Swansea Mall
Encyclopedia
Swansea Mall is a regional shopping mall
located in Swansea, Massachusetts
. It is a large, single-level, fully enclosed facility with over 80 stores, serving the Southeastern Massachusetts
area. It is currently owned by Carlyle Swansea Partners and managed by Jones Lang Lasalle.
Located off Exit 3 of I-195
, the mall is situated at the intersection of U.S. Route 6
and Massachusetts Route 118. Located on Swansea Mall Drive, it has two out-parcel buildings, one with a Toys "R" Us and the other with a PriceRite
and Dollar Tree
. There is also a large shopping plaza across the street, which contains a movie theater.
The mall currently has three anchors, however it has room for four. The mall opened in 1975 with anchors Sears and Edgar's. Today, the mall still has its original Sears, with anchors Wal-Mart
and Macy's
. The mall also has a moderately sized food court across from the Wal-Mart anchor, along with a Ruby Tuesday.
, and Waldenbooks
). A third and fourth anchor, national discount department store Caldor
and Rhode Island-based department store Apex
, were added as part of a major expansion around 1979. Also, two out-parcels were located just south of the original mall, namely Toys R Us and Service Merchandise
. The mall thrived from the late 70s and throughout most of the 80s.
Towards the end of the 1980s, Swansea Mall began to change: Swansea 4 Cinemas had closed by the middle of the decade, and original anchor Edgars went out of business in 1985 (it was replaced by Jordan Marsh
, another local department store). In 1989, a new 3-level mall, Emerald Square
, opened in nearby North Attleborough, Massachusetts
. Its presence pulled in much of the area's consumer base and hurt many local malls in the area, including Swansea Mall. In 1996, Jordan Marsh
went out of business and was bought by Macy's
. Caldor
suffered damage in a fire in 1997, closed for a year to renovation, and ultimately closed its doors for good when the company went out of business in 1999. 2 years later Apex
followed suit and closed its doors as well. To combat loss of business to Emerald Square
and other burgeoning local business centers, a food court
- consisting of Taco Bell
, Dunkin' Donuts
, McDonald's
and other smaller fast food businesses - was opened to compete with other malls and their services. By the year 2000, about half of the stores lay vacant in the mall.
In 2001, Wal-Mart
stepped into the old Caldor
location and helped to revive foot traffic to the mall. Across the street, a 12-screen Regal Theatres megaplex in the Swansea Crossing shopping plaza also increased the number of customers back to the area and to the mall. In 2007, a section of vacated stores was closed off to accommodate Old Navy
, which opened in October of that year. Current stores include Aéropostale
, Bath & Body Works
, Borders
Express, FYE
, GameStop, Hallmark
, Olympia Sports, PacSun, PayHalf, Radio Shack
, and Victoria's Secret
. Toys R Us is still open in the south parcel and the former Service Merchandise
building now holds Dollar Tree
and PriceRite
stores.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in Swansea, Massachusetts
Swansea, Massachusetts
Swansea is a town in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts.It is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 miles south of Boston; and 12 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island....
. It is a large, single-level, fully enclosed facility with over 80 stores, serving the Southeastern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
area. It is currently owned by Carlyle Swansea Partners and managed by Jones Lang Lasalle.
Located off Exit 3 of I-195
Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...
, the mall is situated at the intersection of U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and Massachusetts Route 118. Located on Swansea Mall Drive, it has two out-parcel buildings, one with a Toys "R" Us and the other with a PriceRite
PriceRite
PriceRite, based in Wethersfield, CT, is a chain of limited-assortment supermarkets throughout the U.S. States of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland and California. There are currently 49 PriceRite stores and the chain is growing fast, opening 6 new stores...
and Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree, Inc. is an American chain of discount variety stores that sells every item for $1.00 or less. A Fortune 500 company, Dollar Tree is headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia and operates 4,010 stores throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Its stores are supported by a nationwide...
. There is also a large shopping plaza across the street, which contains a movie theater.
The mall currently has three anchors, however it has room for four. The mall opened in 1975 with anchors Sears and Edgar's. Today, the mall still has its original Sears, with anchors Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. The mall also has a moderately sized food court across from the Wal-Mart anchor, along with a Ruby Tuesday.
History
Built around 1975, Swansea Mall originally opened with 2 anchors: Sears and Edgars. . The mall even had a 4-screen movie theater, arcade, and the popular chain stores of the time (for example, B. Dalton Bookseller, Kay Bee Toys, Papa Gino'sPapa Gino's
Papa Gino's is a restaurant chain based in Dedham, Massachusetts specializing in American-style pizza along with pasta, subs, salads, and a variety of appetizers...
