Comments on: The Fashion Center; Paramus, New Jersey

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:22:15 +0000

@Joey, it is already de-malled completely

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:43:09 +0000

Fashion Center’s corridors are not open anymore, and the last corridor officially closed in summer 2008, for a new NYC based Fairway Market, which opened spring 2009

By: Scott Mercer

Scott Mercer — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:16:07 +0000

Well into the 1970’s this mall was a snooty place, well above my mom’s middle of the road tastes, though I do remember her dragging me there a few times, including once to eat the fancy “french restaurant” known as “La Crepe.” It was a really a mid-line moderately priced table service restaurant that served crepes and salads, and looking back at it, it was really only a half a step up from a Chili’s or Coco’s. But at the time, it seemed a bit more posh to me, since out family’s usual dining out options consisted mainly of Howard Johnson’s or a local Greek-owned dineraunt. But I’m sure their target customer was a doctor’s wife from Ridgewood or a stockbroker’s wife from Saddle River who wanted to pick up one or two things from Lord and Taylor without making the drive all the way “into the city.” Over time, that type of customer vanished.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:39:36 +0000

The reason Lord & Taylor leaves this store (and many of its older (seemingly slow) stores open is primarily because it owns them. During the 60’s and 70’s, Lord and Taylor very agressively expanded to the suburbs in and around NY, NJ and Philadelphia. It was one of the first 5th Avenue Department stores to do so, and it has kept many of these stores open with little or no changes. Examples of other suburban L&T stores built during this period that are still operating outside of successful malls are Bala Cynwyd, PA and the one in Westchester (I think Scarsdale) and Garden City, Long Island. In Bala Cynwyd, the store shares a dillapadated strip mall with an Acme Supermarket!! But Lord and Taylor paid these stores off a long time ago and now these are essentially profit centers for them….and many of its well-heeled clientele certainly still live in and around the areas where these stores are. (the Bala Cynwyd store is right near Philly’s Main Line and Bryn Mawr areas, the Paramus store is close to the affluent Northern Bergen County suburbs and the Westchester and Garden City stores are in very well-to-do areas as well.) These stores are really cool examples of what department stores used to be, with their cafes and enormous square-footage and if you can, definitely get to one before they are gone.

By: Mr.D

Mr.D — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:08:32 +0000

Fairway market is now open in FC, and it’s loaded with all sorts of goodies.

By: Mr.D

Mr.D — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:35:38 +0000

Went there tonight and what was left of the inside is gone.

By: Joshua Austin

Joshua Austin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:59:35 +0000

Actually, the primary reason, though not always, that there are multiple Gamestops in malls is from all the acquisitions there have been over the years with leases not yet up, either that or concept stores that have since gone by the wayside. For example, in Garden State Plaza, there originally was just a Babbages (Gamestop’s original name). In 1998 they opened the first Planet X store in the country, which was a newer concept. Right after in early 1999 EB opened their more upscale EBX concept as competition, and in late 1999 opened the country’s first EBKids store, also a test concept. In 2002 the EBKids concept was abandoned, the EBX name slowly phased out, and both stores were renamed EB Games. Sometime around this time the original Babbages closed, I’m not sure when. In 2005 the companies merged, leaving 3 in the same mall, and since none of the stores had the GameStop name, the former EBKids was quickly renamed. Confusing I know.

The former EBKids seems to be the busiest of the three, and has a great location right near the carousel, so that was probably why it was chosen for renaming first. The former EBX and the Planet X are pretty close together, so when the leases start to come up, I wouldn’t be surprised if one goes. Both are kind of beat-up looking, so I’m sure the one that stays will get a remodel.

By: AceJay

AceJay — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:42:50 +0000

That being said, I’m sure the rent for one slightly larger store would be cheaper than two tiny stores.

By: Mr.D

Mr.D — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:02:33 +0000

AceJay I have a theroy the floorplans at gamestops are very small so they other store shells to hold more stock.

By: AceJay

AceJay — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:31:42 +0000

Gametop is strange, I don’t understand why they’d have more than 1 stor in a mall.

Freehold has THREE.

A Gamestop, an EB Games/Electronics Boutique, and a Planet X.