I did get my ears pierce at Claires when I was 8. I cried and they gave me a Hannah Montana poster and a glittery stuffed dog as an apology. Did those piercings get infected? absolutely
Yes? Abercrombie's job application requirements are 'being a Mean Girls stereotype' where as Hot Topic tells its people 'smile, it confuses them and keeps them from looking at the price tag'
@@boogerbrains138 Oh, I know, I applied to a bunch of those clothing stores- part of the job requirements for most of them is wearing the clothes of the store. When I was applying, I wasn't emo enough for Hot Topic and nowhere near prep enough for Abercrombie and Fitch (I was lowkey joypunk in highschool, so I didn't lean enough into anything to ace those interviews)
@@markl1942 you made me laugh with joy to find a Morty Seinfeld quote in a Matt Mitchell video comment thread! What a great collision of my favorite things😂
I went into a holister one time maybe 10 years ago just to see what it was. It was so dark and loud and smelled so bad I couldn’t breath. I lasted maybe 2 minutes. Never again.
My old mall had an Orange Julius combined with Chick-fil-A in the food court, Auntie Anne's was weirdly placed by the tail end between a Sears and and often empty store lot
I’ve been over at the mall in Florence, Alabama and that’s practically the only store there next to Spencer’s and American eagle. Those 3 are the only ones left it feels like. Hell I think even the food court was closed last I saw.
@@crimsondynamo615 I'm from Florence. That mall used to be THE place to go. It's on life support. They don't even bring in the boats and RVs for the shows anymore. Chick-fil-a is in the parking lot. You don't know what's on at the movies because the signs never change. The fountains are gone, the roof leaks, and the women's bathroom is all business now. I weep for Regency Square. Madison Square in HSV got it far worse though. Sigh.
Yeah, I haven't been in Westridge/Desert Sky (Phoenix area mall) in years. It been real sad. I'd rather drive twenty minutes north to go to Arrowhead (Peoria/Glendale mall) because it's halfway decent. Even still, major anchors like Dillard's are going down.
i mean, for real thjough, coffee tits are a *solid* product offering. everybody loves coffe, everybody loves tits... so at least 1 in 4 of us will love both if combined.
What most people don't realize is that the former Disney Store Cast Members are still out here. We're hoping. Waiting. We have a FB page to remember the good times. Given the signal, we would rise up again and be Disney Store Cast Members. We saw y'all grow up. We knew that for many, we WERE their trip to Disney. We're still here for you.....waiting and wishing.
One of my Facebook friends used to work at one in a mall in my area. About a year or so after it closed down he was able to get his dream job and now works at Disney world as a Cast Member
I definitely am left with confusion over the rise/fall of the "Disney Store" and their like 5 nation wide concepts since the 1960's: arcade, merch store, event space, travel agency, and marketing/brand ambassador center. If they find a successful reentry point into a similar market as those discribed, then I wouldn't be totally surprised to see them return.
I'll never forget what was now technically my second trip to a Spencer's this time with my now ex. I'll never forget the look on his face as I whipped him with the cat o'nine😊
I used to work at Build-A-Bear and the "whisper the wish into the hearts and seal it with a kiss" is actually part of our training 😂❤ My store was right next to the Bath & Body Works, and the lucky Bear associates would get to go over on the clock to restock hand sanitizer for everyone's aprons cuz we love kids but they catch germs like my black uniform pants caught cotton stuffing
I always thought physically going out to shop was better cuz then I could actually try things on before I bought them, and if it didn't fit, I could grab a different one in 5 seconds versus running to ups and having to wait for the return shipment to arrive, get my refund, reorder, wait for it to ship, etc
My mall is in a very posh area, so a few years back they renovated and got rid of all the lowend restaurants. Now its all asian fusion and salads and kombucha. But they did bring in a chick-fil-a so I guess theres that.
Good times, going to the mall in high school because it was our definition of hanging out somewhere. And being jealous the next town over had a much cooler mall.
