American malls are dying. How is Cross Creek in Fayetteville thriving?

Taylor Shook, Fayetteville Observer
·4 min read
2

While many American malls are dead or dying, Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville is thriving.

Foot traffic continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels, said Jessica Kirkman, spokesperson for Cross Creek Mall, and several new restaurants and stores now call the mall home or are on the way.

“When we emerged from the pandemic and malls reopened, we saw large gains in both traffic and sales as people sought out in person experiences,” she said in an email.

Meanwhile, thousands of once-bustling malls across the country have shut their doors. Just 700 malls are still standing nationwide, down from 2,500 in the 1980s, Nick Egelanian, president of retail consulting firm SiteWorks told The Wall Street Journal last year. Egelanian predicts that just 150 malls will be left in a decade.

So, how has Cross Creek Mall beat the odds?

Main Event, a family bar, restaurant and arcade operated by the same parent company as Dave & Busters, opened in August at Cross Creek Mall, the 38,000-square-foot facility will offer laser tag, video games and 18 bowling lanes.
Main Event, a family bar, restaurant and arcade operated by the same parent company as Dave & Busters, opened in August at Cross Creek Mall, the 38,000-square-foot facility will offer laser tag, video games and 18 bowling lanes.

New restaurants and entertainment are a focus for Cross Creek Mall

Food and leisure are the lifeblood of modern malls, Kirkman said. While retail spaces and department stores have consolidated, restaurants and entertainment have taken their place, she said.

“Malls across the country have evolved in this way,” she said.

After Sears, once considered an anchor store at Cross Creek Mall, shut its doors in Fayetteville in 2019 and the building was razed a year later, the newly opened space allowed for the development of Rooms To Go, which opened in 2021, Main Event, which opened in August, and Bahama Breeze, which is expected to open this winter. Another restaurant is expected to open on the same parcel next year, Kirkman said, stopping short of naming the eatery.

Previously: Here's a look at what's new at Fayetteville's Cross Creek Mall

Entertainment centers like Main Event — a family center with a restaurant, arcade, bowling and bar, operated by the same parent company as Dave & Busters — provide an experience that patrons can’t get elsewhere locally, attracting visitors from a wider geographic area, Kirkman said.

Shoppers make their way through the Cross Creek Mall on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.
Shoppers make their way through the Cross Creek Mall on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.

Getting the retail mix just right

Cross Creek aims to provide a variety of national, regional and local retailers, Kirkman said.

Anchored by Belk, Macy’s and JCPenney, the mall and its outparcels have more than 90 retailers, about two dozen eateries and several banks and salons across about 85 acres.

At least 16 of those businesses are locally owned and operated, including Manhattan Deli, which opened in the food court earlier this month, and SimLo’s Jerk Hut, which is expected to open in the food court before the end of the year.

Cross Creek Mall continues to grow, with Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe making plans for a mall location. Regional chains like Rockin’ Rolls Sushi and KPot are also in the works, as is wholesale grocer U.S. Foods CHEF’STORE.

The mall has many more food options than when it opened in February 1975.

According to the Observer's archives, the original stores were: JCPenney, Belk, Wrangler Wranch, Virginia Crabtree, Jarman Shoes, Miller & Rhoads, Thalhimers, Baskin-Robbins, Just Pants, McFadyen Music, the Intimate Bookshop, Things Remembered, The Record Bar, Fleishman's, Eddie's Music Center, Tiffany's Bakery, the Flora and Fauna Shop, Hickory Farms, Chick-fil-A, General Nutrition, Joli Boutique, Foxmoor Casuals, Contessa Shoes, Lerner Shop, World Bazaar and the Children's Shop.

At the mall: What shops and restaurants are in Cross Creek Mall? Here's the full list

While the mall itself has seen many changes over the years, it, too, has changed Fayetteville.

With the construction of the mall, the city’s commercial epicenter shifted from downtown Fayetteville and Bragg Boulevard to the Cross Creek area. In the years after the mall's opening, businesses relocated to the Cross Creek area. Shopping centers sprang up nearby — Cross Pointe Centre in 1986, Cross Creek Plaza and a Walmart in 1989 and Lowe’s in 1992.

What’s next for Cross Creek Mall?

With several new restaurants and a grocery store slated to open soon, the 48-year-old mall does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

“We’re looking forward to completing the redevelopment of the former Sears building,” Kirkman said. “We will continue to invest in the property to bring the Fayetteville community the best in retail, dining, and entertainment.”

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Malls making a comeback? This Fayetteville mall is thriving