Shopping malls in Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls, New York has two major shopping malls, Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA and The Summit. A third mall, Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet, closed in 2000.

The Summit

The Summit (formally the Summit Park Mall) is a 800,000 square feet (75,000 square meters) shopping mall located in Wheatfield, New York, AbOUT seven miles from the Falls and from Canada. The mall opened with great fanfare in 1972 and then expanded in 1979, with 5 large anchor tenants: Sears, AM&A's, later purchased by Bon Ton, Hens & Kelly, a 30,000 square feet Child World, later purchased by Toys R Us, and Jenns.There were also two midsized tenants McCrory & Co and The Sample Shop. The mall did extremely well through the 70s, 80s, and early 90s.For a brief time Macys operated MCO (Macys Closeout ) in the former Hens & Kelly space. But in the early 90's the regional department store Sample Shop closed, the value of the Canadian dollar began to drop, all at the same time as the advent of power centers, category killer big box stores, and Wal-Mart's expansion, all conspired to slaughter the malls of the 1970s and '80s. In 1998 regional department store Jenss left the mall and the space remained vacant until 2005.

But in 2005 the mall got a new image and the name changed to The Summit. The interiors are now extensively skylit with open ceilings and new lighting. The exteriors have been upgraded with new improved access and canopied entries, along with new landscaping and lighting. Also in 2005 a new anchor came to the mall; Steve and Barry's University Sportswear, which opened in the former Jenss. In early 2006 anchor Toys R Us decided it would leave the mall, but there are negotiations now to backfill that space with strong retailers.In 2007 Save-A-Lot announced it would replace Toys R Us. Also in 2007 Rainbow Shops opened a large location near The Bon Ton.

Mall redeveloper Jim Anthony, of Anthony & Co. ONCOR International in Raleigh, NC is hoping to retenant the property with local and regional tenants, while creating "Niagara's Indoor Downtown". Anthony's plan includes creating premiere "micro-retailing" experiences such as the Niagara Emporium and Van Winkles Crafts, where local crafts and gift makers can sell their often handmade wares in a co-op environment. The Food Court has come back with a deli, Subway, Leon's Pizza & Wings, Polish Water Ice, and Wok n Roll.

Entertainment and events are now a major part of the redevelopment strategy as well. For example, during the summer months, the Summit hosts a farmer's market weekly as well as the region's largest Cruise Night with 3000 or more people in attendance regularly. Karaoke, concerts, plays, dances, trade shows, parties, and events of all kinds frequent the mall's three large courts: Fashion Court, Center Court and North Court.

Current anchors

  • Sears - Opened 1972
  • Bon Ton - 88,100 sq.ft. Opened 1995
  • Steve and Barry's - Opened 2005

Former anchors

  • AM&A's - 88,100 sq.ft. Opened 1979, (bought by Bon Ton)
  • Hens and Kelly - closed in the early 1980's
  • Jenss - Opened 1972, Closed 1998
  • Child World - Opened 1974, bought by Toys R Us
  • Toys R Us - 30,000 sq.ft. Opened 1992, Closed 2006
  • Niagara Aerospace Museum Opened 1994, Relocated to Downtown Niagara Falls in 2001
  • The Sample Shop - closed early 1990's
  • MCO - Macys Close Out - closed 1997

Future anchors

  • Save-A-Lot - 18,000 sq.ft. Opening January 2008 in former place of Toys R Us

Fashion Outlets Niagara Falls

Fashion Outlets Niagara Falls is a SUPER-regional outlet mall on Military Road in the Town of Niagara. The mall opened in 1971 as the Niagara Factory Outlet. The mall did very well until 1982 when the Rainbow Mall opened in downtown Niagara Falls. In 1996 Prime Outlets bought the mall and did very well until 2005 when Prime Outlets filed for Chapter 11 and the mall was sold to Talisman Companies. A major renovation of the mall's exterior took place from 2006-2007.

Some outlets include: Off Saks 5th Avenue, Coach, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger,Esprit, Banana Republic, Oakley,Anne Taylor Loft, Lindt, J. Crew, Old Navy, Adidas, Payless ShoeSource, KB Toys, Sketchers Outlet, Sunglass Hut, and Eddie Bauer Outlet. Some of the eateries in the food court are Subway, Wimpy's, Pita Gourmet, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Panda Express, Dunkin' Donuts, Teriyaki Delight, and La Rosa's Pizza. Sit-down restaurants at the out mall include Applebees and Honey's.

With the rising Canadian dollar against the US Dollar in 2007, the mall is frequently visited by Canadians from Southwestern Ontario. One mall official indicated that 60-70% of their customers are Canadians. The mall continues to experience strong growth in 2007.

Names

  • Niagara Factory Outlet 1971-1996
  • Prime Outlets Niagara falls USA 1996-2006
  • The Outlets at Niagara Falls USA 2006
  • Fashion Outlets at Niagara Falls USA 2006-present

Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet

Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet was a shopping mall located in downtown Niagara Falls. The mall opened in 1982 as a two floor shopping center to help revive downtown Niagara Falls. The mall also had one major anchor, Biers Department Store, which after closing the space became the Burlington Coat Factory. The mall attracted shoppers from Canada, and did well through the 80s and early 90s, but in 1996 Niagara Factory Outlet (which was the mall's biggest competitor at the time) became Prime Outlets Niagara Falls USA. All of the mall's outlets moved to The New outlet mall. Rainbow Centre Mall finally closed in September 2000. As of 2007, the mall is still vacant, completely untouched since it's closure in 2000. Despite the closure, the mall was still wide open and unlocked until October 15, 2005, when OTB (which was located inside the vacant mall) closed its doors.

Former anchors

  • Burlington Coat Factory - Opened 1983, Closed 1997