Dillard's Clearance: 1980s Aesthetic Department Store At A Dead Mall | Retail Archaeology

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  • čas přidán 15. 08. 2018
  • ⯈This episode is sponsored by Skillshare. The first 500 people get 2 months free via this link: skl.sh/Retail
    ⯈In this episode we take a look at the Dillard's Clearance Center at Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix, AZ
    ⯈Retail Archaeology and Rotting Acres Mall merchandise is available at the Retail Archaeology Shop: teespring.com/stores/retail-a...
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    Intractable by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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    Sideways Samba by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
    #deadmall #retailarchaeology #dillards
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Komentáře • 759

  • @St0rmcrash
    @St0rmcrash Před 5 lety +544

    Goodwill + Dillards = GoodDill?

  • @kelly3014
    @kelly3014 Před 5 lety +569

    Color coding those shirts means the employees have a LOT of time on their hands. Lol

    • @TRUMPisOPPA
      @TRUMPisOPPA Před 5 lety +8

      estherdestiny Uniqlo does this too and they are a newer company.

    • @libertystate7088
      @libertystate7088 Před 5 lety +4

      estherdestiny most stores do that

    • @FrostNightVideoProductions
      @FrostNightVideoProductions Před 5 lety +6

      @@libertystate7088 I've never seen that

    • @cv2594
      @cv2594 Před 5 lety +10

      I only see this at thrift stores lol

    • @kintinii1099
      @kintinii1099 Před 5 lety +6

      i work retail and i have to color code the clothes or else i’ll get written up

  • @MetamorphosisRox
    @MetamorphosisRox Před 5 lety +432

    That customer service area reminds me of back in the 80s when they would wrap presents. Ah, the memories.

    • @shawn170204
      @shawn170204 Před 5 lety +8

      Metamorphosis Rox I remember everyone had an option to do layaways as well. And you could come in and make payments to what ever you could afford at the time until it was paid off on full. It was an excellent option at Christmas time for everyone.

    • @Duchesse_Justice
      @Duchesse_Justice Před 5 lety +7

      I think they still do!

    • @Texanwildflower
      @Texanwildflower Před 5 lety +9

      They still do.

    • @sariecisme
      @sariecisme Před 5 lety +13

      I personally have been in that exact spot for gift wrapping. They used to do that. Boxes on the wall displayed each style/option with a number is you would tell them I want #3, etc. It was a luxury to have an item gift wrapped there as it was a little pricey. My dad splurged on it for a gift for my mom and she was as taken by the wrapping as the gift itself. Lots of memories of that store.

    • @stefanmarchione6757
      @stefanmarchione6757 Před 5 lety +3

      Or the Human Resouces dept where you interview for a job in Customer Service.

  • @meghancullum9031
    @meghancullum9031 Před 5 lety +57

    I used to work gift wrap there. That customer service counter is where the gift wrap was. On the wall behind the computer monitor is where all the different gift wraps were displayed. That room that had half glass wall and mini blinds was a travel center where you could buy your next trip. And the embellishments on the outside walls you saw were out there in the 90s when skateboarding became a big thing. They were put there to keep the skateboarders away.

    • @chauncy2315
      @chauncy2315 Před 5 lety

      czcams.com/video/X3Zh78Bco_k/video.html

  • @dreamscape405
    @dreamscape405 Před 5 lety +114

    This makes me so sad! I've lived in Phoenix for 17 yrs now and remember when that mall used to be full of people. Going even further back to the 80's when I was hanging out at mall's never thinking they would ever die out, makes me even more despondent. Time sure flies. Now I truly understand what the older generations were talking about when they would reminisce about the good old days. Guess that makes me one of them now. Can we rewind back to 1980 just for a little while?😒😢😉

    • @caole88
      @caole88 Před 5 lety +2

      Dore Love I so agree!!

    • @evelyncmawk3871
      @evelyncmawk3871 Před 3 lety +1

      Yah it's weird how things turn out that way. Diamonds and Dillards were fantastic stores. Even Broadway was so nice. And the times were better. I was growing up so in a subdivision across the I-17 and watched it being built.
      All things must update or be changed with time.

  • @Frogsrule010
    @Frogsrule010 Před 5 lety +224

    I worked at a successful Dillard’s and they don’t really believe in updating anything ever.

    • @choirkitty
      @choirkitty Před 5 lety +4

      Sadly neither did BonTon and it's affiliates, hence they went out of business 😣

  • @LeonardoCWarren
    @LeonardoCWarren Před 5 lety +241

    It’s so interesting to see. It’s both fascinating and equally terrifying. Life passes so quickly and times are always changing.

    • @gentbar7296
      @gentbar7296 Před 5 lety +1

      its subjective.. more to come. walk barefoot some times

    • @PortraitofAsha
      @PortraitofAsha Před 5 lety +6

      Yeah, it's a bit unsettling. I feel like I can smell the dust through the screen

    • @Gee-xb7rt
      @Gee-xb7rt Před 5 lety +9

      i don't want to sound all doom and gloom but its a result of Nixon bankrupting the country and tying the dollar to an imported commodity, its been a long slow ride down. The UN is investigating poverty in the US now, because its bad, really bad. Too busy spending to hold oil fields on the other side of the planet to care about basics like education and healthcare. I don't want to sound like the 80s were perfect, some things are better now, but the economy sure isn't. Not sure what its going to take to get the economy to change course, the upper 10% sure aren't feeling it the same way the rest of us are.