@@msmaria5039I grew up in a major metropolitan area. We had 3 major malls after at least 2 others had died before I could enjoy them in the early to mid 00s. During the Big O years, we watched the 3 left start to noticeably die as well. (Due largely to A-hole youth being A-holes, plus the economy and rise of online shopping...in that order. They literally banned a young age group because they were THAT bad.) As an adult, I finally got away from the city. The closest thing we had to a mall there was a strip mall and you only went there because the grocery store was part of it. I moved again recently to a rural area and I couldn't even tell you where the closest mall (or strip mall) is. Sometimes I get nostalgic for malls, especially the malls of yesteryear. I remember how it was decorated in the 90s for Christmas, tailing behind my mother absolutely mesmerized by all the lights and sparkle. The water fountains, the trees and other plants, the colors of the paint and tile, the smell...even in the hustle and bustle and stress about money you still felt a very positive energy from fellow shoppers. Especially at Christmas. Everything was so cheery. It was hopeful, joyous, just...nice. But the last time I went to a mall around Christmas it was depressing. Barely any stores open. Almost no decorations. Only a handful of people. Even the food court was barren. Five restaurants left, but only three open that day. Of the five, I only recognized one. It was an Orange Julius. Sometimes I'll look on here for footage of old malls. "Mallsoft" and "vaporwave" type music is another thing I look for a lot. I'm glad those genres exist. I used to tell people how much I missed "mall music" and no one knew what I meant. Well, THAT'S what I meant. What a depressing way to start my morning. LOL maybe today I'll find some mallsoft Christmas music to bake cookies by...even though it doesn't feel like Christmas is in less than a week...
@@msmaria5039I got so sidetracked reminiscing I forgot to say that I know the feeling now...sort of. Even in the city, teens would cruise around and hang out in the Walmart parking lot Once I moved away, I noticed there was nowhere for teens and children to hang out or play. A few parks in the one place, then no parks in the next. Now that I'm rural, "park" is a foreign word. No bowling alleys, arcades, roller skating rinks, or movie theaters in any of these places either. As much as the rural people despise change, you can't tell me the whippersnappers wouldn't love to have at least a bowling alley or a park with a playground. Outside the big city, where I've lived anyway, you really don't see any children. They obviously exist, as there are schools, but they're all indoors. They don't even ride bikes anymore. Cooped up inside for fear of a Karen calling C P S or they'd rather stare at screens and their parents don't shoo then outdoors to play and explore like they did growing up. Sorry. I guess I'm just in mourning today.
My town's mall was turned into a shopping center. It's nothing more than giant retail stores because the rent was too high for any small retail to hold up. Something about the former owner of the whole area selling the mall but didn't sell the actual land so every business had to pay not just their rent but also rent for the whole property. Shouldn't even be legal but it happened. I miss 20+ years ago where the mall was where you went to hangout on the weekends. On Saturday you went to the skate park then after lunch at the food court you wasted time at the arcade then on Sunday the family ate at Ponderosa after church. There was a giant tree and light display with a sports car around Christmas time and the whole mall participated in vouchers for low income families for $100 per child to get new clothes and shoes. Good times.
Build-A-Bear was so wholesome. "I have a thousand tiny hearts, and if we whisper each one of those wishes into a heart, and seal it with a kiss, we can save this mall!"
I used to have a kiosk in one of the local malls, and my wife would attend the regular merchants' meetings. She said they were just like this skit, gossip, gossip, gossip. It reached a fever pitch one time when a security guard got fired for having sex with one of the store clerks in the back room. Yes, it was one of the shops listed here....
Wow... that's... yeah... Dang, that IS every store in a mall these days. Even the food courts are tired and lifeless, a far cry from the destinations they were in the 70's and 80's. I still fondly recall all the time I spent lost with friends just in the arcades alone.
Dude, you never fail to knock it out the park. Food court items to consider next time, Autie Anns, Sabaros, The Theater, the Cajun Asian cuisine place you know the home of Bourbon Chicken.
Oh my gosh, did you film this in Savannah?? Because you perfectly described the Oglethorpe mall. The only store they don't have out of the ones you portrayed is the Disney Store. Hot Topic killed me though. He was the most accurate one lol.
As an emo kid with a sister who is always buying sparkly earrings at Claire’s, the Hot Topic-Claire’s exchange killed me because that’s basically every trip to the mall that me, my Mom and sister have ever gone on
This is hilarious, Matt! 😂 I got my ears pierced at both Claire’s and Hot Topic.. so I think that’s double jeopardy.. or is that not how it works? Lol 😝
Amazon may have speed the decline, but it seemed like the malls were already having issues decades before adapting to the wave of category killer big box stores and Walmart/Target expanding to supercenters. Which drastically increased what people could get without driving all the way to a mall, as malls typically need to pull in customers from a twenty to thirty mile radius to be viable. Compounded a lot of locations rival developers/suburbs would build/subsidize malls too close for both to survive, even in at their peak.
Ahhhh, such nostalgia!! I worked in a local mall about 20 years ago, and this brings back so many memories! I miss those days. You could walk around the mall and see so many different types of cool, unique stores. Now it's just clothes and tech crap and shoes. No more San Francisco Music Box Co, no more Brookstone, no more Disney store, no more toy stores. Sigh.
imho the death of malls began with getting rid of interesting and unique stores and putting in a bunch of clothing shit noone could afford. (this was palm beach mall in PBG florida.). it just became BLECHHHH. even while i was still a kid they started stripping out things like the nature company, natural wonders, etc. and it's like.... there was nothing neat to randomly look at if you just went. so we'd hang at the mall still but not with a lot to do. just walk around aimlessly and food court. (amazon was the death blow though.)
