With the Christmas shopping season in full swing, I felt that it would be a perfect time to post this topic, which is a list and description of the nineteen largest shopping malls in the United States. Before I begin the list, here are some notes:

*The source for this list is wikipedia. (As to why wikipedia lists only the top nineteen malls, instead of the top twenty, I have no idea.) Note that the size of the malls is based solely on the amount of space devoted to retail, as opposed to the total amount of space contained in the mall. (Interestingly enough, because of this, a mall other than the Mall of America will be ranked as the largest mall in the United States.)

*Rather than starting with the biggest mall and going downward, I am going to start at number nineteen, and go upwards.

*Because of the length of this topic, I will not be able to complete this in one day, but rather I will have to complete it in increments. (For instance, this first post will only profile malls #19 to #15.) Also, because of my busy work schedule, I will most likely not be able to continue with this list until next weekend.

*In addition to listing each of the nineteen different malls, I will also give a brief description and history of each mall.

*Comments are always welcome, as I would love to read what you have to say about these malls.

The list of the nineteen largest American shopping malls begins below:

#19: Fashion Show Mall (in Las Vegas, NV; contains 1,888,151 sq. ft. of retail space)

This huge mall (the largest in Nevada) contains over 200 stores and is decidedly upscale: it is currently anchored by a Bloomingdale's Home Store, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Additionally, it is anchored by the more mid-scale Dillard's, as well as two different Macy's stores. (One of the Macy's stores sells women's apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, and accessories, while the other store sells apparel for men and juniors. However, neither Macy's sells housewares; a separate Macy's Home Store is located on the same street apart from the mall.)

The mall originally opened in 1981, and its original anchors were The Broadway, Dillard's, Goldwater's, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Goldwater's department store was renamed May Company in 1989, and then renamed Robinsons-May in 1993, while The Broadway was renamed Macy's in 1996.

In 2002 or 2003, a huge expansion occurred at the mall. First, the Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Robinsons-May stores all underwent expansions of their own. Then, 500,000 sq. ft. of retail space itself was added to the mall. Excluded in this 500,000 sq. ft. were a new Bloomingdale's Home Store and a Nordstrom, as well as new stores built for Dillard's and Saks Fifth Avenue (both of which shuttered its older stores in the mall). While I was unable to find out what is currently located in the old Saks Fifth Avenue building, I do know that the former Dillard's is still empty. (A Lord & Taylor was originally planned to open up in the Dillard's, but this never happened due to the financial difficulties experienced by Lord & Taylor.)

In September of 2006, Robinsons-May was renamed Macy's. Because there was already a Macy's in the mall prior to the renaming, it was decided that the original Macy's store would sell just apparel for men and juniors, while the former Robinsons-May location would sell most of the other items that are found at a Macy's store (with the exception of housewares).

#18: Scottsdale Fashion Square (in Scottsdale, AZ; contains 1,928,036 sq. ft. of retail space)

Arizona’s largest mall is very upscale: it boasts the state’s only locations of Neiman Marcus, Burberry, Kate Spade, Brooks Brothers, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, and Gucci. The mall is currently anchored by Dillard’s, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. (Note that the Dillard’s in this mall is the largest location in the entire chain.) Additionally, a fifth anchor—Barney’s New York—is set to open in 2009.

Scottsdale Fashion Square opened back in 1961 as an outdoor mall that was anchored by a Goldwater’s department store. (FYI, That chain was founded by the grandfather of Barry Goldwater, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 1964.) Goldwater’s would be renamed Robinson’s in 1989, which in turn would be renamed Robinsons-May in 1993.

For decades, another mall—Camelview Plaza—competed with Scottsdale Fashion Square, despite the fact that both malls were next to each other. In 1991 or 1992, however, a massive expansion project was completed that joined these two malls together as one huge enclosed mall. (Much of the original Scottsdale Fashion Square was demolished during this process.) This expansion/combination of the two malls added two new anchors to the Scottsdale Fashion Square: Dillard’s and Neiman Marcus. Another mall expansion took place in 1998, which included the addition of a Nordstrom department store. Four years later, a fifth anchor—Macy’s—opened at the mall.

In 2006, Robinsons-May was renamed Macy’s. However, since the mall already had a Macy’s prior to this renaming, the Robinsons-May store was closed, and currently remains vacant. However, it won’t remain vacant for long, as new plans have been announced that involve demolishing the store and expanding the mall yet again. This latest expansion will be completed in 2009, and will include a brand new Barney’s New York department store.

#17: Westfield Garden State Plaza (in Paramus, NJ; contains 1,987,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

The Westfield Garden State Plaza (or simply just the Garden State Plaza) is anchored by JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. In addition to being the largest mall in the state of New Jersey, it is also the third largest mall in the New York City metropolitan area.

The mall opened way back in 1957 as an outdoor mall, and was initially anchored by a Bamberger’s department store. Shortly after its opening, Gimbel’s and JC Penney joined Bamberger’s as anchors. From the time it opened, the mall was hugely popular.

However, by the 1970’s, newer enclosed malls began to threaten the Garden State Plaza’s viability. So, in response to the competition, the mall was enclosed between 1981 and 1984. Other changes would soon come to the mall as well: Bamberger’s was renamed Macy’s in 1986; that same year, Gimbel’s went out of business and was replaced by a Hahne’s department store. Ironically, Hahne’s itself would go out of business in 1989.

During the 1990’s, three upscale department stores were added to the mall. The first of these was Nordstrom, which opened in the former Hahne’s location in 1990. Then, in a 1996 expansion, over 700,000 sq. ft. of retail space was added to the Garden State Plaza, which included a Lord & Taylor and a Neiman Marcus. Additionally, the JC Penney store more than doubled during this expansion.

As an important side note, the Garden State plaza was responsible for making the city of Paramus, NJ into one of the world’s largest shopping mall capitals. Because of its massive success, five other malls opened up in Paramus. One of these malls—the smaller Paramus Park mall—still continues to thrive, while two other malls (whose names I don’t know) have shut its doors. An additional two malls—the Bergen Mall and the Fashion Center—still exist, but are clearly dying.

#16: Larkridge Shopping Center (in Thornton, CO; will contain approx. 2,000,000 sq. ft. of retail space once fully completed)

(Note: Before I talk about this mall, I must say that I am surprised that wikipedia decided to even include this on their list of largest shopping malls, given the fact that the Larkridge Shopping Center is not yet complete. As it stands now, the current retail offered at Larkridge is far smaller than 2,000,000 sq. ft.)

