12 more extinct mall stores you will never shop at again

Take a tour through a shopping mall of the past.

Image: AP Photo/Jim Mone

Shopping malls are an endangered species. Once the massive T. Rex of American retail, the indoor shopping mall has been struggling to survive after the massive meteor strike of e-commerce. Dozens of chains that once stretched from coast to coast have gone extinct.

As kids, the mall was our movie theater, our watering hole, our recreation center, our gathering site, our wardrobe. We pumped quarters into arcade games while sipping Orange Julius. We kept up with the latest fashions at Chess King and Contempo Casuals.

Previously, we took a look at 13 defunct mall stores. Now, it's time to strap on a pair of Jox sneakers and again go mall-walking back in time.

Here are a dozen more mall staples you'll have to live without.

1. Aladdin's Castle

 

There were easier ways to lose money at the mall than the record store. You could spend hours trying to beat Donkey Kong in Aladdin's Castle. The chain of arcades rode the wave of coin-op video games, but faded away thanks to home consoles. We can still hear the 8-bit din.

Image: allthingsmediapa.com

2. Dora Dale

 

It's hard to find much on this old school women's clothing retailer, which catered to plus-sizes. In the 1980s, it also capitalized on the mall-walking trend, offering discounts to those trotting around the atriums.

Image: masslive.com

3. Egghead Software

 

The self-proclaimed "North America's Software Eggsperts" were fond of egg puns, and featured a mascot, Professor Egghead, who looked like Albert Einstein — but an egg. Naturally. This was the spot to upgrade your PC in the 1980s.

Image: fanboy.com

4. Fashion Bug

 

As the company's toll-free number, 1-800-FB-FITS-U, implied, Fashion Bug offered a wide range of sizes for all women. The shorts in this 1980s ad would go well with some Fruit Stripe gum.

Image: indicustom / Tumblr

5. Foxmoor

 

This women's casual clothing chain had 225 locations as of 1990, when it was sucked up by the Edison Brothers Stores conglomerate, who also operated J. Riggings, a menswear joint below. It was a hot spot for teens in the '70s and '80s, with a name that sounded a little more upscale than, say, "Fashion Bug."

Image: Katie Balamucki / Pinterest

6. Hot Sam Pretzels

 

Time for a bite to eat! Auntie Ann's may have cornered the market in twisted bread, but back in the day we liked to nosh on some Hot Sam. Over time, the brand was converted to the Pretzel Time name.

Image: linkapedia.food.com

7. J. Riggings

 

As mentioned above, the Edison's corporation absorbed this struggling chain in 1987 and gave it life for another decade or so. As the tag touted, J. Riggings sportswear was established in 1969.

Image: terapeak

8. K•B Toys

 

Formerly known as Kay Bee Toys, this chain ruled the indoor mall scene. In fact, the company once branded itself with the simple slogan "The Toy Store in the Mall." In 2009, K•B was liquidated as its remains were gobbled up by Toys "R" Us like Pac-Man. Check out 6 more toy stores you will never shop at again.

Image: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

9. Thom McAn

 

The Thom McAn brand still survives on Sears and Kmart shoe racks, but the name was once a thriving brand of stand-alone shops. Odds are, if you grew up in the 1960s or 1970s, your parents got you some footwear at McAn. It's own brand of Jox sneakers, which looked a bit like Onitsuka Tigers minus a stripe, were pretty cool in hindsight. We'd love a vintage pair now.

Images: blogintomystery / justseventeen

10. Waldenbooks

 

What hath you wrought, Kindle? E-readers have mortally wounded chain bookstores — a business that never had great margins to begin with. Waldenbooks were around for most of us before Barnes & Noble pulled into town. Remember when you could get a paperback for a few bucks?

Image: Mike Kalasnik / Flickr

11. Weathervane

 

This teen girl hotspot is another ghost on the internet, though you can see it listed on the directory with Dora Dale above. "Weathervane, which features its own brand label, expanded quickly in the '90s, selling value-priced clothing aimed at women. The company changed its focus to the teen market in 1996-97. It filed for bankruptcy protection in 1998, shrank from 104 to about 50 locations, and emerged in 1999 with significant ownership by outside investors." So said a Hartford Courant article from 2004.

Image: mallsofamerica

12. Ups N Downs

 

Hardly a name to inspire confidence in investors, no?

Image: syracusenostalgia.com

SEE MORE: 13 BYGONE MALL STORES WE WANT TO SHOP AT AGAIN

 

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4 Comments

timothys71 27 days ago
The malls in my hometown are still there, but sadly, they are pretty much empty. However, there are a lot of small strip malls
Nancy 56 months ago
Weathervane! Just got 2 compliments yesterday on a sweater I got in the 70's or 80's. Of course, it has a detailed pattern sewn in. Check this out! https://www.google.com/search?q=weathervane+sweater&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjGhNajrODnAhVQheAKHWSwB5kQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=weathervane+sweater&gs_l=img.3..0i24.2270508.2273501..2273613...0.0..0.151.2459.0j18......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67j0j0i30j0i5i30j0i8i30.EZKJB4cjZQ0&ei=XphOXsbdFNCKggfk4J7ICQ&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS871US871
ndebrabant 71 months ago
Loved Waldenbooks. Was always in that store.
timothys71 ndebrabant 27 days ago
Me too. One of our malls had Waldenbooks, and the other had B. Dalton. I'm pretty sure both chains are now defunct.
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