Waldenbooks @ Penn Square Mall is Leaving....

[z28james]

I was at work today and a Waldenbooks employee told me today that their lease was up this winter and they got outbid. They are probobly going to start liquidation right after Xmas. The manager there said that the mall told them the store that got the lease has been waiting for a long time to get in PSM and that they heard by rumor is would be a H&M or Forever 21. Which to me it kinda of makes sense becuase they have a large store and a huge stockroom, but its all rumor right now. As far as Borders goes, supposedly all Borders are still staying open.

[MikeOKC]

I knew they were phasing out a lot of the Walden locations so this doesn't surprise me. The day of the mall bookstore is gone. Kinda sad as that's where I would head when my wife went shopping and I didn't want to look at purses or whatever for an hour. You could always find a B. Dalton or Waldenbooks - no more.

[jbkrems]

This doesn't surprise me, the Waldenbooks in the St Louis Galleria had to leave a long time ago, and that mall is much further along than Penn Square.

[Patrick]

It could be either Forever 21 or H&M. I'd put my money on Forever 21. Both stores have been on Penn Square's waiting list for a very long time. Forever 21 has been on there longer though. They've essentially been waiting for a store ever since they closed their Gadzooks location there. They signed an agreement with the mall that they'd give up their Gadzooks location for selection of a larger location for a Forever 21 store at a later date. So essentially, this space was promised for quite some time.

Although I think it will probably be Forever 21, don't count out Anthropologie, because they have also been promised a space in the mall in the near future.

[jbkrems]

Do you think Forever 21 could fit in the Waldenbooks space ? It seems to me that it would be too small for them. unless they are taking up two spaces.

[Midtowner]

That's unfortunate. Some of the stores at Penn are starting to look very Crossroads-like.

[BBatesokc]

I'm actually okay with the current style of bookstores vacating the malls. I don't personally feel they are much of a draw to a mall in general when the free standing stores are so much larger and inviting to just come and, read, get a coffee and stay awhile. Now, if Penn Sq. had a Border's similar to the free standing one on NW Exp. I could see myself going to the mall more often and checking out the other stores too. Current mall bookstores just seem very outdated for the casual reader like myself and my wife.

But, in the line Midtowner was taking - I find many of the stores at Penn to be less than desirable and one of the reason I rarely visit the mall.

[progressiveboy]

That's unfortunate. Some of the stores at Penn are starting to look very Crossroads-like.

Give examples please? Apple, Coach, J Crew, Pottery Barn............these are stores not found in Crossroads or any other mall found in OKC.

[MonkeesFan]

That sucks!

[Chicken In The Rough]

I know of several malls around the country that have added a Barnes & Noble, including the Mall of America and Stonebriar in Frisco, TX. The traditional mall bookstore seems to be outmoded. As with everything else, it must be expanded and improved to remain competitive. Perhaps someday a nice bookstore will be added to Penn Square (although, I would rather shop at Full Circle across the street).

[Midtowner]

Give examples please? Apple, Coach, J Crew, Pottery Barn............these are stores not found in Crossroads or any other mall found in OKC.

Check the upper floor of the Dillard's hall and get back to me. The ghetto handbags store I think takes the cake.

[shane453]

If there is a such a long waiting list of upscale tenants with no presence in OKC like H&M, and Anthropologie, why is no one at Penn Square looking at ways to expand the space in the mall? If I were in charge of that mall and I had a global and somewhat exclusive store like H&M requesting space, I'd be designing a building addition within the week.

[bucktalk]

That's unfortunate. Some of the stores at Penn are starting to look very Crossroads-like.

100% agreement!!

[soonerfan_in_okc]

Check the upper floor of the Dillard's hall and get back to me. The ghetto handbags store I think takes the cake.

So a store that sells handbags that you consider "ghetto" is bad because??? If it brings in money, then thats all that matters in the end.

[BBatesokc]

So a store that sells handbags that you consider "ghetto" is bad because??? If it brings in money, then thats all that matters in the end.

That's pretty naive. That may be all that matters to the store's owner, but its hardly even a concern to the public. I personally don't care so much that a couple of the stores are "ghetto," "tacky," "too juvenile," whatever - what I do care about is when the stores and overall atmosphere attract a less than desirable crowd. This is one reason I think the trend is reversing back to standalone stores in shopping centers instead of malls.

[MonkeesFan]

Speaking of Waldenbooks, I honestly feel that space is pretty small, not as big as the one at Crossroads mall

[OKCMallen]

So a store that sells handbags that you consider "ghetto" is bad because??? If it brings in money, then thats all that matters in the end.

All he said was it was looking Crossroadsy. And that store is a good example. You don't want those chintzy locally owned jobs in one of your "higher end" malls. An established, national brand that isn't in our market would be much more desirable and presumably more financially stable.