The #16 mall on this list isn’t even an enclosed indoor mall; rather it is one of these huge, outdoor “lifestyle centers” that are all the rage these days. The Larkridge Retail Center (which is located in a suburb of Denver) first opened in 2005, and included big-box giants Bed, Bath & Beyond, Circuit City, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Home Depot, Office Max, Pet Smart, Pier 1, and Sears Grand (which is a lot more like a Wal-Mart than it is like a traditional Sears store). In November 2006, Colorado’s largest liquor store—DAVECO Liquors—also joined these tenants. Larkridge will continue to expand, beginning with a Costco that will open in early 2007. Although I was unable to ascertain when Larkridge will be fully completed, I do know that—once it is fully built—it will contain approximately 2,000,000 sq. ft. of retail space.

As mentioned previously, Larkridge is an outdoor lifestyle center. Because of this, its stores are spread out throughout several blocks of new city streets (as opposed to being found in one continuous shopping center). This also means that banks and office buildings are scheduled to join the shops and restaurants as part of this complex. Additionally, there may be plans to build residential houses among the many blocks that comprise the Larkridge Shopping Center.

#15: Palisades Center (in West Nyack, NY; contains 2,000,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

The second largest mall (in terms of retail space) in the New York City metropolitan area is striking in the fact that only three of its many anchors—JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, and Macy’s—are traditional mall anchors. The rest of Palisades Center’s anchors—Barnes & Noble, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Circuit City, Comp USA, Home Depot, Staples, and Target—are anchors that are usually found in outdoor strip centers as opposed to indoor malls. And, because the mall is relatively new—having opened in 1998—it has experienced only one anchor change: Macy’s was originally a Filene’s until that chain converted all of its stores to the Macy’s nameplate in September 2006.

This mall is striking in other ways as well: for instance, much of its exterior is in bright neon, as opposed to the more subdued exteriors found on most malls. Additionally—in an attempt to become an east coast version of the Mall of America—much of the Palisades Center’s massive space is devoted to entertainment instead of retail: its entertainment options include two movie theaters, an ice skating rink, a carousel, and a ferris wheel. In fact, because this mall contains so much space devote to entertainment (as opposed to retail), it would rank as the nations third largest mall if this list was compiled on the basis of total mall area (as opposed to being composed solely on the basis of the space devoted to retail).

There is an interesting rumor stating that the Palisades Center is indeed sinking. In the words of wikipedia:

“Long-time residents of West Nyack have claimed that the mall was built over a swamp. Many believe that the foundation was not stabilized prior to the construction of the mall and the mall is slowly sinking into the swamp. The proponents of the ‘sinking’ theory point to the cracks in the cement floors, particularly in the now-carpeted first floor, the holes which appear next to support columns in the semiannually repaved underground parking garage, and also in the way the mall often shakes.”

However, this rumor has never been conclusively proved, and some believe that competitors or local residents who were against this mall ever being built in the first place may have actually started this rumor.

Edited December 18, 200618 yr by Max

#17: Westfield Garden State Plaza (in Paramus, NJ; contains 1,987,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

I pass by this one every day to work. I never really thought it was all that big at least not compared to...

#15: Palisades Center (in West Nyack, NY; contains 2,000,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

There is an interesting rumor stating that the Palisades Center is indeed sinking. In the words of wikipedia:

I was planning on going to this mall today but my sister ruined those plans. LOL....it is indeed built on a swamp. The water around it can smell at times. Also for a mall, its not the best looking and Ive seen alot mor nicer malls. It is huge, being 4 stories and there's alot of walking involved going from end to end

Edited December 18, 200618 yr by Cheap21

Cheap21, thank you so much for those interesting comments about the Westfield Garden State Plaza and the Palisades Center.

This next post will cover the 14th, 13th, and 12th largest malls in the country.

#14: Oakbrook Center (in Oak Brook, IL; contains 2,006,688 sq. ft. of retail space)

Oakbrook Center is the second largest mall in the Chicago metropolitan area, and also happens to be the nation’s largest outdoor shopping mall. It is currently anchored by a Bloomingdale’s Home Store, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Sears.

The mall was opened in 1962, when it was anchored by Marshall Field’s, Sears, and a Jewel Supermarket. There have been several expansions to the mall: first, in 1973, a Lord & Taylor was added. A much larger expansion occurred in 1981 (that doubled the mall’s size), which—in addition to bringing more space for smaller retailers—introduced I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The most recent expansion was completed in 1991, when Nordstrom plus an additional 210,000 sq. ft. of smaller stores were added to the mall.

Oakbrook Center has also seen many anchor changes over the years. First, I. Magnin closed in 1991 and was vacant until both Eddie Bauer and Tiffany & Company filled the building in 1994. Also, Saks Fifth Avenue closed in 2002 and was then replaced by a Bloomingdale’s Home Store one year later. Most recently, Marshall Field’s was renamed Macy’s in September 2006. Of course Jewel also closed its doors at some point, but I was unable to ascertain when that occurred.

#13: Lakewood Center (in Lakewood, CA; contains 2,092,706 sq. ft. of retail space)

It should come as no surprise that California is the state that places the most number of malls—three—on this list of the nineteen largest shopping malls of the United States. (However, there are four states that place two malls on this list: Florida, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania.) The third largest mall in California is located in the Los Angeles suburb of Lakewood.

Lakewood Center is currently anchored by an Albertson’s supermarket, as well as Home Depot, JC Penney, Macy’s, Mervyn’s, and Target. However, it has seen many changes throughout its history. It all began in 1951 or 1952, when the mall opened—as an outdoor center—and had a May Company department store as its sole anchor. More anchors were eventually added: both Bullock’s and JC Penney opened in the 1960’s, and Montgomery Ward came to the mall in the mid-1970’s. In 1978, Lakewood Center was finally enclosed. (However, Bullock’s remained a freestanding store that was not connected to the rest of the mall.) Along with the enclosure, the mall was greatly expanded as well.

Another expansion occurred in 1981, and—in 1995—the mall underwent a major renovation. More changes occurred as well, including the 1993 renaming of May Company to Robinsons-May, as well as the closing of Bullock’s that same year; note that the Bullock’s building was torn down and subsequently replaced with a brand new Lucky supermarket (which was renamed Albertson’s in 1999) and Home Depot. Lakewood Center was even further expanded in 2000-2001, when Macy’s, Mervyn’s, a food court, and more small shops were added. Additionally, Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 (when that entire chain went out of business) and was replaced by Target in 2003.

Most recently, Robinsons-May was renamed Macy’s in 2006. However, since there was already a Macy’s at Lakewood, a decision was made to shutter the existing Macy’s store and move that Macy’s into the former Robinsons-May building. As of this writing, the original Macy’s remains empty.

#12: Tysons Corner Center (in McLean, VA; contains 2,100,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

As the largest mall in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Tysons Corner Center contains nearly 300 stores. The mall's current anchor roster consists of Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Nordstrom. Additionally, the mall has several mini-anchors, including AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble, and L.L. Bean.

The mall was an instant success ever since it opened in 1968. Back then, however, Tysons Corner Center had only one floor and was anchored by three regional department stores: Hecht’s, Lansburgh’s, and Woodward & Lothrop. The first of these anchors to go was Lansburgh’s, when that entire chain went out of business in 1972. As far as I know, that space remained empty for four years until Bloomingdale’s came to the mall.