    • @ycazawilliams2535
      @ycazawilliams2535 Před 5 lety +2

      That's why I enjoy watching videos like this as a reminder

  • @stephaniemarie4420
    @stephaniemarie4420 Před 5 lety +210

    Honestly as a current drunk person this was the best video and channel I’ve come across in my drunk euphoria

    • @Popopatop
      @Popopatop Před 5 lety +2

      Stephanie Daily hahha glad ur here

    • @AllisonChains64
      @AllisonChains64 Před 5 lety +3

      Lol best comment on here!!

    • @josuejasso7589
      @josuejasso7589 Před 5 lety +5

      Stephanie Daily same I just got back from a college football game and somewhat still on party mode . Then this video got me interested and calmed.

    • @orcfig47
      @orcfig47 Před 5 lety +2

      Ditto

    • @ItsJustBlakey
      @ItsJustBlakey Před 5 lety +1

      Stay hydrated 💜

  • @cornjobb
    @cornjobb Před 5 lety +228

    well, it's clear where to go if you want a polo shirt

    • @gentbar7296
      @gentbar7296 Před 5 lety +7

      polos are never a fashion trend. its a timeless garment 😀

  • @DJHmoney
    @DJHmoney Před 5 lety +372

    I feel like this video is made by a grown up Gene Belcher. Like Gene got super into malls as he grew up, and now that he’s all grown up and has a job, he does these videos on the weekends.

    • @amaz3624
      @amaz3624 Před 5 lety +2

      Hahaha yes!

    • @finaljamm
      @finaljamm Před 5 lety +2

      DJHmoney hHahahah

    • @papayyya
      @papayyya Před 5 lety +4

      😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

    • @Patrick3183
      @Patrick3183 Před 5 lety +7

      DJHmoney the voice even sounds like grown up Gene

    • @DJHmoney
      @DJHmoney Před 5 lety +5

      Patrick3183 lololol that’s the first thing I noticed. Then the music, and I was like “oh shit gene’s all grown up!”

  • @nickmoreno3885
    @nickmoreno3885 Před 5 lety +222

    Honestly the SMOOTHEST transition to an invideo sponsor ad haha

    • @historylvr8000
      @historylvr8000 Před 5 lety +4

      IKR...that was the icing on the nostalgia cake! Lol

    • @Starpotion
      @Starpotion Před 5 lety +4

      No kidding, think I might just check it out because of it...

    • @funniburnz4942
      @funniburnz4942 Před 5 lety +1

      Lol, truth

    • @gentbar7296
      @gentbar7296 Před 5 lety +1

      yeah like when you watch the news ...now back to the weather

    • @cpufreak101
      @cpufreak101 Před 5 lety

      Trust me, I've seen much smoother transitions, the smoothest transitions are the ones where the sponsor deals directly with the subject matter and you end up watching most of the ad as you don't even realize it's an ad

  • @505scrton
    @505scrton Před 5 lety +115

    This is so hurtful to watch. In my city we have some of these malls and sports centers from the 70's, 80's and even early 00's as well. They are dying mostly although some shops or gyms/pools still work. They are building new centers but I think it would be so cute if they renovate older buildings to look fresh but keep their original form with a touch of modernity.

    • @maddieelliott8295
      @maddieelliott8295 Před 5 lety

      Petra yes

    • @cynzix
      @cynzix Před 5 lety +2

      In muy city they rarely build new stuff, they remodel the existing ones, or recycle old buildings to turn them into indoor markets, which are way nicer than malls.

    • @505scrton
      @505scrton Před 5 lety +1

      @@cynzix really nice, I like that. But for example my country was hosing European Men's handball Championship in 2009 and my country Croatia played in Split all group games. They build new arena which they didn't finish but we already had one from 1979 when Mediterranean games were held. It would be much easier if they renovate that instead of building a new one which is 90% of the time empty except if there is some concert... but yes they held the championship again this year in new arena... and there was some financial problems...

    • @firepower7017
      @firepower7017 Před 5 lety +2

      Petra Oh boy if you seen malls in Nevada they aren't gonna die at all. In fact they are heavily crowded that it feels like the 1980s never died. Talk about out with the new staying with the old

  • @SuperBoomshack
    @SuperBoomshack Před 5 lety +430

    It looks like you could have walked out with merchandise and nobody would have noticed

  • @mstiefan6996
    @mstiefan6996 Před 5 lety +103

    The way all those shirts are arranged by color is something I'd probably do if I were stocking them.

    • @forestine_
      @forestine_ Před 5 lety +5

      I'm guessing the employees don't have many customers interrupting their day.

    • @krismilko
      @krismilko Před 5 lety +3

      MSTie Fan Me too! My eyes literally lit up when I saw that the shirts were color coordinated! I guess that's the Virgo in me 😊

    • @gordontaylor2815
      @gordontaylor2815 Před 5 lety +3

      Hey, they're probably pretty bored in there - why not indulge your inner neat freak to kill some time? :)

    • @fazdoll
      @fazdoll Před 5 lety +4

      Salvation Army and Goodwill have been arranging clothing by color for decades. I've seen it many times.