[Midtowner]

So a store that sells handbags that you consider "ghetto" is bad because??? If it brings in money, then thats all that matters in the end.

Wow. You appear to be taking this very personally. If this is your store, then here is some constructive criticism:

1) Get the security door fixed. The metal bars hanging from the entryway do not add to the charm or appeal of the store.
2) Merchandising does not mean hanging every last bit of your inventory out on hooks hanging from the slot walls left by the previous tenant.
3) A dress code for employees might be a good thing.

I'm sure they're going to make money selling cheap handbags at slightly less absurd markups than departments stores. But they do look very Crossroads-like, and they most certainly are not upscale. Paying the rent in a mall shouldn't be the end all/be all of being a tenant there. There should be aesthetic requirements as well and that handbags store misses the mark.

[Midtowner]

That's pretty naive. That may be all that matters to the store's owner, but its hardly even a concern to the public. I personally don't care so much that a couple of the stores are "ghetto," "tacky," "too juvenile," whatever - what I do care about is when the stores and overall atmosphere attract a less than desirable crowd. This is one reason I think the trend is reversing back to standalone stores in shopping centers instead of malls.

Those "tacky" and "juvenile" stores don't bother me a bit. Spencer's and that other store which sells the tacky message t-shirts at least have good custom signs, are extremely well merchandised and though their employees dress in the tacky garb sold by their employers, they actually are adhering to a dress code which matches with the store. Hot Topix, etc. are fine by me so long as they are well executed.

[onthestrip]

Nu Trends, isn't that the name of one of these awful stores? I can only imagine it's there temporarily while they shuffle tenants around and make room for news ones.

[Midtowner]

Nu Trends, isn't that the name of one of these awful stores? I can only imagine it's there temporarily while they shuffle tenants around and make room for news ones.

Yes.

And I hope so.

[Patrick]

Yeah, the stores you mention are just temporary stores until they find the right permanent tenants. And all malls have those kind of local temporary tenants. Quail Springs has the same types of temporary stores. Actually, Penn has fewer of those types of stores now than in the past. The only ones I can think of are Nue Trendz and the handbags store.

Regarding the upstairs Dillards wing, the handbags store is the only one I can think of that looks "like Crossroads." Every other store up there has a permanent lease...the other stores are Aldo, New York and Company, Foot Locker, Buildabear, Vanity, Abercrombie, Hollister, Yankee Candle, Aldo accessories, Vans, The Buckle, Kays Jewelry, Icing by Claires, Lady Footlocker, Lids, Express and Express Men, Pac Sun, Aeropstale, Candyopolis, American Eagle, Payless, and Eskimo Joes. I don't see the problem....every space except that one is filled with a permanent national retailer.

And, Walden Books is a lot larger space than you think. It has a huge stock room in the back, that goes far in behind even Gamestop next door. So, the space is more than large enough for a Forever 21. But I wouldn't be surprised if On Deck or Gamestop end up leaving as well to provide space. I'm thinking that On Deck is on a temporary lease.

And IMO, a strong upscale national retailer like Forever 21 is far better than a struggling mall bookstore. I think the changeover in space is not only a good use of the space, but a sign of the strength of the mall.

[Patrick]

That's unfortunate. Some of the stores at Penn are starting to look very Crossroads-like.

I hope you're not referring to Forever 21 being a "Crossroads like store." Forever 21 is an upscale clothing national retailer, in some of the finest malls in the US.

[Patrick]

Check the upper floor of the Dillard's hall and get back to me. The ghetto handbags store I think takes the cake.

Every other store up there has a permanent lease...the other stores are Aldo, New York and Company, Foot Locker, Buildabear, Vanity, Abercrombie, Hollister, Yankee Candle, Aldo accessories, Vans, The Buckle, Kays Jewelry, Icing by Claires, Lady Footlocker, Lids, Express and Express Men, Pac Sun, Aeropstale, Candyopolis, American Eagle, Payless, and Eskimo Joes. I don't see the problem....every space except that one is filled with a permanent national retailer.

[Patrick]

If there is a such a long waiting list of upscale tenants with no presence in OKC like H&M, and Anthropologie, why is no one at Penn Square looking at ways to expand the space in the mall? If I were in charge of that mall and I had a global and somewhat exclusive store like H&M requesting space, I'd be designing a building addition within the week.

Where do you plan on putting this building addition? I think the mall is pretty limited with the small lot on which it currently sits. And, I don't know where another wing would go. They're pretty land-locked. The building won't support a 3rd floor. It would be cost-prohibitive to completely demolish the entire mall and rebuild a 3 level mall. I think they're stuck with the structure they have.