MEMPHIS, Tenn. – – Raleigh Springs Mall is still open, but boarded up stores and few customers are a sign of the struggle big shopping malls have faced over the last few years.
A sprawling shopping center with three anchor stores is just a memory for Raleigh shoppers.
“People liked to be here. It was a good experience,” says Tennessee State Representative Antonio Parkinson, who has been fighting to save the Raleigh Springs Mall and find new uses for the space.
“Most areas are going to open air malls where people can come in handle whatever business at the mall or retail entity then go to the next one and go home,” says Parkinson.
It’s not just Raleigh Springs.
Hickory Ridge Mall never recovered after a devastating tornado when anchor stores vacated.
World Overcomers Church reopened the mall for small businesses to operate, but Hickory Ridge never returned to its glory days.
“It’s nowhere to shop around here. The closest mall is either Oak Court, you have to drive far to get to it, or it’s Wolfchase,” says Dianne Thomas of Hickory Hill.
Even at those malls, security has become a concern.
There was a shooting at Oak Court earlier this year, a smash and grab robbery at a jewelry store at Wolfchase, and a robbery in broad daylight at the Avenue Carriage Crossing last year.
Shoppers are noticing, even as they remain committed to going to their favorite stores.
“I don’t let it stop me. However, I am careful about what time I go, what the weather conditions are like and if I see a crowd that makes we uneasy, then I move along,” says Maryann Griesbeck of East Memphis.
“People want to be able to spend time shopping peacefully and enjoy their shopping experience,” says Parkinson.