Circa 1987, a second level was added to the mall. (Interestingly enough, the new floor that was formed was located underground, while what is currently the second floor of Tysons was actually part of the original one-level mall.) Shortly thereafter, Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor opened stores (in 1988 and 1990, respectively) at the mall.

A major anchor change occurred in 1995, when Woodward & Lothrop went out of business, soon to be replaced by a JC Penney. However, JC Penney itself decided to close this location in 2003. (I must say that I am baffled by the fact that this JC Penney store would be doing so poorly—to the point that it needed to be closed—at such a successful mall.) Rather than attempting to try to fill the former JC Penney anchor space, Tysons instead decided to convert that former location into smaller sized mall stores (including Barnes & Noble). This transformation, which was completed in 2005, also added a very small third level to the mall (which does not have access to any of the mall’s department stores) that contains (among other things) the AMC Theatres.

The most recent change to Tysons Corner came in September 2006, when Hecht’s was renamed Macy’s. However, major changes are planned in the future (that will take over a decade to complete), which will add a hotel, office buildings, and residences to the area surrounding the mall.

One final note about Tysons Corner Center: when I stated that this mall consists of 2,100,000 sq. ft. of retail space, I did not include the retail space found in another mall located nearby: Tysons Galleria. (This mall, which opened in 1988, is even more upscale than Tysons Corner Center; it is anchored by Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.) The reason why Tysons Galleria was not included in the 2,100,000 sq. ft. of retail space was because this mall is neither connected nor even adjacent to Tysons Corner Center.

Edited December 25, 200618 yr by Max

#12: Tysons Corner Center (in McLean, VA; contains 2,100,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

As the largest mall in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Tysons Corner Center contains nearly 300 stores. The mall's current anchor roster consists of Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Nordstrom. Additionally, the mall has several mini-anchors, including AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble, and L.L. Bean.

A major anchor change occurred in 1995, when Woodward & Lothrop went out of business, soon to be replaced by a JC Penney. However, JC Penney itself decided to close this location in 2003. (I must say that I am baffled by the fact that this JC Penney store would be doing so poorly—to the point that it needed to be closed—at such a successful mall.) Rather than attempting to try to fill the former JC Penney anchor space, Tysons instead decided to convert that former location into smaller sized mall stores (including Barnes & Noble). This transformation, which was completed in 2005, also added a very small third level to the mall (which does not have access to any of the mall’s department stores) that contains (among other things) the AMC Theatres.

One final note about Tysons Corner Center: when I stated that this mall consists of 2,100,000 sq. ft. of retail space, I did not include the retail space found in another mall located nearby: Tysons Galleria. (This mall, which opened in 1988, is even more upscale than Tysons Corner Center; it is anchored by Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.) The reason why Tysons Galleria was not included in the 2,100,000 sq. ft. of retail space was because this mall is neither connected nor even adjacent to Tysons Corner Center.

I've been here!!!!!!

Before the expansion there was some type of small theater where plays were performed in the former JCPenney slot.

There used to be a Rainforest Cafe which closed. Forever XXI is now there.

Tysons Galleria is THE SH!T!!!!! They have Chanel, Ferragamo, Versace, MaxMara, Betsey Johnson, Nicole Miller, Hugo Boss, Cartier, J. Crew, Anthropologie, Macy's, Neiman and Saks.

There is no food court like in typical malls, it's all classy restaurants and a big Italian type of bistro.

#13: Lakewood Center (in Lakewood, CA; contains 2,092,706 sq. ft. of retail space)

It should come as no surprise that California is the state that places the most number of malls—three—on this list of the nineteen largest shopping malls of the United States. (However, there are four states that place two malls on this list: Florida, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania.) The third largest mall in California is located in the Los Angeles suburb of Lakewood.

Lakewood Center is currently anchored by an Albertson’s supermarket, as well as Home Depot, JC Penney, Macy’s, Mervyn’s, and Target. However, it has seen many changes throughout its history. It all began in 1951 or 1952, when the mall opened—as an outdoor center—and had a May Company department store as its sole anchor. More anchors were eventually added: both Bullock’s and JC Penney opened in the 1960’s, and Montgomery Ward came to the mall in the mid-1970’s. In 1978, Lakewood Center was finally enclosed. (However, Bullock’s remained a freestanding store that was not connected to the rest of the mall.) Along with the enclosure, the mall was greatly expanded as well.

Another expansion occurred in 1981, and—in 1995—the mall underwent a major renovation. More changes occurred as well, including the 1993 renaming of May Company to Robinsons-May, as well as the closing of Bullock’s that same year; note that the Bullock’s building was torn down and subsequently replaced with a brand new Lucky supermarket (which was renamed Albertson’s in 1999) and Home Depot. Lakewood Center was even further expanded in 2000-2001, when Macy’s, Mervyn’s, a food court, and more small shops were added. Additionally, Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 (when that entire chain went out of business) and was replaced by Target in 2003.

Most recently, Robinsons-May was renamed Macy’s in 2006. However, since there was already a Macy’s at Lakewood, a decision was made to shutter the existing Macy’s store and move that Macy’s into the former Robinsons-May building. As of this writing, the original Macy’s remains empty.

No f'ing way! I'm looking at my window at that mall right now. It's literally across the street from me. LMFAO compared to the Cerritos mall that borders it, South Coast Plaza, the Beverly Cener, etc. , it's freaking tiny. That's crazy.

Edited December 25, 200618 yr by Kylie

Kylie, your hunch could indeed be right regarding Lakewood Center being too small to belong on this list of nineteen largest shopping malls. You see, this list was gathered from wikipedia, and--as we all know--wikipedia often has inaccurate information.

Also, I'd like to correct something I initially said about Tysons Corner: originally, I had stated that the former JC Penney building was converted into smaller mall stores. However, I believe that what really happened was that the JC Penney building was torn down; following that building's demolition, the mall was actually expanded (encompassing an area that went beyond the former JC Penney building) to include more smaller mall stores.

We have the huge West Edmonton Mall here. I think it's the 2nd biggest in the world now.

Darraholic, I hear that Canada has some very large shopping malls. While I don't know much about the West Edmonton Mall, I'd love to read your opinions of it.

The list of the largest American shopping malls continues below:

#11: Millcreek Mall (in Erie, PA; contains 2,139,244 sq. ft. of retail space)

This blue-collar, western Pennsylvania shopping mall is the state’s second largest, despite the fact that it only has one floor. Having opened back in 1974, the Millcreek Mall is currently anchored by The Bon-Ton, Burlington Coat Factory, JC Penney, Macy’s, and Sears.

