7 Mall Stores You Forgot About

Why is it so much fun to discuss old retailers? And why do malls sometimes stoke feelings of nostalgia? Once the center of a community, the experience of going to a mall has changed considerably over the past few decades. Department stores were once referred to as anchors for a reason — they drew traffic and acted as a focal point for commerce, while an array of specialty stores filled in the gaps and added elements of surprise and delight. “The mall — it was a destination. It was a place for activity. It was a gathering point for the community, it was a bringing together of people,” Deb Gabor, CEO of Sol Marketing, said in an interview. “It really was all-encompassing. You would walk through the door of the mall, and you had sights and sounds and smells. Things to eat and things to touch and people to see.” Read more at Retail Dive.