St. Louis area Sears are closing (Chesterfield, Crestwood: houses, live, prices)

[glamatomic]

According to CNN, the Sears at South County Mall and the Sears at Chesterfield Mall have been slated for closure in September of this year. I think that only leaves Mid Rivers open on the MO side of the STL Metro?

I'm admittedly sad that the one at SoCo is closing- it is by far the nicest Sears store in the area, although that entire wing of the mall is relatively dead.

[aliasfinn]

I haven't been to a Sears since the one at Northwest Plaza bit the dust.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

According to CNN, the Sears at South County Mall and the Sears at Chesterfield Mall have been slated for closure in September of this year. I think that only leaves Mid Rivers open on the MO side of the STL Metro?

I'm admittedly sad that the one at SoCo is closing- it is by far the nicest Sears store in the area, although that entire wing of the mall is relatively dead.

Wow. I'm from South County. I lived 5 minutes from the mall. While South County mall isn't the West County mall it still does decent amount of business. I'm shocked. Especially being the only mall in that area with Crestwood now gone.

I wonder who they will get to move into there. I can't imagine they leave it vacant. Could they get someone like Kohls to move into there? I know there are others close by though.

Any ideas of what retailer could move into there?

It's funny how many said South county mall was crappy. I live here in Charlotte County FL and our mall makes South County Mall look like Mall of America. Our mall is old, leaky roof, vacant stores, a ghost town even during snowbird season and not a good selection of stores and the retailers like Macy's JCpenny, Sears, Dillards don't have a good selection of clothes. I end up driving down to Estero to Miramar Outlet 40 miles away.

I have to wonder if the Sears at our Mall here will close then. If it does that will be a major blow to that mall big time and I wonder if it will lead to its demise eventually. Will such then I will always have to drive 45 minutes to the closest mall then.

[glamatomic]

Aliasfinn: I know I've said it before, but I bought my bed from Sears in Northwest Plaza when I first moved to the STL in 2006. I legitimately wasn't aware of the reputation that the mall had already garnered, and found how quiet it was to be rather surreal.

I can't have been too put off though, because I recall shopping at the Macy's there, too.

MOForthewin- it is a big surprise to me too. I believe that Sears was part of a (1990s or early 2000s?) expansion and it is seriously nice as far as Sears go - the best staff as well.

With that said, most of the activity in the mall is centered around the original wing which houses Macy's, JCPenney, Starbucks, etc. I believe the Food Court was put in at the same time as the Sears, even though it's positioned just off the original wing. The playground was moved from just out front of Sears to the middle of the Food Court within the last 2 years (which is awesome, my kids love it).

The lack of activity and amount of vacant stores along the Sears and Dillards wing make it feel like an entirely different Mall to the old wing though. It is genuinely sad.

From what I understand, there was originally a basement floor beneath the original wing- JCPenney still has a retail basement- but apparently it used to exit and there was actually a basement level of shops, including a National Foodmarket and Walgreens.

At some point the basement floor was closed off and is apparently just now storage.

Obviously I'm rambling, and obviously I'm slightly too obsessed with malls!

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

Aliasfinn: I know I've said it before, but I bought my bed from Sears in Northwest Plaza when I first moved to the STL in 2006. I legitimately wasn't aware of the reputation that the mall had already garnered, and found how quiet it was to be rather surreal.

I can't have been too put off though, because I recall shopping at the Macy's there, too.

MOForthewin- it is a big surprise to me too. I believe that Sears was part of a (1990s or early 2000s?) expansion and it is seriously nice as far as Sears go - the best staff as well.

With that said, most of the activity in the mall is centered around the original wing which houses Macy's, JCPenney, Starbucks, etc. I believe the Food Court was put in at the same time as the Sears, even though it's positioned just off the original wing. The playground was moved from just out front of Sears to the middle of the Food Court within the last 2 years (which is awesome, my kids love it).

The lack of activity and amount of vacant stores along the Sears and Dillards wing make it feel like an entirely different Mall to the old wing though. It is genuinely sad.

From what I understand, there was originally a basement floor beneath the original wing- JCPenney still has a retail basement- but apparently it used to exit and there was actually a basement level of shops, including a National Foodmarket and Walgreens.

At some point the basement floor was closed off and is apparently just now storage.

Obviously I'm rambling, and obviously I'm slightly too obsessed with malls!

I'm 34 but don't ever remember a basement wing unless that's before my time.

I don't see south county mall going anywhere. It's still a nice small for its size and is still fairly busy and the only mall in the area now with Crestwood gone.

What is going up in place of Crestwood mall?

[glamatomic]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

I'm 34 but don't ever remember a basement wing unless that's before my time.

I don't see south county mall going anywhere. It's still a nice small for its size and is still fairly busy and the only mall in the area now with Crestwood gone.

What is going up in place of Crestwood mall?

It was well before my time in St. Louis as well. I'm about the same age as you but moved here initially when I was 22.

I could be wrong, but I believe the basement was closed off in the 70s or early 80s. I was honestly surprised that it even existed- an elderly JC Penney worker mentioned it to me, and scouring the web and vintage Post Dispatch articles, it appears to be true.

I also doubt/hope South County Mall isn't going anywhere.

SoCo aside, I'm interested to see how Chesterfield Mall's redevelopment plans work out for them.

[Hazel W]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

According to CNN, the Sears at South County Mall and the Sears at Chesterfield Mall have been slated for closure in September of this year. I think that only leaves Mid Rivers open on the MO side of the STL Metro?

I'm admittedly sad that the one at SoCo is closing- it is by far the nicest Sears store in the area, although that entire wing of the mall is relatively dead.

Thank you, glamatomic, for this. I knew two were closing but the business newsletters only entice with headlines. We have to pay to read the facts. Guess I am a tightwad.



South County? I suppose it depends on your experiences at that store. Mine were not good but I'll leave it at that and a hope that we get something better.


As for that end of the mall being dead, have you been on the lower level? There is the post office. There is a Medicare office. There is an electronics store whose name I forget. There are a jewelry store and a nail salon. And there is the back entrance into Macy's. That is only some of the stores on that level. There is even an exit to the parking lot.


Perhaps the "dead" is on another level that I've not been to - third level? I actually got lost up there recently. That mall is larger than we realize.


But, Sears? A long history that has finally gone the way of Montgomery Ward, perhaps for the same reason - poor service. We still have Dillard's and Macy's. Both of those are good. Macy's has excellent service. So has Dillard's once you find an associate. Dillard's could afford to hire more people.


Enough from me. Thank you, glamatomic, for the information.

[GoCardinals]

Last year I visited the one in Chesterfield.
I immediately told my wife that this was going to close down.

Huge space (astronomical rent), high prices on the merchandise, and more employees than customers.

Chesterfield mall is also dead.

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by GoCardinals

Last year I visited the one in Chesterfield.
I immediately told my wife that this was going to close down.

Huge space (astronomical rent), high prices on the merchandise, and more employees than customers.

Chesterfield mall is also dead.

When I moved to the area just a few years ago, I remember thinking that Chesterfield looked like a very healthy mall. It's amazing how quickly it's declined. I guess there's only room for a few malls in St Louis, and West County Center is the winner for that portion of the region.

[Hector2]

Originally Posted by Angus215

When I moved to the area just a few years ago, I remember thinking that Chesterfield looked like a very healthy mall. It's amazing how quickly it's declined. I guess there's only room for a few malls in St Louis, and West County Center is the winner for that portion of the region.

The two nearby outlets also played their part. And only on of those is surviving.