    • @BennyLlama39
      @BennyLlama39 Před 5 lety

      MSTie Fan I would. It saves a lot of time finding the shirt color you want.

  • @ZachAttackIsBack
    @ZachAttackIsBack Před 5 lety +120

    This isn't a normal "upscale" Dillard's. This store is a clearance center. Crappy, outdated, and tacky merchandise is scattered everywhere, but the prices are cheap, damnit!

    • @thatgirl7337
      @thatgirl7337 Před 5 lety +2

      Zach Becker there is one here in New Orleans too, crappy clothing

    • @1120go
      @1120go Před 5 lety +14

      It's all the clothing that the regular dillards didnt sell.

    • @coletanner5193
      @coletanner5193 Před 5 lety +8

      $90 for a bed comforter..$41 for a $3 purse? The clearance rack at the nice Dillard's has $5 Tommy Bahama sorts and $5 shirts once $60..Any store can be cheap if the price markers decide to be..This store was anything but low priced.

    • @alexandriaclark9715
      @alexandriaclark9715 Před 5 lety +3

      I bought some amazing work dresses at last weeks 80% sale.. Antonio Melani for $15. Yes please!!

    • @amarachiduru7554
      @amarachiduru7554 Před 5 lety +2

      I know that brand for the purse and it not a name brand. So the price for an out of season no brand purse is still expensive

  • @bobdylansweden6
    @bobdylansweden6 Před 5 lety +263

    The clothes also seems to be from the 80's

    • @gentbar7296
      @gentbar7296 Před 5 lety +6

      Bob Dylan Sweden trends are idiotic

    • @martin1649
      @martin1649 Před 5 lety +2

      captain obvious

    • @gentbar7296
      @gentbar7296 Před 5 lety +1

      @Bryan M i understand smart useful novelty but color short pants xs xxl pants merry go rounds stupid.
      everybody its kaki day tomo
      and camo day the next
      allegedly

    • @hi-mq3qt
      @hi-mq3qt Před 5 lety +9

      You do realize 80s styles are making a comeback tho

    • @KittyAwesomnessgirl1
      @KittyAwesomnessgirl1 Před 5 lety +3

      @@gentbar7296 but trends have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. If anything trends are dying out and people are setting their own styles

  • @fearlessjones
    @fearlessjones Před 5 lety +90

    This was the mall I grew up with. I went to high school at Cortez. I remember that the Dillard’s downstairs was always nicer than the upstairs. The upper level seemed too crowded with stuff. It never changed its look throughout the years Always plenty of mirrors and brass. I still occasionally drop in if they have certain deal days, but it’s really just a sad shell nowadays.

  • @glamorousgenna20
    @glamorousgenna20 Před 5 lety +8

    damn. malls are a little part of good childhood memories. physically going shopping in summer for back to school was the best

  • @vickydaza
    @vickydaza Před 5 lety +3

    His voice is so soothing. He can read tool manuals and I’d be relaxed in no time

    • @Echolyris212
      @Echolyris212 Před 5 lety +1

      Yes definitely. I can hear his voice in one of those shows " how it works " or "how it's made"

  • @SnapshotOfASoul
    @SnapshotOfASoul Před 5 lety +123

    One TINY word of advice - those aren't pastels you're describing, they're neutrals! A pastel is more of an easter feel, if it's more of a retail feel, it's likely a neutral! :D

    • @stefanmarchione6757
      @stefanmarchione6757 Před 5 lety +4

      I agree! Or more of a "Southwest " pastel; like desert colors. Fitting for Phoenix, Arizona! Beautiful

    • @sinandcyanide7505
      @sinandcyanide7505 Před 5 lety +2

      @@stefanmarchione6757 it's not so beautiful if you live here since it's the same color as everything outside.

    • @Gee-xb7rt
      @Gee-xb7rt Před 5 lety +2

      that mauve in customer service was everywhere in the 80s,, its got too much gray to be a pastel, in color theory its called value or brightness, the amount of clarity in a color. a pastel doesn't have that neutralness, it would be brighter, like a lavender. I have to say its not as bad as the industrial beige that was probably the most popular because its the cheapest paint to make. It looks dirty as soon as you paint because its got too many impurities in the base. .

    • @acedianPianist
      @acedianPianist Před 5 lety

      @@Gee-xb7rt I realize this is about paint, but in terms of carpets and the like, do account for the fading and the material deteriorating over time.
      I remember there used to be a brilliantly pastel blue strip of rug at an old school of mine. Never changed, but the foot traffic definitely made it the most sterile, grey thing ever last I saw.
      One time it may have passed for pastel.

  • @juniorthird7952
    @juniorthird7952 Před 5 lety +44

    I was waiting for the zombie herd to come staggering in and then to hear disturbed-- come on get down with the sickness.

  • @peaceofclay890
    @peaceofclay890 Před 5 lety +15

    i can almost hear the mall security guards yelling at the skateboarders to go somewhere else

  • @dashstarkiller913
    @dashstarkiller913 Před 5 lety +67

    Funny that rail you said looks great for skateboarding is literally right next to one of the most famous skate rails ever. The kinked rail against the wall is the rail Chad Muska did first try in the 90s.