, and Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks , operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc., was an American shopping mall-based bookstore chain and a subsidiary of Borders Group. The chain also ran a video game and software chain under the name Waldensoftware as well as a children's edutainment chain under Walden Kids...
). A third and fourth anchor, national discount department store Caldor
Caldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
and Rhode Island-based department store Apex
Apex Stores
Apex including Apexstores.com, the Apex Tire & Service Center, Apex At Home and apex advantage make up the retail division of the Apex Companies based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The Apex Companies were founded by Albert Pilavin in 1924. Apex was originally started as a tire retreading, automotive...
, were added as part of a major expansion around 1979. Also, two out-parcels were located just south of the original mall, namely Toys R Us and Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
. The mall thrived from the late 70s and throughout most of the 80s.
Towards the end of the 1980s, Swansea Mall began to change: Swansea 4 Cinemas had closed by the middle of the decade, and original anchor Edgars went out of business in 1985 (it was replaced by Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
, another local department store). In 1989, a new 3-level mall, Emerald Square
Emerald Square
Emerald Square is a large three-story indoor shopping mall in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. One of the largest malls in New England with over 170 stores and restaurants, the mall is located off Interstate 295 and US 1. It is anchored by J.C...
, opened in nearby North Attleborough, Massachusetts
North Attleborough, Massachusetts
North Attleborough, commonly written North Attleboro, is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,712 at the 2010 United States Census.The village of North Attleborough Center is located in the town.-History:...
. Its presence pulled in much of the area's consumer base and hurt many local malls in the area, including Swansea Mall. In 1996, Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
went out of business and was bought by Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. Caldor
Caldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
suffered damage in a fire in 1997, closed for a year to renovation, and ultimately closed its doors for good when the company went out of business in 1999. 2 years later Apex
Apex Stores
Apex including Apexstores.com, the Apex Tire & Service Center, Apex At Home and apex advantage make up the retail division of the Apex Companies based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The Apex Companies were founded by Albert Pilavin in 1924. Apex was originally started as a tire retreading, automotive...
followed suit and closed its doors as well. To combat loss of business to Emerald Square
Emerald Square
Emerald Square is a large three-story indoor shopping mall in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. One of the largest malls in New England with over 170 stores and restaurants, the mall is located off Interstate 295 and US 1. It is anchored by J.C...
and other burgeoning local business centers, a food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
- consisting of Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
, Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
and other smaller fast food businesses - was opened to compete with other malls and their services. By the year 2000, about half of the stores lay vacant in the mall.
In 2001, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
stepped into the old Caldor
Caldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
location and helped to revive foot traffic to the mall. Across the street, a 12-screen Regal Theatres megaplex in the Swansea Crossing shopping plaza also increased the number of customers back to the area and to the mall. In 2007, a section of vacated stores was closed off to accommodate Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, which opened in October of that year. Current stores include Aéropostale
Aéropostale (clothing)
Aéropostale, Inc. is a mall-based, specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories, principally targeting 14-to-17-year-old young women and men through its Aéropostale stores and 7-to-12-year-old kids through its P.S. from Aéropostale stores...
, Bath & Body Works
Bath & Body Works
Bath & Body Works, LLC, is an American retail store under the Limited Brands umbrella. It was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio and has since expanded across the United States and Canada. It specializes in lotions, bath items, personal care items, and home fragrances.The company launched both a...
, Borders
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
Express, FYE
Fyé
Fyé is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
, GameStop, Hallmark
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
, Olympia Sports, PacSun, PayHalf, Radio Shack
Radio shack
Radio shack is a slang term for a room or structure for housing radio equipment.-History:In the early days of radio, equipment was experimental and home-built. The first radio transmitters used a noisy spark to generate radio waves and were often housed in a garage or shed. When radio was first...
, and Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
. Toys R Us is still open in the south parcel and the former Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
building now holds Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree, Inc. is an American chain of discount variety stores that sells every item for $1.00 or less. A Fortune 500 company, Dollar Tree is headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia and operates 4,010 stores throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Its stores are supported by a nationwide...
and PriceRite
PriceRite
PriceRite, based in Wethersfield, CT, is a chain of limited-assortment supermarkets throughout the U.S. States of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland and California. There are currently 49 PriceRite stores and the chain is growing fast, opening 6 new stores...
stores.
Former
- CaldorCaldorCaldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
(1979–1999); now Wal-Mart - Edgars (1975–1989); later Jordan Marsh
- Jordan MarshJordan MarshJordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
(1989–1996); now Macy's - ApexApex StoresApex including Apexstores.com, the Apex Tire & Service Center, Apex At Home and apex advantage make up the retail division of the Apex Companies based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The Apex Companies were founded by Albert Pilavin in 1924. Apex was originally started as a tire retreading, automotive...
(1979-2001); still (possibly permenantly) shuttered