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Aiken Mall


perrykat

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Anyone visited this mall lately? It was always a favorite of mine. It's small, but yet it's roomy and has a lot of space (better than that thing in Greenwood..). I see they have a Hat World and FYE now, good for them, I'm assuming the FYE replaced the Sam Goody store? Does the mall even have a website? Any new stores? I'll be getting down there this fall and will be able to check it out for myself hopefully.

Here's all I can find online http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listi...1lww2t006a00001

Oh, and what was the store in image 4 on the above page? Was it the Dollar Tree? You can tell Im out of touch...

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No help here really, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only other forumer who's ever even been to the Aiken Mall. I used to do a walkthrough whenever I went home, but haven't really had the time or urge the last few visits (probably at least 4 years). I do want to swing by eventually and grab a slice st Luca's Pizza if that still exists. It was my favorite pizza in the area before I started visiting Augusta a lot (and before Ferrando's opened downtown). Be sure to give us an update when you visit.

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I vaguely remember visiting the mall seven years ago, just to check out EB Games at the time. I think the mall underwent an addition with Dillard's, as it seems newer than the other parts. The mall does have some nice neighbors - Publix (at Aiken Exchange) and Red Lobster.

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^ The Dillard's really wasn't an addition per se... They took over after another dept. store (Brendles was it?) vacated, thus splitting Dillard's between 2 separate parcels. The area surrounding the mall really has become retail central (though Publix actually isn't in Aiken Exchange... East Gate I think? Aiken Exchange is Target, PetSmart, Pier 1, Chilis, etc).

Even with all the surrounding retail/restaurant growth, the mall hasn't seen any major cosmetic changes or additions. Plus the crappy Aiken Mall 8 (without stadium seating) is still the only movie theatre in town...

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I have fond memories of visiting the mall when I was younger in Aiken, I shopped there a lot. I remember getting some great buys at Phar-Mor on a lot of stuff, too bad they closed! Also remember visiting places like Dollar Tree(the first one I'd ever been in, it was three aisles, later moved across the mall now they moved out of the mall), Disc Jockey (with the reflective walls), Cyberstation arcade, Rex Appliances, Electronics Boutique, and vaguely remember that little coffee/sweets shop next to JCPenney, it didn't last long did it? and some others. Sadly they're all just memories now. Oh and wasn't there an italian restaurant in the food court back circa '93, '94? I remember it was closed for the longest then eventually it was walled over and tables were put in front of it, now it's a LensCrafters. I didn't buy a whole lot, just went there and spent many a Saturday afternoons in the 1990s.

Dillard's took over the old Phar Mor and Brendle's stores. Both were empty for a long time, along with a lot of the other mall stores.

Anyone else remember some old stores that were there?

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Honestly, I have a feeling Aiken Mall may be going downhill soon. It was announced recently on the local news that The Gap is closing in the mall, I also have heard rumors that PacSun is closing, and that Belk (one of their major anchors) may close in the near future. I went to Aiken Mall for the first time last February, and I haven't been since, so I don't know if anything else has closed or opened, but I do know that the mall is in major need of a makeover, the lighting was terrible and it was kind of dark, plus the mall's decor was fading 80s with a bunch of pink and green and gray. Noting some positives, It did, however, have most of its stores filled with at least something, and I've found the deals in such stores as The Gap and PacSun (ironically the two stores that are closing) to be better than that of the Augusta Mall. But honestly, If you want to go to a great mall, cross the river to the Augusta Mall, it has everything under the sun, and unfortunately Aiken Mall has neither the space nor the management to compete against it, and this is why I think Aiken Mall may be on the road to closure, I'll give it maybe 10 or 15 more years tops.

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Wow! I was at Aiken Mall for the first time in AGES today. Remember, it's been a few years lol...I have mixed feelings about it....but here are the notable things:

*Books-A-Million took in a large chunk of the mall next to Sears, where there Crate? and the old Dollar Tree was. Very nice. It doesn't look that old. There's a Video Game store next to Dillard's (near Belk), and a couple of African-American clothing stores that I don't remember.

*PacSun and Gap are gone, as is Lids (in the old EB space). All 3 are vacant. B-Dalton (how long has that been gone), Regis Hair, Sprint, the thing next to JCP, Friedman's, Sam Goody, another jewelry store, and several other stores are empty. I think I counted about 12 or 13 empty spaces.

*"Food court" is boring. Just a sub sandwich place (old pizza place), an ice cream place, and a Chinese place. They HAVE finally added seating outside that area. Chick-Fil-A has closed. That little Mexican thing has closed too (don't remember it being open).

*Near Sears there is a pink wall up that says a new store is coming.

Still....they have solid anchors, Kirkland's, Aeropostale, FYE, Finish Line, RadioShack, GNC, Hibbet Sports, BAM, Shoe Dept., etc. Not that bad but boy do they have some empty spaces.

I don't think that mall has EVER been fully occupied. It's always had at least 5 or more empty stores. In the 90s, they had the 2 empty anchors and a bunch of empty stores. The bad economy has most definately taken its toll. FWIW....the mall still has the pink/peach walls and white/gray/black floor tiles...trust me, I've seen more dated malls. It's not that bad. Liked the music playing in there!

Belk closing? I doubt. Every small town in SC just about has a Belk....I would think Aiken would definately support one and the mall location is very good.

FWIW....the Target shopping center (the main part) is totally empty except for Target at one end and Petsmart. Pier 1 is gone, Goody's (they are totally gone) and some other store is empty.

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Honestly, I have a feeling Aiken Mall may be going downhill soon. It was announced recently on the local news that The Gap is closing in the mall, I also have heard rumors that PacSun is closing, and that Belk (one of their major anchors) may close in the near future. I went to Aiken Mall for the first time last February, and I haven't been since, so I don't know if anything else has closed or opened, but I do know that the mall is in major need of a makeover, the lighting was terrible and it was kind of dark, plus the mall's decor was fading 80s with a bunch of pink and green and gray. Noting some positives, It did, however, have most of its stores filled with at least something, and I've found the deals in such stores as The Gap and PacSun (ironically the two stores that are closing) to be better than that of the Augusta Mall. But honestly, If you want to go to a great mall, cross the river to the Augusta Mall, it has everything under the sun, and unfortunately Aiken Mall has neither the space nor the management to compete against it, and this is why I think Aiken Mall may be on the road to closure, I'll give it maybe 10 or 15 more years tops.
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  • 9 months later...

It's been a while since I was last at Aiken Mall...I guess nothing has changed? My last visit left a lot to be desired. This mall has never done great in its 20 years. Still no online presence for the mall. Who even owns it? It's not a dead mall, but not exactly thriving.

Would be interesting to see if any new stores have opened, they certainly need them. Their problem has never been the anchors (well, except for the two spaces Dillard's now occupies), it's the space between them. The anchors (Dillard's, Sears, Penney's, Belk) seem to do decently but the mall can't keep interior stores very well. Gap did last 8 years, though, and they've had Radio Shack, GNC, Foot Locker, etc since opening probably.

IMO, the movie theater should have been built attached to the mall instead of five anchors in that small mall. Maybe in place of that small anchor store that Dillard's now occupies next to Belk, which was built as Brendle's...it would have been behind the food court and patrons would have been required to walk through the mall to access it.

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