    • @Marc83Aus
      @Marc83Aus Před 5 lety +4

      Chad Muska, now that's a blast from the past.

  • @officeflan1303
    @officeflan1303 Před 5 lety +16

    I shopped there many times with my mom as a kid. I even looked for formal dresses in high school. It was nice back then. I remember quite a bit about Metro Center if you want to hear more.

  • @BollingHolt
    @BollingHolt Před 5 lety +20

    LOL That music in the background sounds like background music from an early 1990s Sierra computer game. I like it. Great video, as usual!

    • @scottieray
      @scottieray Před 5 lety +1

      And all the clothes are something Leisure Suit Larry would actually wear.

    • @BollingHolt
      @BollingHolt Před 5 lety

      LOL!!!

  • @marisam9803
    @marisam9803 Před 5 lety +47

    Shirts arraigned by color is also how they do it in Goodwill. Guess the salesclerk also worked there!

    • @Nekronomikn
      @Nekronomikn Před 5 lety

      Thats standard for any retail company... its not an 80s thing.

    • @Gee-xb7rt
      @Gee-xb7rt Před 5 lety

      CasioBananCake I don't usually shop where there are rows of tshirts, so it looks like goodwill to me too.

    • @DragonAurora
      @DragonAurora Před 5 lety

      So why were the shirts arraigned, and on what charges? This should be interesting.

  • @ChrisShadowens
    @ChrisShadowens Před 5 lety +19

    My gal says she used to buy concert tickets through TicketMaster in that customer service area. Gift wrapping was done there, as well.

    • @sinandcyanide7505
      @sinandcyanide7505 Před 5 lety

      That store is where I spent my first ever paycheck. I bought Nine Inch Nails tickets at the counter through Ticketmaster lol

  • @904czv4
    @904czv4 Před 5 lety +14

    Yes, we have a Dillard’s clearance center too. That color-coding of shirts was neat!
    Great stuff Mr. Erik! 👍🏼

  • @jo.sevigny
    @jo.sevigny Před 5 lety +58

    You could buy a mini drone and try to film the first floor with it

    • @ProudiPhoneOwner
      @ProudiPhoneOwner Před 5 lety +3

      Jonathan Sévigny what happens if he crashes it down there or it gets stuck somewhere? Lol

    • @jo.sevigny
      @jo.sevigny Před 5 lety +7

      if the drone is really cheap (like $20), he leaves it there. Or he attaches a very light wire to the drone (like sewing wire) and pull it back up.

    • @Gee-xb7rt
      @Gee-xb7rt Před 5 lety +2

      here is an easy solution -- ask a manager, if one denies you then come back when shifts change. i don't know where people lost the art of being polite. "hi, I'm a video archivist and would like to film your downstairs, its such a well persevered store, (insert flattery here) when its convenient of course." people are so terrified to engage another human these days, cut it out. bake some cookies and give them to your neighbor. lets get it!

  • @okrajoe
    @okrajoe Před 5 lety +68

    Dillard's -- now there's a name I haven't heard in a while.

    • @frankiejabonbumyers4151
      @frankiejabonbumyers4151 Před 5 lety +1

      What about Gaffers or is it Gayffers I can't remember

    • @okrajoe
      @okrajoe Před 5 lety +2

      Gayfers right?

    • @okrajoe
      @okrajoe Před 5 lety +2

      Gayfers and Pizitz. I think Pizitz was state of Alabama only.

    • @frankiejabonbumyers4151
      @frankiejabonbumyers4151 Před 5 lety

      @@okrajoe yep that's it. And the other one u named must of been before my time, and I'm from bama

    • @andromedastar4900
      @andromedastar4900 Před 5 lety +3

      We still have one in a mall nearby where I live. And it's still a nice department store, not a barebones warehouse-looking clearance center like this one.

  • @saf2127
    @saf2127 Před 5 lety +4

    Not this Dillards in particular, but I have a lot of memories of Dillard’s when I was a kid. My mom was, and still is, a makeup obsessive (as am I). We would always visit the Guerlain counter so my mom could pick up all her stuff, and the nice ladies there would give me all kinds of makeup and perfume samples to play with. It made me feel so grown up! They were smart....making a future customer. Sadly, Dillard’s customer service has gone way downhill since the ‘90s, and after a particularly bad experience a few years back, I refuse to shop there. But it was fun to reminisce with this video. Thank you for sharing.

  • @awcdroid
    @awcdroid Před 5 lety +20

    I remember when I was a kid, now 24, the giant water “geysers.” I would sit there for hours and watch the water shoot into the air, and will never get the sound of it falling to hit the ground out of my head. Great memories of the golden years of metro center mall.

    • @awcdroid
      @awcdroid Před 5 lety +1

      Bryan M that’s awesome!! 😊

  • @kyleflounder9783
    @kyleflounder9783 Před 5 lety

    I swear, you get bonus points for how cleverly you slip in your sponsors into your videos. I hate sponsored stuff but I actually listen to it in your content just because of its clever implementation.