As someone who works at both hot topic and Claire’s and spends 6 days a week in a mall I can confirm the vibes in this video are both on point and hilarious lmao
❤ This video is SOOOO CLASSIC/GOOD 😊 RIght out of college 🎓 (in the mid - 1990's) I worked at a Mr. Hero's sub shop in a shopping 🛒 mall in Boardman, Ohio.. i remember ALL these stores!!
Awesome video. I miss the mall stores from the 70s thru the 90s. Then all these stores very few shopped in took over and slowly killed the malls. Was at at least 2 out of 6 malls nearly every weekend. They also had craft shows, antique shows, sidewalk sales and had places to sit and rest and people watch. Now it is outdoor centers with the same 10-12 stores as all the rest.
Matt nails it...but it is more sad then funny... The retail stores trying to meet was so hilarious because they are not going any where...Dollar General/WM/Target Jewelry stores were under represented
My mall turned the Sears into apartments. No friggin' joke, they tore down Sears and are building an apartment building. Attached to the mall. I dunno if that's genius or desperation or both, but I just hope they're regular apartments and not either those crappy "luxury" apartments that go for 10x the price of a regular apartment for little more than fancier countertops, or one of those retirement homes masquerading as apartments. Though, that's nowhere near as unforgivable a sin as replacing the pure, lovely joy that was Kitchen Collection...with a god damned H&M. A clothing store that seems to be geared toward octogenarian chic, since everything is either white, brown, or friggin' beige. Great if you're looking for desert camo at an insane markup, not so great if you're not really into looking like you're going to the funeral of a pallet of balsa wood.
When I was little walking past hot topic always scared me. Well Hot Topic was at its most successful decade aka the 2000’s. I’m surprised the Disney Store and Build a Bear still exist.
Shocking part for me was the fact that every single store mentioned here could be found in my mall, Crossiron Mills just outside of Calgary, Canada. Only slight difference was that Radio Shack has been rebranded to “The Source” buts the same stuff as Radio Shack.
Malls are my current fixation right now. Online shopping is well and good, but can it really compare to looking around in a brick and mortar store? And I'm only almost 20!
Dude, I have that exact dog plush that Bulid-A-Bear is holding. I named her Puppy and she was my favorite plushie when I was younger and I still have her to this day.
I was wondering about Spencer's. What a weird but fun store! There were no book or music stores. What about food? Chick Fil A used to be exclusively in malls. Don't forget the staple stores like Sears, J C Penney's, Dillard's, Macy's, and long ago, Montgomery Ward's. I remember a combination Dairy Queen, Karmelkorn, and Orange Julius. Now that mall's gone. An Amazon fulfillment center is going up in its place.
Another epic video, Matt!! So spot on! I worked at our local mall for 10 years or so. Once our store closed, I have not gone back in the mall itself. I will sometimes go to Belks which is an anchor store for the mall. It was a disaster before it was remodeled. Now it is a great setting for a disaster movie.
Subscribe or get your ears pierced at Claire's
Already have got them pierced in 10th grade
No Lids? no Books A Million?
Never heard of either of them
Lord no never again!
I did get my ears pierce at Claires when I was 8. I cried and they gave me a Hannah Montana poster and a glittery stuffed dog as an apology. Did those piercings get infected? absolutely
“No one out-glasses the Hut” that’s brilliant right there
I don’t support the Ray-Ban company.
@@OvSpP Someone please come up with something more clever than Ray-Banned for me.
Pizza Hut lawyers heard that.
Jabba the Hutt heard it too.
@@anthonypierce8919 you’re welcome?
YES
The "kiosk guy" has been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty ! Genius, Matt!
+
Can we have a moment of silence for Waldenbooks
😢 they close this store decades ago in my mall. And still I miss it!
@@Directo13 The chain's been closed for over a decade. And, yeah, it was the place I bought my D&D books in the 80s. Really sad to see it go.
I bought my first Harry Potter merchandise in a Waldenbooks. Very fond memories. ❤
Nope......heading to Spencer's to see the Boobie's..........
I miss Waldenbooks and Hastings.
A whole bit on malls, and Matt didn't make one joke about Cinnabon?! My world doesn't make sense anymore.
That Cinnabon in Omaha? Gene was the best manager they ever had.
He even gave pretty good legal advice.
Cinnabon is it's own joke
Cinnabon has its own place in gas stations now, it's amazing
If by gas stations, you mean Maverick, then yes you are correct.
