Retroguy 76's blog

 And just like that, another NJ mall is heading to that dead mall heaven in the sky. Back on Black Friday weekend I visited the mall and I knew they wanted it closed soon. Leases were not up for renewal so now what happens after Saturday what is staying and what is going?? The AMC theatre, Barnes and  Noble and JC Penny remain. Seems like Macy’s run at the mall will come to an end after this store started it all over 50 years ago with a standalone Bamberger’s. This mall I commonly never went to as much but I went there more when I moved to Woodbridge in the early 90’s it wasn’t a super mall like Paramus, Willowbrook or Freehold but locals loved it. Rip Brunswick Square Mall 1973-2026 

 Stern’s when their brand opened in malls throughout New Jersey. The stores beginning started out in NYC before opening its headquarters in Paramus when their huge Bergen Mall store opened in the 1950’s. Their stores are no more after 2001 with the Macy’s rebranding.                                    Wayne 1970 Under the Stern Brothers name, their second mall store opened at the new Willowbrook Mall in Wayne replacing the downtown Paterson store which was with Quakenbush. This was a large store with 3 levels of merchandise sadly they closed in 2001 and replaced with Bloomingdale’s which is still at Willowbrook to this day.                                  Woodbridge 1971  Another large Stern’s opening at the Woodbridge Center mall as the malls third anchor after the malls opening earlier in the year. Thi...

 On my vlogs recently looking at the state of some malls are I didn’t think it would be possible for a chain in the different region of the US would open a store in the Northeast. Well I better hold my beer. Midwest retailer Von Maur will be setting its sights on New Jersey with their first store coming to the Freehold Raceway Mall this is the stores first effort into the Garden State and will be replacing Nordstrom that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic I don’t know much about this chain with it just being headquartered in Iowa 

 After seeing pics and hearing rumors of Brunswick Square Malls future what is exactly going to happen with a regional 50 plus year old mall will it be up for a redevelopment??!! From reading yes. As confirmed the mall will be getting redeveloped for work and retail space bringing in a pickleball court, Nordstrom rack, J crew and others.The existing AMC theatre and Barnes and Noble will remain. Im not sure what will happen with the 2 existing anchors which has been there since the 1970’s but looking inside the mall a few months later after my first blog post in January. The Macy’s has turned into a clearance center in which clothing, furniture and household goods are discounted 1/2 off. Add both the second and third level of that store is blocked off unless you’re an employee. Also access from that store into the mall or vice versa is blocked off. The vacancies have gone up in the mall itself with Old Navy and Famous Footwear closed leaving the local stores which are on the verge o...

 after a brief hiatus back to action and checking out the South Jersey Malls as part of the Philadelphia region is the Moorestown Mall  This Mall opened in 1963 off rt 38 and a few miles down the road from the Cherry Hill Mall. This mall started out with Gimbel's, John Wanamaker's and Woolworth's as anchors. Sears was added to the mall in 1971. Lord and Taylor opened in 2000. Anchor changes started in the 1980's as Gimbel's went out of business and the store was converted to Stern's which had a short life at the mall and Philadelphia region and closed. 4 years later in 1990. Ports of the World which was a concept of Boscov's opened in the Stern's spot quickly converted to a actual Boscov's and is the only remaining anchor. Wanamaker's closed in 1995 and replaced with Hecht's which lasted a year at the mall. Strawbridge's would open and remain at the mall till 2006 when Macy's took over and lasted till 2017. Woolworth's would close...

 A look at the Cherry Hill Mall  Cherry Hill opened in 1961 in which the Rouse Company and famed designer Victor Gruen would develop this shopping center well before Rouse developed Willowbrook, Woodbridge and Paramus Park in the late 60's to early 70's.  The mall opened in 1961 with Strawbridge and Clothier, Woolworth's, S.S. Kresge and Food Fair. Newark based Bamberger's would join the mall in 1962. The malls third anchor wouldn't come for a full decade which was in 1979 as JC Penny opened. Anchor changes would be Bamberger's converting to Macy's in 1986 and Strawbridge's closing in 2006 as the store would be demolished to make way for a Nordstrom and the first one in the South Jersey region in 2009. after the chain opened stores in central and northern New Jersey in the 1990's. The mall has gone thru renovations in the 1990's and late 2000's. Also coming to Cherry Hill will be Dick's house of sport concept which will replace the One Ch...