The Towson Town Center mall is losing major tenants amid growing crime problems
National Retail Federation President and CEO Matt Shay discusses holiday season sales expectations, the latest buy-now trends and how retailers are handling the impact of the ‘Varney & Co.’
A sprawling Maryland mall, once filled with department stores, is losing tenants fast.
Several tenants this past month announced plans to leave Towson Town Center, which has been dealing with rising crime problems. In November, four youths were arrested after a robbery and stabbing incident at a shopping mall, according to reports.
However, supermarkets have struggled for years as e-commerce and consumer behavior have changed shopping habits, while inflation continues to squeeze wallets, contributing to a decline in foot traffic.
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Last month, Wockenfuss Candies said it had “made the difficult decision to permanently close this location, effective immediately.”
Gap-owned Banana Republic, Tommy Bahama and J.Crew’s Madewell have also left or plan to leave the mall, according to multiple reports.
An exterior view of the Towson Town Center mall on June 20, 2022, in Towson, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
This comes after the mall has already lost a Crate & Barrel supermarket and restaurants such as Rainforest Café, according to reports.
Traditional shopping malls were once bustling commercial establishmentsbut their popularity began to decline before the COVID-19 pandemic as Amazon and online stores began to slowly pull sales away from physical stores. The pandemic then accelerated this decline as Lockdown orders prevented people from being able to shop in person. Economic pressures caused by inflation have made matters worse as households tighten their budgets and spend less on necessities.
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San Francisco Center in California is another mall that has been plagued by rising vacancies and a series of major retailer departures. Shake Shack, which confirmed it will move out of the shopping center last month, told FOX Business that the shopping center has been sold to a new owner, requiring all tenants to leave the property.
An Apple store at the Towson Town Center Mall on May 10, 2024, in Towson, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Between 2020 and 2023, the mall lost 46% of its stores, the San Francisco Standard reported. That includes anchor department store Nordstrom, which announced in 2023 that it will close both of its downtown San Francisco locations, including its flagship store inside the Westfield San Francisco Center. The mall’s other tenant, Bloomingdale’s, left in early 2025.
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In recent months, at least six restaurants have left the mall, including a Jamba Juice shop, an Izzy & Wooks sandwich shop and a Mija Cochinita taco shop, according to the San Fransisco Chronicle.
Shoppers inside the Westfield San Francisco Center shopping mall in San Francisco, California, on June 13, 2023. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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However, there are significant barriers to converting commercial buildings into residential, especially when it comes to local zoning laws and construction costs.