When the mall first opened, however, its department store anchors were Halle Brothers, Horne’s, JC Penney, and Sears. Just one year later, in 1975, a fifth anchor—Kaufmann’s—opened its doors as well. The mall has seen many anchor changes throughout the years, beginning when Halle Brothers went out of business in 1982; that store is currently the site of Burlington Coat Factory. (By the way, actress Halle Berry was actually named after the Halle Brothers department store chain after her mother—who had not decided upon a name—looked at one of the store’s shopping bags.) The next anchor change occurred when Horne’s was renamed Lazarus in 1994; however, Lazarus itself decided to close this location just four years later; this site was then filled with an Elder-Beerman, which subsequently became The Bon-Ton. Most recently, Kaufmann’s was renamed Macy’s in September 2006.

Without a doubt, the most interesting thing about the Millcreek Mall is that it is shaped like a gun: see for yourself by clicking this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mall_Shape.gif . While nobody knows for sure whether or not this design was intentional, there is a rumor that the mafia indeed purposely built it this way because they wanted the “gun” to be pointed towards the City of Erie Municipal Building. (As a matter of fact, the mall is indeed directly pointed towards town hall.)

#10: Plaza Las Americas (in San Juan, PR; contains 2,173,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

Puerto Rico is obviously not a state, but nevertheless it is home to the country’s tenth largest shopping mall. As the first traditional/American-styled mall constructed in Puerto Rico, Plaza Las Americas is currently anchored by JC Penney, Macy’s, and Sears, as well as a separate Sears Brand Central store that sells appliances.

When the mall first opened in 1968, it was anchored by JC Penney, a Pueblo supermarket, and possibly some local chains as well. The plaza was strictly just a one-level mall, until a second and a third floor were both added in 1980; included in this 1980 expansion were a Sears store, several smaller shops, and a food court called “La Terraza.” A second expansion in the 1990’s added Toys R US as well as an office building. The most notable expansion since 1980, however, occurred in 2000, when 700,000 square feet was added to the plaza, including a Borders, Macy’s, and a brand new building for JC Penney.

Despite having so many stores, the shops themselves are not the main highlight of Plaza Las Americas. (Although one of the mall’s highlights is indeed the JC Penney store, which—at four stories tall—is the largest store in the chain.) Rather, the mall’s stunning interior is the highlight: Plaza Las Americas is acclaimed for its fountains, artistic sculptures, and medallions. According to wikipedia, each of the mall’s seven medallions “represent an important part of Puerto Rico’s history, culture, and natural features.” Wikipedia then goes on to list the locations of each of these seven medallions, which are (please note that what is written below has been entirely cut and pasted from wikipedia):

· Grand Central Atrium – represents the first meeting of Christopher Columbus with the local natives (tainos) in Puerto Rico in 1493.

· JC Penney entrance – represents El Yunque, as well as the island’s other forests, rivers and waterfalls.

· Between the JC Penney and Macy’s entrances – represents Puerto Rico’s night sky and the impact it had on Taino beliefs (astrology) and early Spanish navigation.

· Macy’s entrance – represents Puerto Rico’s marine life, including many of Puerto Rico’s endangered species, such as the manatee and the sea turtle

· Old Navy entrance – represents Puerto Rico’s flora, including palm trees seen all across the island’s beaches

· Sears entrance – represents Puerto Rico’s fauna and trees, symbolized by a large tree and birds flying nearby.

· Grand Central Atrium (third floor) – represents Puerto Rico’s gastronomy, symbolized by one of the most popular dishes among Puerto Ricans: white rice with beans and a fried egg.

#9: Roosevelt Field Mall (in Garden City, NY; contains 2,189,941 sq. ft. of retail space)

While the Palisades Center is New York’s largest mall in terms of total area, Roosevelt Field is the state’s largest mall in terms of the total amount of space devoted to retail. This Long Island mall—which is currently anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Furniture Gallery, Dick’s Sporting Goods, JC Penney, Macy’s and Nordstrom—was named after Theodore Roosevelt’s son, Quentin, who died in World War II.

The mall opened in 1956 and was originally anchored by two giants of New York retail: Gimbel’s and Macy’s; at the time, it was the world’s largest mall. Roosevelt Field Mall was originally an outdoor mall, as it was not enclosed until 1968. In the early-1970’s, the mall underwent a renovation/expansion, which added two more department stores: Alexander’s and JC Penney.

With the major exceptions of the 1968 enclosure and the early-1970’s renovation/expansion, Roosevelt Field Mall experienced relatively few changes during its first thirty years. However, the same cannot be said for its history from 1986 to the present. Below is a chronology of all the changes that have taken place since 1986:

1986: Gimbel’s goes out of business. Their Roosevelt Field Mall location becomes a Stern’s.

1991: Alexander’s closes its location at the mall, one year before that chain goes out of business.

1992: Abraham & Straus (A&S) opens in the space formerly occupied by Alexander’s.

1995: A&S is renamed Macy’s. However, since there already is a Macy’s at Roosevelt Field, Federated Department Stores (owners of both A&S and Macy’s) decides to convert the former A&S into one of its other department store divisions, Bloomingdale’s.

Circa 1997: The mall undergoes another major expansion, adding a second floor as well as a Nordstrom department store.

2001: Stern’s is renamed Macy’s. However, just as occurred six years earlier (in the case of A&S), this poses a problem since the mall already has a Macy’s. Eventually, this problem is resolved when the former Stern’s building is split in half between a Bloomingdale’s Furniture Gallery and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Aside from all this history, there are two other noteworthy things about Roosevelt Field Mall: First, the mall is designed by I.M. Pei, who is one of the world’s most famous architects. And secondly, the mall was built on the site where Charles Lindbergh took off on his flight from New York to Paris. As a matter of fact, a plaque celebrating this event is located just outside the mall entrance of Roosevelt Field’s Disney Store.

#8: Woodfield Mall (in Schaumburg, IL; contains 2,224,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

With the obvious exception of the Mall of America, this suburban Chicago shopping mall is the Midwest’s largest. The Woodfield Mall—currently anchored by JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sears—is also the most visited tourist attraction in the state of Illinois.

Woodfield Mall first opened in 1971 and was originally anchored by Marshall Field’s and Sears. (As a matter of fact, Woodfield Mall got its name from both of these stores: “Wood” refers to one-time Sears chairman Robert E. Wood, and “field” refers to Marshall Field, who obviously founded the department store of the same name.) Two years after the mall first opened, many more stores were added including a third anchor: Lord & Taylor. Additional expansions also occurred: first in 1991, and then in 1996, when a Nordstrom was added and the Lord & Taylor building was enlarged. And, at some unknown point in history, a JC Penney also opened at Woodfield.

In September 2006, Marshall Field’s was renamed Macy’s. Many were upset with this decision, because Woodfield’s Marshall Field’s store was the #1 highlight of the mall, given the fact that that store’s beauty rivaled the magnificence of Marshall Field’s flagship store in downtown Chicago. When this renaming occurred, more than just the sign on the building changed: Field’s luxury merchandise was replaced with much cheaper Macy’s house brands, and the once spotless looking store became messy (much like most other stores in the Macy’s chain). (And, so far, the rebranding has been a failure, as sales in the former Marshall Field’s locations have tumbled since Macy’s took over.)

