with family during the biggest shopping season of the year. The Oakbrook Center in Oakbrook, Illinois goes all out during Christmas to celebrate tradition with 30' foot tall light up trees and deer.

Please enjoy David Foster's 1993 Carol of the Bells while viewing my pictures days before Christmas...

Something is coming next to Sears above a current parking deck.

I love Vineyard Vines.

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and continue to support us on Facebook and do not forget to listen to are podcast on Soundcloud most of all, happy holidays to all!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2015!

            Its been a long year, and another Christmas and Holiday season is among us, mall fans alike, its been such an amazing and crazy year for stores, and life in general. Let me start by saying thank you to all my followers on Facebook and readers that have contributed to Trip to the Mall's success the past year and since the beginning, and continue to show support for an even better year in 2016.

          To how ever you spend your Holiday Season, I wish you the best, and hope you make it the best with family and friends, wish you the Holiday off and continue to follow the blog and the podcast on Soundcloud into the new year.

Feel free to post any holiday stories, pictures, or ideas below.

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and do not forget to listen to are podcast on Soundcloud and to also check us out on Facebook.

TTTM Podcast #6: Circle City Trip of the Century!

Click below to listen:
TTTM Podcast #6: Circle City Trip of the Century!

Summary:
This weeks podcast, I talk all about the Indianapolis area of malls and retail. I went there over the past weekend and I absolutely love the unique pairing of upper class stores, to more traditional shopping choices. This includes the food and grocery shopping, like local chain Marsh, and familiar fire Meijer and Kroger. And Wendy's was not a part of this, Zaxby's and Jack in the Box was found in are laps during the day. I also talk about the Fry's Electronics store, which was a former Incredible universe. What inspired the retail subsequent, Westfield selling 5 US malls, and last minute Christmas shopping and my annual Christmas message tomorrow.

Key Points:

All things Indianapolis...

Zaxby's
Jack in the Box
Giant Eagle Market District- Carmel, Indiana
Meijer
Marsh
Kroger

Fry's Electronics (Former incredible universe)

What inspired the retail subsequent category
(Perfect mix of stores from both east coast and Midwest and the upper class to lower class pairing of stores).

Counting down the days for extended Holiday hours

Westfield Sells 5 more malls in the US (Hawthorne in Vernon Hills and Fox Valley Aurora, Illinois)

Last minute Christmas shopping

A Christmas Story

Annual Christmas message to be displayed tomorrow on the blog

Room to Grow:

Thank you for listening and continue to support Trip to the Mall.

Post any opinions both good and bad below and on Facebook

Tandy Corp. Incredible Universe, Now Fry's in Fishers, Indiana

          Let me introduce you one of the most 90's stores I have ever learned existed, It's called Incredible Universe and it was owned by Tandy Corporation, the same owners of Radio Shack, among other failed electronic store chains over the last 30 years.

          The chain was founded in 1992 and defunct in 1997, but for those 5 short years, so much was left behind from the chain that was otherwise, out of this world.

          In 1992, two stores opened, one in Texas, and one in Oregon, and Tandy quickly jumped to open 15 more stores!, as the chain proved profitable. The chains lasted about as quickly as it started, as of a total of 17 stores, 15 were sold to Fry's in 1996, and the other two remaining properties were sold to various buyers, and otherwise demolished, like the location in Mill Run, Columbus, Ohio.

3900 Venture Point Drive, Duluth, Georgia 30096

That unmistakable, large rotunda that each store was recognized for with music acts and demonstrations of new products watched from the store front.

Here is the store in Fishers, Indiana.

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and do not forget to listen to are podcast on Soundcloud and to also check us out on Facebook.

The Shopping Malls Around Indianapolis

To simplify things, these are all to the malls I have photographic knowledge of located around the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.

A little retro retail perspective for the market...

Click on any of the malls below, and it will send you to my article.


Lafayette Square Mall

Castleton Square Mall

The Fashion Mall at Keystone

Circle Centre

Glendale Town Center (Former Glendale Square Mall)

Greenwood Park Mall

Washington Square

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and do not forget to listen to are podcast on Soundcloud and also do not forget to check us out on Facebook.

Greenwood Park Mall - [(Greenwood, Indiana) FINALLY]

          Welcome to the Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, this has been anticipated so long, every time I go to Indy, I never make it to this mall, before it closes for the night, I made it this time! Minutes to spare, that is why it is dark, and empty, go on a weekday in the afternoon, and it will be busy as hell!

          I posted this mall last year, just the sign, and under it "post coming soon", well, soon is now, this is the Greenwood Park Mall.

A major renovation took care of the former L.S. Aryes store by demolishing it, in favor of a lifestyle wing that included Barnes and Noble.

          Greenwood Park Mall's current anchor stores are JCPenney, JCPenney Home Store, Sears, Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes and Noble, and Von Maur. There is a lot to do here, and much more inside.

          The Mall opened as Greenwood shopping center in 1966 with original anchor stores JCPenney, Sears, L.S. Aryes, and possibly Lazarus, but I am not fully sure. By 1977, Melvin Simon & Asso., now know as Simon, purchased the mall and by 1980, changed the name to Greenwood Park.


Dick's Sporting Goods took over the former Service Merchandise location in 2005.

Unsure when Von Maur opened at the mall, or what the original anchor was, possibly Lazarus?

Thank you for reading Trip to the Mall and do not forget to listen to are podcast on Soundcloud and also to check us out on Facebook.