By Rich Dupree
When was the last time you walked through the Alexandria Mall? Come on, think about it. Has it really been that long? For many in Central Louisiana, the Alexandria Mall is a thing of the past – and for those of us who have lived here all our lives, we are starting to dread the news headlines of some of our favorites who are leaving.
This week, Bath and Body Works announced it was closing for good this Saturday. Not much notice to make one more run for favorite bath products.
Just last month, Chick-fil-A, an almost 40-year staple of the Alexandria Mall, closed its doors for good on December 31st.
Those Mall closures join a 2025 list that includes Kirkland’s Home Goods on October 12, and Aeropostale, which closed last February.
While names like JCPenney and Dillard’s are still operating, a lot has changed since the Alexandria Mall opened its doors on August 1, 1973. When the mall opened 53 years ago, it started with 30 stores spanning nearly 500,000 square feet.
Today, there are many challenges facing not just the Alexandria Mall, but similar concepts all across the country. Many Mall stores are closing due to a combination of factors. From lingering financial impacts from the pandemic, to the rising tide of e-commerce competition, to you and I simply changing our shopping habits and pursuing the easier options available to us, the Mall experience has changed and forced many tough decisions by retailers and their future.
Malls themselves are also struggling with underperforming locations, declining foot traffic and in the end, higher real estate costs, combined with labor and operating struggles, all of which are making it harder for Malls to compete and brick-and-mortar stores to remain profitable.
So what does the future hold for the Alexandria Mall and traditional retail in general. Well today’s shopper, especially the younger generations, are looking for more than just products to buy – they are looking for unique experiences, dining options and creative entertainment that you just can’t get online.
Some Malls are even adding apartments, hotels, offices, churches and more non-retail attractions just to survive. Time will tell if our Mall can or will pursue a “live, work, play” mixed use concept – but something has to change, and here’s hoping it does.
Chick-fil-A: An Alexandria Location to Close