  • @Mikeshik
    @Mikeshik Před 5 lety +6

    Seeing the old school layout reminded me of when I uesd to go to the mall with my grandmother in the 90s rip 👍🏻

  • @danacantu6714
    @danacantu6714 Před 5 lety +10

    One of the top dead mall youtubers

  • @joepena5771
    @joepena5771 Před 5 lety +36

    The signage in that service area is actually from the late 70's. I think that's true of the parquet floors as well. The big bumps on those lower exterior surface areas were meant as skate board deterrent. Looks like they had to resurface, a terrible job of it too, the damaged caused by skaters on the wall edge. I'm surprised you haven't covered the Souper!Salad! building at Metrocenter. That building almost looks like an Oscar Niemeyer building who did a lot of late modernist buildings like at Brazilia.

    • @sinandcyanide7505
      @sinandcyanide7505 Před 5 lety +1

      I think that big plaster square was from where they used to have lighting.

  • @tkcowan2166
    @tkcowan2166 Před 5 lety +44

    I used to hang around the mall when I played hooky from school back in the 80s! 😄

    • @jesusdachrist9192
      @jesusdachrist9192 Před 5 lety +1

      What school did you go to?

    • @missfirenice1421
      @missfirenice1421 Před 5 lety +1

      Peoria High School in the 80’s. And hung out at Valley West mall a lot.

    • @gentbar7296
      @gentbar7296 Před 5 lety

      az. what else

    • @tracyseymour7553
      @tracyseymour7553 Před 5 lety

      @@gentbar7296 I remember skipping school, and hanging out at the mall as well. Now, everything is on line.

    • @Danplaysdrums1
      @Danplaysdrums1 Před 5 lety +1

      Back when you could skip school without people noticing. Back when a C- was okay passing. And back when you didn't need to carry an identification card around your neck at all times.

  • @jonroig8751
    @jonroig8751 Před 5 lety +2

    That’s the mall from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure!

  • @JackTheRipper002
    @JackTheRipper002 Před 9 měsíci

    I’m working on becoming a funeral director, and at my job at the funeral home we have to dress to the absolute nines.
    I’ve shopped at dillards for two years now for all my clothes, shoes, jewelry, and cologne. Plus any other accessories I might need. I LOVE dillards. LOVE!

  • @mallaholicretailadventures

    There is a clearance center in Moline, IL and the racks just go on forever. It looks neat. In my observations, when a Dillard's turns into a clearance center, that could mean a number of things. Their lease is coming up in a few years, changing demographics, locations too close to each other, like in the Quad Cities, IL-IA. More than likely, they are going to close. That store you just showed is the most vintage I have seen. I think I heard 80s music in my head.

  • @rae9870
    @rae9870 Před 5 lety +1

    The nostalgia is real in this video

  • @BigDHomeVideo
    @BigDHomeVideo Před 5 lety +11

    Wow I'm honestly amazed that is still there. I visited the mall in mid 2016, thinking "Damn this place wont be around much longer". Glad to know they are going steady, I guess? Lol

    • @sinandcyanide7505
      @sinandcyanide7505 Před 5 lety

      Lol same

    • @firepower7017
      @firepower7017 Před 5 lety

      iOzznialt Man you are lucky. Maybe? I mean look at Nevada they still have lots of malls still crowded. Is this a sign that Nevada is stuck in the 80s and early 2000s?

  • @mrpoohbearlvr
    @mrpoohbearlvr Před 5 lety +2

    I cant be the only person in the USA that prefers a 'brick and mortar' store, instead of stupid online shopping. Am I alone? Seeing this is VERY depressing. Here in Ft.laud, Fla. there are malls like this, I am sure. But I go to a true 'Diamond of a mall' ,it is full of stores and full of people and it is just pure class!!! The Galleria Mall on Sunrise Blvd. Expensive stores, no discount crap, and still drawing people in.

  • @tkcowan2166
    @tkcowan2166 Před 5 lety +15

    Anyone remember the store called "TG&Y"? The letters stood for toys, games and yo-yos! 😎

    • @hiperson7347
      @hiperson7347 Před 5 lety

      No Tomlinson Goodman and Young out of Oklahoma City . Owned by Household Finance. Over 1200 stores when sold to McCrorys in 1986. Closed hundreds of stores because rents were high and McCrorys made money liquidating the TG&Y inventory. They were a 5&10 retailer and never sold much over a 10.00 price. They filed bankruptcy in 1991. Two thousand stores including Murphys, Kresge, TG&Y, Greens, etc... Closed down by 1996. Headquarters was York PA.

    • @misterhot9163
      @misterhot9163 Před 5 lety +1

      tkcowan2166 omg yes, my mom LOVED that store. She would buy all of her fabric there. When my dad told her it shut down in our town, she had a fit!