Even with Marshall Field’s gone, however, Woodfield Mall still offers visitors attractions, including a whopping number of small mall stores and restaurants: almost 300 in total. Most noteworthy of the remaining attractions is the mall’s Sears store, which is the largest in the entire chain. And, Sears is not alone, as about 27 other chains have their largest stores located at the Woodfield Mall.

Before I conclude, it should be noted that the massive success Woodfield Mall has enjoyed from day one is almost solely responsible for bettering the welfare of the town of Schaumburg. Because of the mall’s popularity, the population of Schaumburg quadrupled from 1970 to 2000. To accommodate this ever-growing population, two other major shopping complexes—the Streets of Woodfield and Woodfield Village Green—came into existence, and large corporations such as Sears and Motorola decided to headquarter themselves in the Schaumburg area.

Edited January 7, 200718 yr by Max

#7: The Galleria (in Houston, TX; contains 2,298,417 sq. ft. of retail space)

Texas’ largest shopping mall—The Galleria—is currently anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and two Macy’s locations. However, Houston’s very upscale Galleria is a whole lot more than just retail, given the fact that the site is also home to office buildings, an ice skating rink, and two hotels (the Westin Galleria Hotel and the Westin Oaks Hotel).

The Galleria was actually designed after a shopping arcade in Milan, Italy, called the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. When the mall opened circa 1969, it was anchored by Neiman Marcus; the complex also featured the Houston Oaks Hotel (which became the Westin Oaks Hotel in 1984). This original part of the Galleria—known as Galleria I—would exist by itself for only seven years, as the first of three expansions would be completed in 1976. (Note that for the remainder of this discussion, the first, second, and third expansions will be referred to—as they are in real life—as Galleria II, Galleria III, and Galleria IV, respectively.)

Of course, all three expansions added space for smaller stores. However, each expansion brought with it new anchor department stores as well: for instance, Galleria II introduced Frost Brothers and Lord & Taylor to the mall. (The Galleria II also included space for offices and another hotel: the Galleria Plaza, which—in 1984—was renamed the Westin Galleria Hotel.) A decade later, in 1986, Galleria III was added and included a Macy’s store. The most recent expansion—Galleria IV—opened in 2003 and gave the mall Foley’s and Nordstrom.

In addition to all the expansions, the Galleria has seen many anchors changes through the years. In 1979 (in between the introductions of Galleria II and Galleria III), Marshall Field’s opened a store at the mall; however, the chain would close this store in 1996, and this building would be filled one year later with a Saks Fifth Avenue. When Frost Brothers closed its mall location in 1988 (one year before that chain went out of business), its former location would be converted to space for smaller stores; more space for smaller mall stores would also be made from the vacant Lord & Taylor building (which left the Galleria in 2005). Finally, in September 2006, Foley’s was renamed Macy’s. This, however, presented a problem since there was already a Macy’s in the mall to begin with. What Macy’s wants to do is keep the former Foley’s location (in Galleria IV) while closing its older location in Galleria III. Unfortunately, it is believed that the terms of the lease that Macy’s had with the Galleria require the chain to keep its Galleria III store open until a new tenant can be found; as a result, there are now two full-line Macy’s stores located in the mall. Currently, there are rumors that luxury apartments will eventually occupy the space where the Macy’s in Galleria III is currently located.

As a final note, it should be said that the Galleria has one interesting oddity about it; this oddity specifically involves Galleria III: when Galleria III was being built, the mall was having trouble finding a spot where it would place this extension. Because of the inability to find a space adjacent to the smaller stores where the expansion could be constructed, the mall chose to build Galleria III to the west of Marshall Field’s (now Saks Fifth Avenue), which itself was at the far west end of the mall. As a result of this decision, one has to go through the Saks Fifth Avenue store in order to get to the smaller shops in Galleria III. (The only other way one can access Galleria III is from an outside entrance.) Because there is no mall hallway that connects Galleria III to the rest of the smaller shops in the mall, its amount of foot traffic is dramatically lower than in all the other areas of the Galleria.

#6: Aventura Mall (in Aventura, FL; contains 2,400,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

While Aventura Mall is the second largest mall in all of Florida, it is actually the state’s largest traditional mall, given that Florida’s biggest mall—as you will find out later on in this post—is actually an outlet mall. Located in suburban Miami, Aventura Mall is currently anchored by Bloomingdale’s, JC Penney, Sears, and two Macy’s locations (one selling women’s and children’s merchandise and the other selling men’s clothing, housewares, and furniture). Additionally, another anchor—Nordstrom—is set to open in 2008.

The mall first opened in 1983, when its anchors were JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Sears. A massive expansion occurred in the late-90’s that also brought with it two more department stores—Bloomingdale’s and Burdine’s—as well as an AMC 24 Theatres complex. In 2004, Lord & Taylor closed its location at the Aventura Mall. (As a matter of fact, that chain would wind up leaving Florida altogether.) After a period of vacancy, the former Lord & Taylor is now in the process of being converted into smaller mall stores, while a new Nordstrom is being built adjacent to this part of the mall.

A decision in 2004 was made to convert all Burdine’s stores—as well as all Macy’s stores in Florida—into the oddly titled “Burdine’s-Macy’s” nameplate. Obviously, this meant that Aventura Mall would have two Burdine’s-Macy’s stores. Rather than choosing to close one of these duplicate locations, a decision was made to keep both stores open, splitting up the merchandise (sold in each store) in the process: the Burdine’s-Macy’s that was originally a Macy’s would sell women’s and children’s clothing, while the location that was originally a Burdine’s would sell housewares, furniture, and men’s clothing. Of course, it was pretty obvious that this hyphenated name wouldn’t last for long: indeed, just one year later, all Burdine’s-Macy’s stores—including both locations in the Aventura Mall—were simply renamed Macy’s.

#5: Del Amo Fashion Center (in Torrance, CA; contains 2,500,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

Located in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, the Del Amo Fashion Center is California’s second largest mall. Its major anchors are JC Penney, Sears, and three Macy’s stores (one store that sells housewares & furniture, and two other stores that each sell everything else). The mall also has a handful of minor anchors, including Burlington Coat Factory, Jo-Ann Etc. (a crafts and fabrics store), Marshalls, Old Navy, and TJ Maxx.