I think the mall food court is its own video. 😊
Fun fact: Hot Topic employees are nicer and better with customers than Ambocrombie and Fitch.
Yes? Abercrombie's job application requirements are 'being a Mean Girls stereotype' where as Hot Topic tells its people 'smile, it confuses them and keeps them from looking at the price tag'
They discriminate kind of on appearance you got to be like super cute and bubbly, which is why I am I high school retail career was at FYE😅
@@boogerbrains138 Oh, I know, I applied to a bunch of those clothing stores- part of the job requirements for most of them is wearing the clothes of the store. When I was applying, I wasn't emo enough for Hot Topic and nowhere near prep enough for Abercrombie and Fitch (I was lowkey joypunk in highschool, so I didn't lean enough into anything to ace those interviews)
You mean Abercrombie & Bitch
I agree! Hot Topic is like the only other store in the mall I go in
“When did we get lights” that one was the best! I have no idea why Hollister kept their stores so dark
As Morty Seinfeld said .."cheap fabric and dim lighting ...that's how you move merchandise"
@@markl1942 you made me laugh with joy to find a Morty Seinfeld quote in a Matt Mitchell video comment thread! What a great collision of my favorite things😂
They kept ot dark so you wouldnt see the pricetags
Funniest part is that even in the comments, we are referring to them in past tense. Says a lot right there.
I went into a holister one time maybe 10 years ago just to see what it was. It was so dark and loud and smelled so bad I couldn’t breath. I lasted maybe 2 minutes. Never again.
I was hoping that Spencer's would make it into the mix, and I was NOT disappointed! Thanks Matt!
Spot on!
He should have talked more about the back part of a spencers
Especially about the mugs, though now we got the boob mugs that you can smoke weed out of, along with butt and nutsack ones
I saw the thumbnail
The hole puncher at Claire’s had me on the floor. This whole thing is so funny. No one out sunglasses the hut! 😂
Just needs the randomly placed food places like Auntie Anne's Pretzels next to a Sears
Auntie Anne’s combined with an Orange Julius
Yep! Auntie Ann's really needed a voice.
My old mall had an Orange Julius combined with Chick-fil-A in the food court, Auntie Anne's was weirdly placed by the tail end between a Sears and and often empty store lot
Didn't Sears shut down tho?
Let's not forget the various cookie places that I'm pretty sure were all the same company.
Bath and Body Works being the main character is accurate
pretty sure the only reason my mall gets foot traffic is the bath and body
Can't smell candles on Amazon, yet!
I’ve been over at the mall in Florence, Alabama and that’s practically the only store there next to Spencer’s and American eagle. Those 3 are the only ones left it feels like. Hell I think even the food court was closed last I saw.
@@crimsondynamo615 I'm from Florence. That mall used to be THE place to go. It's on life support. They don't even bring in the boats and RVs for the shows anymore. Chick-fil-a is in the parking lot. You don't know what's on at the movies because the signs never change. The fountains are gone, the roof leaks, and the women's bathroom is all business now.
I weep for Regency Square. Madison Square in HSV got it far worse though.
Sigh.
Hell, I barely even know what they sell in there. Must be because I'm a man.
Can anyone elaborate?
I went into a mall recently and oh boy it was sad. The only thing keeping it popular is the movie theater.
I went into a mall and was surprised they still had power and running water
Dang, our mall lost the theater. That doesn't bode well 😢
Wait, people still go to movies? Like outside of their own homes?
Wait, they show movies in a public venue now? Just kidding, I'm old.
Yeah, I haven't been in Westridge/Desert Sky (Phoenix area mall) in years. It been real sad. I'd rather drive twenty minutes north to go to Arrowhead (Peoria/Glendale mall) because it's halfway decent. Even still, major anchors like Dillard's are going down.
"Check out my new coffee mugs... they're shaped like boobies!"
Never change, Spencer, never change.
Amen to that 🙏🏼
i mean, for real thjough, coffee tits are a *solid* product offering. everybody loves coffe, everybody loves tits... so at least 1 in 4 of us will love both if combined.
What most people don't realize is that the former Disney Store Cast Members are still out here. We're hoping. Waiting. We have a FB page to remember the good times. Given the signal, we would rise up again and be Disney Store Cast Members. We saw y'all grow up. We knew that for many, we WERE their trip to Disney. We're still here for you.....waiting and wishing.
I don't know if that's a threat, a promise, or both...