    • @missfirenice1421
      @missfirenice1421 Před 5 lety

      Babbages

    • @daletrowett2768
      @daletrowett2768 Před 5 lety +1

      Funny to find a comment about TG&Y Stores on a video about a Dillards "Clearance Center," as I left TG&Y's corporate office in OK City about 30 days before it was shuttered and went to work at Dillards corporate store planning and design department. "hi person" has the story mostly right, but not quite. At the end, TG&Y was owned by Household International, a holding company that also owned Household Finance. TG&Y was a full-line discounter, not a 5 & 10, which carried everything you'd find in a Walmart at similar prices. (Note: TG&Y owned the Ben Franklin Stores franchise operation. Due to a shrewd deal cooked up by a shopping center developer, TG&Y broke its non-compete agreement with one Ben Franklin franchisee in Bentonville, AR, named Sam Walton. Sam sued to stop the deal and lost. He was livid and vowed to put TG&Y out of business. He then started a store called Wal*Mart.) TG&Y also launched an upscale discount store group called Aim for the Best. In those stores, the decor was a little nicer, as It was meant to compete with Target, Venture, Montgomery Ward and Sears. Including Aim, TG&Y had just over 1,300 stores across the U.S. at its peak and was second to Sears in sales volume. (How the mighty have fallen!)
      During TG&Y's final 3 years, Household brought in 3 different CEO's who each fired the previous management team and brought in their own. Chaos ensued. I had 3 file cabinets full of projects that were started by one management team, then cancelled by the next. The last CEO, Dick (appropriate name) Rusthoven brought in his team to give the appearance of managing a turnaround for the company, but actually they were preparing it for sale. During Rustohoven's watch, half the buying staff was caught taking millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks from vendors. Black suits from the FBI took up residence at the headquarters building and many buyers and assistants went to prison. Later, Rusthoven and his "management team" formed a syndicate to buy TG&Y from Household while at the same time negotiating a sale to Rapid-American Corp., owned by Turkish vulture capitalist, Meshulam Riklis. Rapid-American owned McCrory's and many other companies, primarily for the purpose of extracting all the value out of the companies and casting off the empty carcasses. The Rusthoven group cleverly scheduled the closing of the sale to Rapid-American BEFORE the closing of the purchase from Household. This meant they had millions in cash from the sale and didn't have to put up their own money to buy the company. When the dust settled, 27,000 employees lost their jobs and Rusthoven's gang each netted several million dollars each in profit.

  • @maddieroxx4eva
    @maddieroxx4eva Před 5 lety +7

    That one little nook reminded me of the entrance to the Imperial base on Endor. All it needed was Han popping out shooting a blaster.

  • @anamireles7645
    @anamireles7645 Před 5 lety +4

    It's so surreal to hear someone talk about Fiesta Mall. I loved going there as a kid and now it's like driving by a cemetery.

    • @missfirenice1421
      @missfirenice1421 Před 5 lety

      Analisa Mireles that was one racist mall and I hear they are going to tear it down. Who knows.

  • @alphahotelromeo
    @alphahotelromeo Před 5 lety +6

    This is what the Dillard’s in Wellington, FL looks like. I also feel like I’m in the 80’s when I’m in there.

    • @AlbanianMan
      @AlbanianMan Před 5 lety +2

      What's crazy is that Dillards isn't even that old. The mall in Wellington was built in 2001.

  • @CharMendoza
    @CharMendoza Před 5 lety +2

    This reminds me of the Dillard's at West Oaks Mall in Houston. That entire mall is so dead and lonely.

  • @stonedune803
    @stonedune803 Před 5 lety +3

    This is exactly like the one at Meadows Mall here in Vegas. Agree with everything being dated but it is super nice to have a whole rack of clothes organized by size rather than the normal department store sorting by style.

  • @904czv4
    @904czv4 Před 5 lety +11

    Brutalism architecture is so fascinating!

  • @SnapshotOfASoul
    @SnapshotOfASoul Před 5 lety +4

    The outside of that Dillard's looks SO much like the former outside of The Bay at my local mall. It must have shared an architect or something!

  • @posae86
    @posae86 Před 5 lety +5

    That customer service counter reminds me of buying concert tickets there.

    • @GandalfGreyhame3
      @GandalfGreyhame3 Před 5 lety

      Haha yes that was a thing wasn’t it, I bought some at Carson’s Priere Scott, now closed!

  • @BrittKatSlat
    @BrittKatSlat Před 5 lety

    This is so great and unique! Also, I love your personality. You sound like you’re courteous and also kind of cheeky- in a a very GOOD way though. Like a great humorous and observant way. I love it. It’s actually really calming and grounding. Maybe that’s your voice too- it’s soothing. So, Thanks for these special tours and your special personality! Subscribed!!

  • @meerathegreyhound1044
    @meerathegreyhound1044 Před 5 lety

    I really enjoyed your video. Thanks!

  • @nancydarling4918
    @nancydarling4918 Před 5 lety

    Good video. Was interesting. Thanks for filming. Hope you make more of these.

  • @chgojoearchivist
    @chgojoearchivist Před 5 lety +4

    Great video as always, man! Thanks for showing the exterior of the mall! I'm a fan of Mid Century Modern architecture and am slowing getting attracted towards that Brutalist, Industrial design!

  • @kimdelk1181
    @kimdelk1181 Před 5 lety +48

    Thats my mall! I live right by metro the mall needs to be revamped but i still like going there. Theres a walmart at this mall now yes a walmart in a mall lmao ghetto. Even the sears is closed there now so this is the only dept store still open. One more thing this mall used to be the shit back in the day and a really nice mall with a skating rink inside n where they filmed bill n teds excellent advent.

    • @princesspeach3336
      @princesspeach3336 Před 5 lety +4

      Kim’s Life that was filmed here? I love that movie!