Del Amo Fashion Center’s history is rather complex, since the mall was formed as a result of merging two separate malls into one. The older of these two separate malls was the Del Amo Center, which opened circa 1960 and was originally anchored by The Broadway, JC Penney, and Sears. And, the newer of these two malls was Bullock’s Fashion Square, which opened circa 1966 and was anchored by Bullock’s, I. Magnin, Montgomery Ward, and Ohrbach’s. (Although note that both Montgomery Ward and Ohrbach’s did not open until a mall expansion in the 1970’s.) In 1981, these two malls were joined together after the construction of a “new” Robinson’s department store (which meant that one had to walk through the Robinson’s store in order to get from one part of the mall to the other), and the Del Amo Fashion Center (as shoppers today are familiar with) was born.

When the Del Amo Fashion Center (in its current form) was formed back in 1981, the mall featured a whopping eight department stores (as listed in the above paragraph). (It also was, for a very brief time, the largest mall in the world.) However, this turned out to cause more harm than good for the mall, since so many department stores have since become defunct (either as the result of going out of business or as the result of being renamed Macy’s). A chronology listed below shows the anchor changes that have taken place since 1981, along with the problems that the mall experienced along the way as a result of these changes:

1987: Ohrbach’s closes its store in the mall as a result of going out of business. Unable to find another department store to take its place, the mall eventually makes the first floor of the old Ohrbach’s store into a Marshalls, and the second floor into a TJ Maxx.

1989: The mall’s I. Magnin store is closed. Again, as a result of failing to find another department store to take its place, the Del Amo Fashion Center eventually decides to turn the store into space for smaller mall stores (including an Old Navy).

1993: All Robinson’s stores are renamed Robinsons-May.

1996: Both The Broadway and Bullock’s are renamed Macy’s. At the Del Amo Fashion Center, the former Bullock’s is converted into a Macy’s, while The Broadway store is closed.

1999: After three years of remaining vacant, there are finally new tenants at the former Broadway store. On the bottom level of the store, a new Jo-Ann Etc. opens. And, on the top two levels of the store, a Macy’s Home and Furniture Store opens. (As a result of the new Macy’s Home and Furniture store, the original Macy’s at the mall—in the former Bullock’s location—no longer sells housewares and furniture.)

2001: Montgomery Ward closes its store when the entire chain goes out of business. The former store—and all the smaller mall stores located in between Montgomery Ward and the former Ohrbach’s store—are eventually razed.

2006: A new outdoor “lifestyle center” opens—that includes AMC Theatres—in the space formerly occupied by Montgomery Ward and the smaller stores that surrounded it. Also, all Robinsons-May stores are renamed Macy’s. Because there are already two Macy’s stores (each selling different types of merchandise) at Del Amo, a decision is made to close the former Robinsons-May location. However, it is believed that a contractual clause forbids Macy’s to close this store until a new tenant is found. Therefore, the former Robinsons-May location now houses a temporary third Macy’s location at the mall (which I believe sells all merchandise sold at Macy’s other than housewares and furniture).

Unfortunately, even if you exclude the third Macy’s location that will soon be closed, the Del Amo Fashion Center continues to be plagued by all of the empty space left when its defunct department stores closed. (The mall still has not been able to fill all the space that was once occupied by these anchors.) Additionally, Del Amo is plagued by the fact that the mall looks very dated, as evidenced by the fact that it has never been renovated since 1981. In an effort to combat this latter problem, plans are now underway to give the Del Amo Fashion Center a much needed renovation.

#4: Sawgrass Mills (in Sunrise, FL; contains 2,503,035 sq. ft. of retail space)

Florida’s largest shopping mall is Sawgrass Mills, located in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Sunrise. Unlike every other mall on this list, Sawgrass Mills is unique in the fact that it is an outlet mall (as a matter of fact, it is the largest outlet mall in the world, given that it houses over 300 stores).

The vast majority of the mall opened in 1990. This original part of the mall has many anchors, each smaller in size than the anchors one would find in a traditional shopping mall. Some of these anchors are outlet versions of traditional department stores: Bealls Outlet, JC Penney Outlet Store, Nordstrom Rack, and Off 5th Saks Fifth Avenue. On the other hand, some anchors are not outlet stores at all, but rather discount stores, such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Brandsmart USA, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, Sports Authority, Super Target, and TJ Maxx. Many of the mall’s non-anchor stores are outlets that sell one particular brand, such as Adidas, Guess, Liz Claiborne, or OshKosh B’Gosh. Additionally, Sawgrass Mills contains several entertainment and dining options, including the Cheesecake Factory, GameWorks, Rainforest Café, Regal 23 Cinemas, and Wannado City.

In 2006, Sawgrass Mills received an outdoor extension of luxury outlet stores called The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass. This section of the mall is anchored by a Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center. Additional stores include outlets for Barneys New York, Burberry, Crate & Barrel, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Salvatore Ferragamo. Grand Lux Café and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro are among the dining options in this part of the mall.

Edited January 22, 200718 yr by Max

I know that it has been a very long time since I last updated this thread. I apologize for the delay. Anyway, here is the conclusion of this list:

#3: South Coast Plaza (in Costa Mesa, CA; contains 2,700,000 sq. ft. of retail space)

Like California’s second and third largest malls (Del Amo Fashion Center and Lakewood Center, respectively), South Coast Plaza—California’s largest—is located in suburban Los Angeles. However, unlike those other two malls (which cater to the middle-class), South Coast Plaza is an extremely upscale place to shop, housing such stores as Baccarat, Burberry, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tiffany & Co. The mall’s current anchors are Bloomingdale’s (which hasn’t yet opened, but is set to open in May), Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, and three Macy’s stores (one selling housewares and furniture, one selling men’s clothing, and one selling all other merchandise). (Note that Sears obviously looks out of place in such an upscale mall as this; however, the reason why it is there is because it was one of the mall’s original anchors; besides, I happen to think that the presence of a store like Sears is nice since it makes the mall somewhat more accessible to the non-wealthy.)

South Coast Plaza opened in 1967, and was originally anchored by a May Company department store and Sears. (Although the May Company location itself actually opened in 1966.) The first of several mall expansions was completed in 1973, when another anchor—Bullock’s—joined the mall. A larger expansion occurred late in the decade, which added I. Magnin, Nordstrom (which would actually relocate to another part of the mall in 1986, while its original location would be converted into mall space), and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Because of the mall’s tremendous popularity and the explosive population growth in Southern California, a decision was made again to expand the mall in the 1980’s. This expansion—the largest in the mall’s history—was completed in 1986 and was anchored by The Broadway and Robinson’s. However, unlike with previous expansion attempts, there was simply no more room to build this extension in a way that was adjacent to the mall. Therefore, this expansion—known as “Crystal Court”—was actually built as a separate mini-mall that was located across the street (yet still owned by the same individuals who owned the rest of South Coast Plaza). And, while an elevated pedestrian bridge now connects this expansion to the rest of the mall, no such bridge existed until 2000. (Note that once this bridge was installed, the name “Crystal Court” was dropped.)