Don't hold your breath 😅
One of my Facebook friends used to work at one in a mall in my area. About a year or so after it closed down he was able to get his dream job and now works at Disney world as a Cast Member
I definitely am left with confusion over the rise/fall of the "Disney Store" and their like 5 nation wide concepts since the 1960's: arcade, merch store, event space, travel agency, and marketing/brand ambassador center. If they find a successful reentry point into a similar market as those discribed, then I wouldn't be totally surprised to see them return.
And in the meantime, they'll be diligently manning the kiosks...
Matt coming in CLUTCH with the nostalgia train just barreling through my Friday. 💥 😂
We still have all these stores in our Jersey malls.
Spencer's was my gateway into understanding a lot about adulthood. 😂
So true!
That lady with the bathing suit remote control and I spent lots of time together as a kid.
Same thing with me as well as the occult and various other forms
Before they moved into alternative lifestyles
I'll never forget what was now technically my second trip to a Spencer's this time with my now ex. I'll never forget the look on his face as I whipped him with the cat o'nine😊
I used to work at Build-A-Bear and the "whisper the wish into the hearts and seal it with a kiss" is actually part of our training 😂❤ My store was right next to the Bath & Body Works, and the lucky Bear associates would get to go over on the clock to restock hand sanitizer for everyone's aprons cuz we love kids but they catch germs like my black uniform pants caught cotton stuffing
As a very seasoned Store Manager…this is SPOT ON Matt 😂😂 Sending this to everyone in the industry!
Send it to Journeys.
I haven't been inside a mall in 20 years. Lots of memories, and a funny video! I do miss Radio Shack, though.
Yes, but when Radio Shack became just another phone store, it was time.
@@frzstat True.
We actually have an old school radio shack in our mall here at knoxville. I was very surprised.
@@troyswilley4584 Wow. Which mall? I have a friend who lives near Knoxville who would like to see it.
@Scott Grammer The only mall left in Knoxville lol. West Town Mall
I always thought physically going out to shop was better cuz then I could actually try things on before I bought them, and if it didn't fit, I could grab a different one in 5 seconds versus running to ups and having to wait for the return shipment to arrive, get my refund, reorder, wait for it to ship, etc
Yeah, that's the downside to online shopping.
I’m just sad that none of the restaurants in the food court were invited! Though I’m sure they could have their own video…
Hot Dog On A Stick is "bouncing" mad!
Hopefully he does a part 2
My mall is in a very posh area, so a few years back they renovated and got rid of all the lowend restaurants. Now its all asian fusion and salads and kombucha. But they did bring in a chick-fil-a so I guess theres that.
I’m shocked Cinnabon wasn’t even in for a cameo
They were too busy to be in the videos. That's where all the customers are.
Good times, going to the mall in high school because it was our definition of hanging out somewhere. And being jealous the next town over had a much cooler mall.
Now I'm jealous of a place just having a mall. The only mall where I live is on the other side of town.
You had a mall. We spent our time driving around in laps and talking to people in parking lots.
@@msmaria5039I grew up in a major metropolitan area. We had 3 major malls after at least 2 others had died before I could enjoy them in the early to mid 00s. During the Big O years, we watched the 3 left start to noticeably die as well. (Due largely to A-hole youth being A-holes, plus the economy and rise of online shopping...in that order. They literally banned a young age group because they were THAT bad.) As an adult, I finally got away from the city. The closest thing we had to a mall there was a strip mall and you only went there because the grocery store was part of it. I moved again recently to a rural area and I couldn't even tell you where the closest mall (or strip mall) is.
Sometimes I get nostalgic for malls, especially the malls of yesteryear. I remember how it was decorated in the 90s for Christmas, tailing behind my mother absolutely mesmerized by all the lights and sparkle. The water fountains, the trees and other plants, the colors of the paint and tile, the smell...even in the hustle and bustle and stress about money you still felt a very positive energy from fellow shoppers. Especially at Christmas. Everything was so cheery. It was hopeful, joyous, just...nice. But the last time I went to a mall around Christmas it was depressing. Barely any stores open. Almost no decorations. Only a handful of people. Even the food court was barren. Five restaurants left, but only three open that day. Of the five, I only recognized one. It was an Orange Julius.
Sometimes I'll look on here for footage of old malls. "Mallsoft" and "vaporwave" type music is another thing I look for a lot. I'm glad those genres exist. I used to tell people how much I missed "mall music" and no one knew what I meant. Well, THAT'S what I meant.
What a depressing way to start my morning. LOL maybe today I'll find some mallsoft Christmas music to bake cookies by...even though it doesn't feel like Christmas is in less than a week...
@@msmaria5039I got so sidetracked reminiscing I forgot to say that I know the feeling now...sort of. Even in the city, teens would cruise around and hang out in the Walmart parking lot
Once I moved away, I noticed there was nowhere for teens and children to hang out or play. A few parks in the one place, then no parks in the next. Now that I'm rural, "park" is a foreign word. No bowling alleys, arcades, roller skating rinks, or movie theaters in any of these places either.