    • @kimdelk1181
      @kimdelk1181 Před 5 lety +5

      Holographic Narwhals yes believe it or not. Metro mall was the place to be at in 80s/90s unfort like malls across country it was hit really hard. Also the area has gotten bad around it n thats probably some of it it too. Theres many vacant sections of the mall but still some good stores n a movie theatre.

    • @kimdelk1181
      @kimdelk1181 Před 5 lety +2

      Also the movie Take Me Home Tonight also filmed there.

    • @JosephKoch
      @JosephKoch Před 5 lety +6

      And if you were in high school in the 80s and lived in north Phoenix, you cruised metro center every Friday and Saturday night. During Christmas time the parking lot was completely full.

    • @kimdelk1181
      @kimdelk1181 Před 5 lety +2

      Joseph C 😢😢

  • @centurionfragger9859
    @centurionfragger9859 Před 5 lety +6

    Dillards, travelling in the Wayback Machine

  • @lala4461
    @lala4461 Před 5 lety +2

    Malls still look like they're from the 80s in 2018. My first job the day after I turned 16 was at Dillard's. Made 4.75 an hour in 1985. Beat the food court or fast food jobs. Women had to wear dresses and pantyhose though. Girls ripped off so many clothes from the Jr Dept. No video cameras. Just one off duty cop at the mall entrance of the store. Working at any mall in 1985 was.. Very 80s.lol

  • @neverknowsjess
    @neverknowsjess Před 5 lety

    I don’t know how I came upon your videos, but I’ve been pretty hooked watching them. Seeing how empty and ‘in the past’ these malls and department stores are makes me feel almost sad. It made me realize how my own mall in town is getting less and less traffic these days. I guess people prefer to shop online nowadays. Thanks for taking the time to film these videos, they’re so interesting to watch.

  • @Nitaka12
    @Nitaka12 Před 5 lety +25

    Malls will one day be converted to Amazon warehouses.

    • @Nitaka12
      @Nitaka12 Před 5 lety

      @a.r. e sounds accurate to me.

    • @vincegredo
      @vincegredo Před 5 lety +2

      I hate the thought of that

    • @MrVuckFiacom
      @MrVuckFiacom Před 5 lety

      Fuck Jeff Bezos.

    • @firepower7017
      @firepower7017 Před 5 lety

      Azhrarn Nevada ain't gonna give up malls because they already have enough customers to keep it alive and furnishing itself well. Also some malls can get heavily crowded. Talk about revolting the future

    • @saraltonmoore6609
      @saraltonmoore6609 Před 5 lety +1

      Pretty Much

  • @scrapstress
    @scrapstress Před 5 lety +2

    I thought I was the only one obsessed with old dept stores

  • @chetpomeroy1399
    @chetpomeroy1399 Před 5 lety

    Yes, I remember those hardwood floors! They were being put in during a store remodel when I visited that very same store at Metrocenter back in the mid-80's.

  • @carlyr
    @carlyr Před 5 lety +69

    ok wtf lily pullitzer planners for 2.99?? planning my trip to AZ now

    • @InMyRightMind
      @InMyRightMind Před 5 lety +5

      carcarpwnz hahaha comment of the day !

    • @glamorousgenna20
      @glamorousgenna20 Před 5 lety +1

      carcarpwnz 😂😂

    • @KatherineluvsCB
      @KatherineluvsCB Před 5 lety +3

      carcarpwnz i was scrolling to find this im so jealous hahaha

    • @princesspeach3336
      @princesspeach3336 Před 5 lety

      They have one in Houston too. I'm sure there's plenty around the country

    • @carlyr
      @carlyr Před 5 lety +3

      i live in WV, we arent even sophisticated enough for a dillards in the entire state haha.

  • @gordontaylor2815
    @gordontaylor2815 Před 5 lety +12

    Dark, dingy and merchandise that's STILL overpriced... explain again WHY I should ever shop there?

  • @doney1996
    @doney1996 Před 5 lety

    That’s so crazy! Thank you for this video!

  • @vasilivladivostok1136
    @vasilivladivostok1136 Před 5 lety +1

    That was the fucking place to be in the 80s. There was a cool skating rink below the food court that was retrofit into a massive video arcade in the early 90s.

  • @sodapopyoung
    @sodapopyoung Před 5 lety

    Subscribed. Always find myself coming back to your videos!

  • @Bubbless555
    @Bubbless555 Před 5 lety +2

    It was really nice to see the outside too! My local run down mall also has a collards clearance, the top floor is closed. They have had the same clothes for years.

  • @unhingedskrunkly8512
    @unhingedskrunkly8512 Před 5 lety +26

    Wow the store looks so...... tired, would have loved to have seen the center (well all of these dying stores) during its prime! Brutalist architecture is sick, I would love to live in a brutal house!

    • @tajanotaja
      @tajanotaja Před 5 lety +1

      Raven's Spiritual Journey Right? What is brutalist architecture?

    • @sinandcyanide7505
      @sinandcyanide7505 Před 5 lety

      It was a pretty nice mall back then. A nicer one opened close to it and it just started bleeding out. Didn't take long.