Since the 1990’s, South Coast Plaza has seen many anchor changes. Below is a chronology:

1991: I. Magnin closes and is replaced by a Bullock’s Men’s Store

1993: All stores bearing the names Robinson’s or May Company are renamed “Robinsons-May.” This creates two full-line Robinsons-May stores at South Coast Plaza.

1996: As Bullock’s is renamed Macy’s, the separate Bullock’s Men’s Store becomes a Macy’s Men’s Store as well. The Broadway is also renamed Macy’s in 1996, thereby creating a third Macy’s store at the mall (with two out of the three Macy’s stores each selling everything other than men’s clothing). Keep in mind that the Macy’s located in the former Broadway store—as well as the Robinsons-May store that occupies the former Robinson’s location—are not as redundant as they seem, since the “extra” stores (of each chain) are found in Crystal Court, which (as mentioned earlier) was not connected to the rest of the mall.

2000: The construction of the pedestrian bridge connecting Crystal Court to the rest of South Coast Plaza has a profound effect on the mall’s anchors, since the extra Macy’s and Robinsons-May stores are now completely redundant; therefore, both Macy’s and Robinsons-May close their Crystal Court locations, while keeping their locations in the main part of the mall open. However, the Crystal Court vacancies don’t last long, as the closed Macy’s store re-opens as a Macy’s Home and Furniture, and the closed Robinsons-May is turned into mall space (most of which is occupied by Borders and Crate & Barrel).

2006: Robinsons-May is renamed Macy’s. However, the remaining Robinsons-May location at South Coast Plaza does not become a Macy’s because the mall already has three Macy’s stores. Yet, Federated Department Stores (the owners of Macy’s) decides not to close the former Robinsons-May store altogether, but instead chooses to convert that particular location into a Bloomingdale’s (which is the only department store chain aside from Macy’s that the company still operates). While the Bloomingdale’s is not yet open (because of the extensive renovations needed to turn a building that housed a mid-tier department store like Robinsons-May into a luxury department store), it is scheduled to open in May 2007.

Before I conclude, it should be noted that South Coast Plaza is not only one of the country’s biggest malls, but one of its most famous as well, given the fact that the mall has been mentioned on many popular television shows including Beverly Hills, 90210; Laguna Beach; and The OC. Additionally, because of all the upscale shops it houses, the mall is also frequented by Hollywood celebrities. As this mall gets ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary, an extensive remodeling effort is now underway that is set to be finished this fall.

#2: Mall of America (in Bloomington, MN; contains 2,777,918 sq. ft. of retail space)

Mall of America is by far America’s most famous mall and its most visited (getting more than 40 million visitors each year). Since this suburban Minneapolis mall opened back in 1992, it has been anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sears. (Note that it is unusual for a mall—even for one that dates back to just 1992—to have never experienced an anchor change.) In terms of total area, Mall of America is also the country’s biggest mall (at 4.2 million square feet.) However, since much of the mall is used for entertainment (and not retail) purposes, Mall of America is only the USA’s second largest mall in terms of the total amount of area devoted to just retail.

The genesis for Mall of America dated back to 1982; that year, both the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings decided to leave Bloomington’s Metropolitan Stadium so that they could move to the newly built Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. After the Metropolitan Stadium closed, developers mulled over four different possibilities concerning the matter of what should be built on the site of the former stadium: a new convention center, condominiums, office complexes, or a massive mall that contained both retail and entertainment venues. Of course, the last option was decided upon, and on June 14, 1989, groundbreaking occurred on what would become the Mall of America. Amid great fanfare, the mall opened its doors on August 11, 1992.

Mall of America’s 520-plus stores are spread out over three floors. (Note that there is a fourth floor, which is much smaller in size than the other three. However, it was intended to be used primarily for entertainment purposes, and is now virtually empty; the only businesses currently on that floor are AMC Theatres and a Hooters restaurant.) Each of these three floors is rectangular in shape, with a department store in each corner: the northwest corner houses Nordstrom, the northeast corner houses Sears, the southeast corner houses Bloomingdale’s, and the southwest corner houses Macy’s. While the hallways connecting these anchors contain the mall’s shops, the courtyard-like area in the middle of the rectangle marks the location of the mall’s amusement park (more on that later).

One interesting aspect about the Mall of America’s design is that each of the four hallways (found on the mall’s lower three floors) has its own theme, which makes one feel as if he is in a separate “mini-mall.” The hallway connecting Nordstrom to Sears—known as North Garden—is intended to make one feel as if he is shopping on an outdoor “Main Street.” The stores in this portion of the mall tend to be among the mall’s most affordable shops. East Broadway—the hallway connecting Sears to Bloomingdale’s—gives off a flashy, Times Square like ambience, complete with lots of neon signs. The mall’s most upscale area is South Avenue, which is the hallway that connects Bloomingdale’s to Macy’s. Its subdued coloring scheme conveys a feeling of elegance. Finally, there is West Market. This hallway—which connects Macy’s to Nordstrom—is designed to feel like an outdoor marketplace (such as Boston’s Fanneuil Hall) in an attempt to cater to young adults.

As mentioned earlier, Mall of America houses many entertainment venues. Below is a list of the most popular venues, along with a brief description of each:

*A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation: This section of the mall allows visitors to simulate flying military aircraft.

*Dinosaur Walk Museum: Here, mall visitors can view over 60 replicas of different dinosaur species. (Note: Between the time I originally wrote about this, to the time I posted this information, it seems as if information about the Dinosaur Walk Museum has been taken off the Mall of America’s website. Therefore, I am uncertain as to whether or not this venue still exists.)

*Lego Imagination Center: At the Lego Imagination Center, one can view over 90 gigantic figures all made from Lego blocks, including the world’s largest Lego Clock Tower. Also, both children and their parents can build their own Lego creations.

*NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway: This area allows one to simulate driving high-speed NASCAR automobiles. The NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway also houses a gift shop where fans can purchase their favorite NASCAR memorabilia.

*The Park at MOA: The Park at MOA is undeniably the crown jewel of Mall of America’s entertainment venues. It is the nation’s largest indoor amusement park, containing over 30 different rides and attractions. Note that this amusement park was originally named “Camp Snoopy,” and was filled with characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip. (Interestingly enough, “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz was born in Minnesota.) In January 2006, however, the mall lost the rights to use the “Peanuts” characters and decided to rename its amusement park “The Park at MOA.”

*Underwater Adventures Aquarium: This venue is home to more than 4,500 marine creatures, including a 180-pound alligator. In particular, Underwater Adventures Aquarium is noted for housing one of the largest shark collections in the world.