As much as the rural people despise change, you can't tell me the whippersnappers wouldn't love to have at least a bowling alley or a park with a playground. Outside the big city, where I've lived anyway, you really don't see any children. They obviously exist, as there are schools, but they're all indoors. They don't even ride bikes anymore. Cooped up inside for fear of a Karen calling C P S or they'd rather stare at screens and their parents don't shoo then outdoors to play and explore like they did growing up.
Sorry. I guess I'm just in mourning today.
PS: super sick of s c r e w t u b e s h a d o w b a n n i n g me 🤬
My town's mall was turned into a shopping center. It's nothing more than giant retail stores because the rent was too high for any small retail to hold up. Something about the former owner of the whole area selling the mall but didn't sell the actual land so every business had to pay not just their rent but also rent for the whole property. Shouldn't even be legal but it happened.
I miss 20+ years ago where the mall was where you went to hangout on the weekends. On Saturday you went to the skate park then after lunch at the food court you wasted time at the arcade then on Sunday the family ate at Ponderosa after church. There was a giant tree and light display with a sports car around Christmas time and the whole mall participated in vouchers for low income families for $100 per child to get new clothes and shoes. Good times.
Build-A-Bear was so wholesome. "I have a thousand tiny hearts, and if we whisper each one of those wishes into a heart, and seal it with a kiss, we can save this mall!"
One of my fondest childhood memories was creating my first build-a-bear alongside my parents. 😊❤
There are a couple of malls around here I go for clothes, and when I do, I am carrying.
It’s a sad fact of life that online is replacing in person. Wonderful video.
How about an "If Food Court Stores Could Meet?"
I used to have a kiosk in one of the local malls, and my wife would attend the regular merchants' meetings. She said they were just like this skit, gossip, gossip, gossip. It reached a fever pitch one time when a security guard got fired for having sex with one of the store clerks in the back room. Yes, it was one of the shops listed here....
I'm going to guess Hot Topic on that 1, it's so periously close to the brand image anyway...
@@kyledavis4890 Nah they woulda done it in Spencer's
Wow... that's... yeah... Dang, that IS every store in a mall these days. Even the food courts are tired and lifeless, a far cry from the destinations they were in the 70's and 80's. I still fondly recall all the time I spent lost with friends just in the arcades alone.
My mall had an arcade too but they shut it down and made a foot locker
Missing are the massage chair booths and the chiropractor with his free twisted pens. And the half dozen mobile phone accessories booths.
Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon sneering at their moribund neighbors as they keep rakin' it in
Matt , the food court baby.
Dude, you never fail to knock it out the park. Food court items to consider next time, Autie Anns, Sabaros, The Theater, the Cajun Asian cuisine place you know the home of Bourbon Chicken.
I would add Mrs. Fields or another cookie place.
Oh my gosh, did you film this in Savannah?? Because you perfectly described the Oglethorpe mall. The only store they don't have out of the ones you portrayed is the Disney Store. Hot Topic killed me though. He was the most accurate one lol.
Omg I used to go to that mall all the time as a kid!!
@Alyse B I only live a couple hours from there so my best friend and I go pretty frequently.
Probably the Riverchase Galleria....
i mean .... every mall in this country is nearly identical. I feel like that was kind of (part of) the point here lol
@Rebecca Cundiff Lol I think you're right.
This makes me so nostalgic. I just want to go back to 1994 and be a mall rat again.
That Spencer's cameo though, it's so painfully true
Way to squeeze in a true mall juggernaut at the end. Spencer’s, always felt the need for real confession after sneaking in there for a peek lol.
I was waiting for spencers for real 😂😂😂
so much nostalgia in one video. Need to get the food court in on the next one!
Can we take a moment to appreciate the constant quality AND variety we all get? Deserves all the success he can get!
The memories- I feel so old sometimes
As an emo kid with a sister who is always buying sparkly earrings at Claire’s, the Hot Topic-Claire’s exchange killed me because that’s basically every trip to the mall that me, my Mom and sister have ever gone on
You should do one mall food court shop! I would like to know what cinnabon has to say about pretzel.
That's gotta be a new record for costume changes.
This is hilarious, Matt! 😂
I got my ears pierced at both Claire’s and Hot Topic.. so I think that’s double jeopardy.. or is that not how it works? Lol 😝
This was genius 😂 on a side note... Amazon ruined the mall experience
Funnily enough, my mall opened a Amazon store last year but it shut down a year later.. Amazon ruined itself.
