Toms River: The struggling Ocean County Mall was quite busy for shoppers on Christmas Eve. Malls around the country are in danger of closing as more national retailers go bankrupt and liquidate. It was nice to see crowds again- albeit only 25% of the usual Christmas Eve crowds. We really need our crappy mall to pull through. If it closes, it would be devastating for the local economy. Please try to shop local whenever possible- help save jobs and tax revenue.
At the former Sears wing stands the newly built lifestyle center with LA Fitness, Sweetwaters Coffee, Five Below, ULTA Beauty, and Home Sense. Home Sense is set to open in early 2021, and is another concept store owned by TJX Companies. TJX owns popular brands like Marshall’s, Home Goods, Sierra Trading, and TJ Maxx. This new wing of the mall has taken shape nicely, and the Turning Point restaurant is hopefully still scheduled to open too.
The Ocean County Mall originally opened in July 1976 with Sears, JC Penney, and Bambergers. It also featured a three-screen General Cinema, The Game Room arcade, water fountains, and an awesome Burger King (where Applebee’s is) with a boardwalk-style kids play area. Sometime around 1986 Bambergers became Macy’s; and just two years later Stern’s would open as the 4th anchor in a new wing. A crappy 4-unit food court would be constructed in 1992 when a two-story clothing store vacated. Sterns would close in July 2001, and Boscov’s would reopen about a year later. Sears finally closed in 2018 with the mall owners purchasing the Sears building and property to redevelop into a lifestyle center.
Now here we are about to begin 2021, and the in-line mall stores are closing fast. If you haven’t been since pre-Covid in March, you’ll be depressed. Sure there are still many stores still open, but a lot of National tenants have vacated. Hopefully mall management has a plan to right this sinking ship and market the place again for shoppers and tenants.
When will Home Sense open?
Barbara Barrett Kauliusi I heard February. Can’t come soon enough lol.
Barbara Barrett Kaulius the way things are going it’ll be closed 6 months after it opens.
Barbara Barrett Kaulius the sign on the door said May 2021.
Barbara Barrett Kaulius I work at Marshall’s and heard Home Sense is opening sometime in February
When is turning point opening
98 percent of the people are returning items and only 2 percent spending money
Ummm wasn’t Christmas 2 days ago?
Michael La Velle
Christmas is the 25th of December, every year.
Ocean County Scanner News I guess that makes “Christmas” shopping a little hard on the 27th then ????♂️????
Michael La Velle
Well, once you get into the article and pictures- the story tells a tale of shopping on Christmas Eve (12/24).
Ocean County Scanner News nothing like reporting 3 day old news an hour ago ????????
Michael La Velle
Got you to read and comment- thank you sir! ????????❤️
Ocean County Scanner News damn you and your tricks ????????
Michael La Velle
You’ve earned that Top Fan status!
I want to thank Phil Murphey for offering to plow the next storm with his teeth. Good guy ????????
That’s because people waited for gifts in the mail….when they didn’t come they had to go buy something. 3 gifts were late for me
Kim Spill Kim How true! People used the mall out desperation!
Hanif K Davis
Ken Hagemann thanks brother
That food truck is ????????????????????????????. Ask for the oxtail spring rolls!!
Dennis Addesso
I wish I could have stopped! It was busy at times!
Dennis Addesso I’m the owner of this food truck and I want to say thank you please follow my business page and leave a review Hadez Food Truck
Hanif K Davis met you at Backward Flag, I’m the Ma22 Ma Deuce Deuce guy! I’ll come see you soon brother.
Dennis Addesso thank you sir awesome meeting you there
Hanif K Davis I spoke with your mom at Backward Flag Brewing Co.. she cares for you very much and so do your fellow vets at the Jersey Shore Ma Deuce Deuce
John A Sullivan thanks bro really means a lot!
That’s surprising because most of the stores are shut down and there isn’t even a seat to sit to rest! The stuff was out dated ( who wants to wear out dated clothes, especially teens) ! I imagine people are returning items.
Best food truck! Good food!!
Cheyenne Maldonado I’m the owner and I want to say thank you for the compliment. Please follow my business page Hadez Food Truck
Hanif K Davis
We hope the mall is working out for you! Nice to see small businesses surviving.
Ocean County Scanner News it was solid for the most part
I was out yesterday, and people were going insane over Christmas clearance stuff.
Andrew Schwartz
I was a manager at a retail store in 2015 and a dude almost decked me over 50% gift wrap. Cops had to come and all.
Ocean County Scanner News I work in retail myself and have hotpot stories of what I’ve been through.
It was very busy at the mall last Tuesday night around 8pm. There were lines waiting to get inside some stores & others didn’t limit capacity & were crowded.
I went there for the first time in ages I was confused where to go as it changed so much
Since when does oc mall have a home sense or ulta? Isn’t that picture from shopping center in brick???
Are usually take my teenage nieces shopping there every Christmas and as we gather packages I sit and hang onto them. This year there was no place to sit and so we chose other places to go
Go blame Murphy.
Ocean county peeps… contractor lost his load of screws and bits on shorrock blvd by home depot… a tires nightmare…use alternative
If ya wanna post^^
Who knew that it took a couple of packages being late in the mail to get people to forget about their fear and go out in masses? Good thing all of these small businesses had to close for good to protect those people.
Was there yesterday. It was pretty quiet.
Hope your christmas was a great one. ????????????????
Awesome!! Theyshould do that more often