Before I conclude, I just want to mention one interesting side note: Southdale Center—the country’s oldest indoor shopping mall—just happens to be a short distance away from Mall of America. Located in the nearby town of Edina, Minnesota, Southdale opened back in 1956 and is currently anchored by JC Penney, Macy’s, and Marshalls. (Note that while other indoor centers may date back prior to 1956, all such malls originally opened as outdoor malls, and therefore cannot be considered the country’s oldest indoor mall.) When Mall of America opened in 1992, many assumed that Southdale Center would be dead in just a couple of years; however, just the opposite has occurred, and Southdale is still thriving. It turns out that a major mall renovation, combined with Southdale’s ability to market itself to locals as a smaller-sized alternative to the gigantic Mall of America, were the reasons as to why the mall survived.

#1: King of Prussia Mall (in King of Prussia, PA; contains 2,798,956 sq. ft. of retail space)

Many people—myself included—would be (or were) surprised to find out that the country’s largest mall (in terms of total space devoted to retail) is not Mall of America, but instead King of Prussia Mall. This suburban Philadelphia shopping complex actually consists of two separate malls joined by an outdoor pedestrian crosswalk: The Court at King of Prussia and the Plaza at King of Prussia. (Note that the term “King of Prussia Mall” refers to both the Court and the Plaza together as one entity.) The Court, which is the smaller of the two malls, is anchored by Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, while the much larger Plaza is currently anchored by JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sears, and another full-line Macy’s location.

When discussing King of Prussia’s history, I’d like to separately discuss each of the two malls, starting with the Court at King of Prussia. The Court was actually built in 1981, some eighteen years after the Plaza opened. Originally anchored by Abraham & Straus (A&S), Bamberger’s, and Bloomingdale’s, the Court was intended to attract more upscale shoppers than the Plaza. The Court has underwent several anchor changes, the first of which came in 1986 when Bamberger’s was renamed Macy’s. The following year, A&S closed its King of Prussia location; however, this location did not remain vacant for long since Strawbridge & Clothier opened a store there in 1988. Strawbridge’s (which was the shortened name for Strawbridge & Clothier that debuted in 1997) would remain open until the early 2000’s, when the location at the Court was finally closed due to the fact that the chain had also been operating a separate location at the Plaza since 1997. Upon the closure, another department store did not arrive to occupy the vacant building. Rather, the former Strawbridge’s location was turned into the “Pavilion at King of Prussia,” a collection of mall shops (including Borders, Ethan Allen, and Urban Outfitters) that are among the largest non-department store retailers currently found at the mall.

The older and larger Plaza at King of Prussia dates back to 1963, when it opened as an outdoor mall and was anchored by an Acme Supermarket, E.J. Korvette (which was a Wal-Mart/K-Mart/Target type store), a large Woolworth store, and three traditional department stores: Gimbel’s, JC Penney, and John Wanamaker. By the late-1970’s, the Plaza had taken off in terms of its popularity and was turned into an indoor mall. Although the Plaza lost its first anchor when E.J. Korvette went out of business in 1980, the mall would undergo an expansion in 1981 (the same year that the Court opened) that brought with it a brand new Sears along with more smaller stores. Despite the mall’s success, however, more anchor changes were to follow: for instance, Gimbel’s went out of business in 1986 and was replaced by Stern’s, which itself would close its King of Prussia location in 1990, and Acme closed its store in 1993. Additionally, JC Penney would relocate into the former Gimbel’s/Stern’s building in 1990 (as JC Penney’s original location would be converted into mall space) while Woolworth closed its large store in 1993 and moved into a much smaller store found inside the Plaza (that would last until that chain went out of business in 1997).

When King of Prussia wanted to expand (yet again) to include an ultra-upscale wing of stores in the 1990’s, a dilemma presented itself: Adding such an upscale wing to the Plaza would seem somewhat “out of place,” since that mall was targeted to the middle-class shopper. On the other hand, an expansion onto the Court (which would seem to be the more obvious choice, given the fact that it had always been targeted to wealthier customers) was not feasible, since the Court was on a relatively small piece of land. To resolve the situation, a decision was made to expand onto the Plaza yet essentially segregate it into two separate malls of its own: the existing portion anchored by JC Penney, John Wanamaker, and Sears—which would still be targeted towards middle-class customers—and the extended portion (that was built on the site of the former Acme, Woolworth, and surrounding stores that had all been demolished) of the mall, which finally opened in 1995 & 1996 and was anchored by Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. (To illustrate further what I meant when I said that the two portions of the Plaza were segregated, what I was referring to was the fact that the small shops geared towards middle-income shoppers—such as Foot Locker, F.Y.E., and Lane Bryant—would all be located in the older portion of the mall, while the small shops geared towards the wealthy—such as Coach, The Sharper Image, and Williams-Sonoma—would all be located in the 1995 & 1996 extension.)

The most recent anchor changes at the Plaza at King of Prussia all involve the former John Wanamaker building. In 1995, John Wanamaker was renamed Hecht’s. Yet, just two years later, all Philadelphia-area Hecht’s were renamed Strawbridge’s. (Note that the Hecht’s name did not itself cease to exist in 1997, as all Hecht’s locations outside of the Philadelphia-area continued to operate under that nameplate until just last year.) Finally, in 2006, Strawbridge’s was renamed Macy’s. However, putting a Macy’s in the Plaza really does not make much business sense, given the fact that a Macy’s location is also found in the Court. Therefore, a decision has been made to close the Macy’s location in the Plaza while keeping open the larger location in the Court. Unfortunately for Macy’s, a contractual clause Strawbridge’s had with the King of Prussia Mall requires that chain (Macy’s) to continue to operate its location in the Plaza until a new tenant can be found. While no chain has yet to announce its intention to move into the Macy’s location in the Plaza, there have been rumors that the following four chains (the first two of which are regional department stores) are interested in the space: Boscov’s, Fortunoff, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Target.

Edited March 10, 200718 yr by Max

Hey Max. I used to live in King of Prussia and once knew that mall quite well.

Here is a list of the largest Malls in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_w..._shopping_malls

As Darraholic suggests, The West Edmonton Mall is the largest in North America, but ranks 7th in the world.

Downtown Montreal is a curious place for shopping malls. Many are in the "Undergound City" and connnected by underground pedestrian passages (and subway trains). I wonder how big the whole conglomeration of shopping concourses would be if we counted the ones connected indoors by foot traffic only.

I would love to visit the Mall of America sometime!

Scotty, I really want to visit the Mall of America too! Actually, I am likely to go to the mall this year for my annual vacation. And, the following year, I plan to spend my vacation by visiting the King of Prussia Mall.

And Brandeis, thank you for that fascinating list of the world's largest shopping malls. Hopefully, one day I will also be able to visit those really neat underground Montreal malls.

Edited March 10, 200718 yr by Max

^^That sounds like a fun trip. I could get lost in a mall that size for at least a week. I could just live in the mall, and never leave. It would have everything I would ever need.

I have been to West Edmonton Mall (5th largest in the world, largest in the Western Hemisphere) and it ROCKS.

The amusement park inside the mall is great and the World Waterpark is the best waterpark I have ever been too.

The Lake in the middle of the mall with the Santa Maria ship replica is pretty cool too.