Got a point there. I mean, when you don't even have to step outside your home to get what you want, what's the point, right?
Amazon may have speed the decline, but it seemed like the malls were already having issues decades before adapting to the wave of category killer big box stores and Walmart/Target expanding to supercenters. Which drastically increased what people could get without driving all the way to a mall, as malls typically need to pull in customers from a twenty to thirty mile radius to be viable. Compounded a lot of locations rival developers/suburbs would build/subsidize malls too close for both to survive, even in at their peak.
Ahhhh, such nostalgia!! I worked in a local mall about 20 years ago, and this brings back so many memories! I miss those days. You could walk around the mall and see so many different types of cool, unique stores. Now it's just clothes and tech crap and shoes. No more San Francisco Music Box Co, no more Brookstone, no more Disney store, no more toy stores. Sigh.
imho the death of malls began with getting rid of interesting and unique stores and putting in a bunch of clothing shit noone could afford. (this was palm beach mall in PBG florida.). it just became BLECHHHH. even while i was still a kid they started stripping out things like the nature company, natural wonders, etc. and it's like.... there was nothing neat to randomly look at if you just went. so we'd hang at the mall still but not with a lot to do. just walk around aimlessly and food court. (amazon was the death blow though.)
As someone who works at both hot topic and Claire’s and spends 6 days a week in a mall I can confirm the vibes in this video are both on point and hilarious lmao
As someone who worked at a RadioShack, at a mall, until it closed...
This is both very accurate and incredibly upsetting.
They should open a Dollar General in each of these locations once all the Forever 21s and PACSUNs close.
We had a Dollar General in our mall once
They gave the Asians dollar tree in them, now! A lot of Asian stores.
@@lilchi721 And where there was one Dollar General, now there are three Dollar Generals.
❤ This video is SOOOO CLASSIC/GOOD 😊 RIght out of college 🎓 (in the mid - 1990's) I worked at a Mr. Hero's sub shop in a shopping 🛒 mall in Boardman, Ohio.. i remember ALL these stores!!
That was epic! I can't even imagine how long it took to make. I just wish I could like it ten more times for your algorithm.
Matt Mitchell for President! A brilliant mind who understands the issues!
This was clever, detailed, nostalgic, and bittersweet. I was a kid in the 80s/90s, so I really remember malls!
I remember making a beeline for Waldenbooks and B. Daltons. Really miss the good ol' days!
I miss Spenser's. The only store that sold Fart Spray. Going on a fieldtrip. Spray a little, and watch everyone open windows on the bus. Too funny.
I'm so old ...when Spencer's first opened you wasn't allowed in if under 18.
Spencer’s is still open in my mall and online. They own spirit Halloween.
@@lorireed8046 over 18??
@@PMIII Yuppers... Only 18+ was allowed in Spencer's when it first opened.
@@lorireed8046 oh, that makes sense 🤔
Funny enough, I'm over 18 and I never go to Spencer's because......
Explicit reasons 😶
Awesome video. I miss the mall stores from the 70s thru the 90s. Then all these stores very few shopped in took over and slowly killed the malls. Was at at least 2 out of 6 malls nearly every weekend. They also had craft shows, antique shows, sidewalk sales and had places to sit and rest and people watch. Now it is outdoor centers with the same 10-12 stores as all the rest.
All of that plus car shows and violet shows. Actually had a live cougar for one of the car shows. Oh, the good ol' days!
If he'd gone on a little longer, he could've had the truly walking dead show up: Sears, KB toys and others. Also...why no food court representation?
"Anyone else hear the Terminator 2 Theme?"
*Looks out to see Amazon Drones attacking the mall*
I just died laughing!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Matt nails it...but it is more sad then funny...
The retail stores trying to meet was so hilarious because they are not going any where...Dollar General/WM/Target
Jewelry stores were under represented
Perfection! The only thing missing was the food court😂
Maybe it needs its own episode!
Hopefully he does a part 2
Specifically, Sbarro’s
@@evilsharkey8954 😝🍕
Im always worried that the furries will discover Build a Bear.
New fear unlocked 😳
Spencer's 100%. Store is basically softcore porn.
Sometimes it's not even Softcore.
Victoria's secret guy and Spencer's guy made me uncomfortable, also RIP Radioshack.
"When did we get lights?" 😂
The "nobody out sunglasses the hut" line was exceptional lolol
My mall turned the Sears into apartments. No friggin' joke, they tore down Sears and are building an apartment building. Attached to the mall. I dunno if that's genius or desperation or both, but I just hope they're regular apartments and not either those crappy "luxury" apartments that go for 10x the price of a regular apartment for little more than fancier countertops, or one of those retirement homes masquerading as apartments.
