Toms River: Ocean County Mall. The Mall originally opened in July 1976 to much fanfare of local residents by the Edward DeBartolo Corporation. OC Mall has seen much change since then, with only one major remodel since opening day.

Now in 2019, malls around the country are failing due to increased competition from online shopping and declining foot traffic. Ocean County Mall is the only enclosed mall in the county, and we counted around 10 vacant stores up for lease.

We pose the question to our readers- What stores will bring you back to the mall to shop? The new Lifestyle Center that’s being built in the old Sears Wing promises a new experience, but everyone is right-lipped about future tenants. The food court is also abysmal, with three units left of culinary selection.

Let’s do some free market research for Simon and discuss stores that would be a good fit for the mall. Please don’t venture into dream world and think Neiman Marcus is coming- let’s keep it appropriate for stores that would actually work in the mall.