BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN) – The Mall at Fairfield Commons said in a release two new businesses will take the place of the soon-to-close Sears.
Elaine Schultz said she often shops at this Sears location, and was shopping there just a day after it announced it would be closing, and said it was pretty empty, and had been recently, but she was sad to see to see see the brick and mortar location close up shop.
“This is something, that in our age group, we like to go to the malls and shop rather than online, so I’m going to miss it,” said Schultz.
In a press release from the mall’s owners, Washington Prime Group, they said the upper level of the current Sears location will become The RoomPlace, a home furnishing store, and the lower level will soon be a family entertainment company, Round 1 Entertainment.
Schultz said she feels this signifies the shift of retail shopping to online, since the group is venturing out to replace a big box store with those types of businesses.
Dr. Marc Clauson, a professor of history and law at Cedarville University, agreed.
He said it is not certain yet which stores will close or go solely online, but it is almost inevitable that many do.
“The bigger question is, will malls themselves last as entities?,” said Clauson. “Consumers are showing less interest in malls, and malls were the traditional place where department stores were the anchors that kept the malls together. They got the consumers there to shop in the department stores, and now the malls themselves are less popular.”
Sears has not yet commented on when the store will close, but other area Sears, like the one in the Dayton Mall, are closing by November.
In the release, Washington Prime Group said both The RoomPlace and Round 1 Entertainment are supposed to open sometime late 2019.