Though, that's nowhere near as unforgivable a sin as replacing the pure, lovely joy that was Kitchen Collection...with a god damned H&M. A clothing store that seems to be geared toward octogenarian chic, since everything is either white, brown, or friggin' beige. Great if you're looking for desert camo at an insane markup, not so great if you're not really into looking like you're going to the funeral of a pallet of balsa wood.
My local mall (Alderwood) did the same thing and now Sears is an apartment building with a Dave and Busters.
Apartments for the mall walkers? Over 75 community?
Turning malls into senior apartments for aging Gen Xers would be a genius move. Feed us at the food court and let us hang out into our twilight years.
@@heatherconner1125 they'd have to resurrect the arcades.
Sounds like you live near Aurora, IL. :-)
Hopefully..."If Craft Stores Could Meet"..Michael's vs HobLob vs Joanne's
We still have a Disney Store. …It’s… …umm… …in an outlet mall.
But hey, that Target collaboration… …now THATS depressing!
I mean, Spencer's is pretty much the only reason I go to malls, so clearly booby coffee mugs are working
Matt, you’re so creative! 😂
No Orange Julius? No Auntie Anne's? No KB Toys? This mall really is dead!
When I was little walking past hot topic always scared me. Well Hot Topic was at its most successful decade aka the 2000’s. I’m surprised the Disney Store and Build a Bear still exist.
No, the Disney store doesn't exist anymore. Closed down like five to ten years ago. Build A Bear still exists.
@@jackielinde7568 The Disney Store closed down in like 2021, not five to ten years ago.
I got two words for ya. Orange Julius.
Nailed it! Aside from every roll call, this is definitely one of my faves. Man, what a walk down memory lane 🥲
Laughing too hard! Can't breathe. 😂
Shocking part for me was the fact that every single store mentioned here could be found in my mall, Crossiron Mills just outside of Calgary, Canada. Only slight difference was that Radio Shack has been rebranded to “The Source” buts the same stuff as Radio Shack.
Spencer's getting the last word in. 😊
You forgot the obligatory Zales and Helzberg on the same corner.
Also, where’s Auntie Anne’s? I’m hungry.
Very good. Tight editing. Tight script. Sharable video. Good jokes. Closed on a high note
Oh 😭 Spencer's in the 1970s was so fun. Beaded curtains & blacklight posters. I HATE THAT I GOT OLD 👵😟
Not to mention the, a-hem, "personal massagers"
Malls are my current fixation right now. Online shopping is well and good, but can it really compare to looking around in a brick and mortar store? And I'm only almost 20!
This is going to be great I just know it. Matt, you made my day.
Dude, I have that exact dog plush that Bulid-A-Bear is holding. I named her Puppy and she was my favorite plushie when I was younger and I still have her to this day.
I was wondering about Spencer's. What a weird but fun store! There were no book or music stores. What about food? Chick Fil A used to be exclusively in malls. Don't forget the staple stores like Sears, J C Penney's, Dillard's, Macy's, and long ago, Montgomery Ward's. I remember a combination Dairy Queen, Karmelkorn, and Orange Julius. Now that mall's gone. An Amazon fulfillment center is going up in its place.
Amazon literally replacing a mall sounds like something that should be in a Bruce Springsteen song
Malls in the 90s were another level.
Hot Topic and Spencer's were legit the only stores I went to... mostly just smoked pot with friends behind the mall.... XD true mallrat here boys XD
If you ever wanna shop in a hopping mall, come to Franklin, TN. Still got it like old times!
Great one, Matt!!! I can't remember the last time I went to a freaking mall. LOL!
The LEGO store I used to work at literally kept the mall afloat single handedly
We need a follow up with the food court represented please
Hold the phone… malls still exist ?!?!?
Spencers is still my favorite to walk through and never buy anything...its like a little arcade in there....
Some of these (especially Hollister) threw me back in time, i love it
Hot Topic is like Victoria Secrets, but with Leather, whips, and chains. lol
nah ur thinking spencers, hot topics now a days is like a Disney store that forgot how to turn the lights on
Best lines:🤣🤣🤣
"Nobody outsunglasses the hut"- Sunglass Hut
"Because....I....see....everything." -Lens Crafters
i didn’t even know radio shack still existed I figured they went out of business in the two thousands
I could see EXACTLY where each of these stores are in my mall. And I could so easily imagine everyone screaming it.
Another epic video, Matt!! So spot on! I worked at our local mall for 10 years or so. Once our store closed, I have not gone back in the mall itself. I will sometimes go to Belks which is an anchor store for the mall. It was a disaster before it was remodeled. Now it is a great setting for a disaster movie.
This is painfully accurate and I've only ever been to like two malls in my life.