    • @papa_emeritus_one3860
      @papa_emeritus_one3860 Před 5 lety

      @@tajanotaja like buildings made out of concrete blocks, no adornment of any sort, no decorative elements. 1970s parking garage style. I think but that may not be 100% correct. I think it's hideous lol

  • @greglavers
    @greglavers Před 2 lety +1

    This looks very much like the Dillards I worked for in OKC back in the early 1980's prior to their major remodeling in 1984. Yes I worked there during that major overhaul of basically everything except for the escalators. I recall there being some wild wallpapering and some carpet that was small orange, yellow, and purple check design in our mens department. We also had the exact same parkey flooring you are showing prior to the renovation. It saddens me that we as city dwellars have just abandon the indoor malls.

  • @tritosac
    @tritosac Před 5 lety +4

    These malls look just like the malls in Dallas that I grew up with. They haven't changed much either. We have Dillard's at the Town East and Valley View malls that I went to many times during my childhood. I think Valley View may be closed now. The Irving Mall has that same late 70's-80's feel to it with a Dillard's. There is something relaxing about walking through these stores especially on a hot day. The air conditioning coupled with the elevator music makes it very inviting on a 100 degree day. I spent many weekends with my parents in these malls usually waiting with my Dad outside the dressing room as my Mother would try on clothes for hours. I found things on the floor to turn into projectiles and entertain myself. We usually ended up going to the Wyatt's Cafeteria which was in the mall for lunch or sometimes the food court for tacos at taco bell. It's a bit sad that these places are dying. The nostalgia takes me back to a carefree time when I didn't have to think about serious things.

    • @belair90210
      @belair90210 Před 5 lety

      tritosac that Irving mall gives me such 80’s vibes it really is outdated. I’ve never seen a mall like it.

    • @NotXias
      @NotXias Před 5 lety +1

      if it makes you feel better, valley view is still open. mostly just for the amc movie center and some art stuff !

    • @tritosac
      @tritosac Před 5 lety +1

      Well I may head over there just to take a stroll down memory lane.

  • @Shwalker07
    @Shwalker07 Před 5 lety +2

    5:30 I can imagine a busy holiday season, long lines and everyone getting their items gift wrapped.

    • @9HighFlyer9
      @9HighFlyer9 Před 5 lety

      Shwalker07 yep, I actually remember going there with my grandma to drop something off to be wrapped. The flood of memories brought back by that hallway was intense.

  • @summerhillbotanicals
    @summerhillbotanicals Před 5 lety +2

    I remember shopping there when I lived in Scottsdale. Wow! How times change and the mall's across the USA are going to be a thing of the past.

  • @teazy7468
    @teazy7468 Před 5 lety

    I remember when going to the mall was an event, times have definitely changed. Incredible!

  • @Coldilockz
    @Coldilockz Před 5 lety +2

    I was here about a month ago, I live about 20 min away and work at one of the “nice” Dillard’s at a different mall. I scored a lot of awesome deals. They have random sales and you can get some Michael kors, Calvin Klein, etc for next to nothing.

  • @SweetUniverse
    @SweetUniverse Před 5 lety

    This is our consumer history - one visual = a crowd of people at Customer Service returning gifts after Christmas, muzak wafting from the ceiling speakers as moms and kids waited patiently

  • @tracyseymour7553
    @tracyseymour7553 Před 5 lety +1

    This is sad. I remember when the mall was always busy. Of course, this was in the '80's and '90's. Times do change, but not always for the better.

  • @kimberlysommers2124
    @kimberlysommers2124 Před 7 měsíci

    upside: if places didn't get run down and neglected we wouldn't have all these cool creepy sites for youtubers and others to explore! Just found your channel and I love it!

  • @jackiehoward7300
    @jackiehoward7300 Před 5 lety +1

    Great capture

  • @Gdecorse
    @Gdecorse Před 5 lety

    awesome video bro I grew up shopping at metro center back in the 80’s and 90’s and I remember that Dillard’s still looking the same dang brought back a lot of good memories!! But it’s very sad on what happened to that mall on how dead it is now

  • @myaanolover
    @myaanolover Před 5 lety +5

    Those purple shoes are beautiful

  • @freddyhoyt1849
    @freddyhoyt1849 Před 7 měsíci

    I recently found your videos I love them watching them an seeing how much the malls have changed it’s so sad

  • @moneymakingbear1222
    @moneymakingbear1222 Před 5 lety +3

    I've never been there when it's that slow. It's usually busy. This store opened in 1973 when the mall opened
    The building was shaped like a diamond because of the name.

  • @cz1616
    @cz1616 Před 5 lety +1

    that store is so neat and clean and merchandised ... my OCD is happy !!

  • @scottonasch8819
    @scottonasch8819 Před 5 lety +3

    They seem to keep most of it pretty neat even if it is fraying around the edges. I remember when everyone had those parquet floors.

  • @tajanotaja
    @tajanotaja Před 5 lety +1

    Lmao at the QuikTrip pizza box I peeped

  • @josephtafur
    @josephtafur Před 5 lety +13

    In Erik's Head
    4:23 I'm Blue DA BU DI DA DA
    4:38 Purple Rain, Purple Rain

    • @RetailArchaeology
      @RetailArchaeology  Před 5 lety +3

      Joseph Tafur I wish I could have used those songs in the video 🙂

    • @josephtafur
      @josephtafur Před 5 lety +1

      Its Alright, Don't want you to get demonetize.

  • @freshbloominclothing
    @freshbloominclothing Před 5 lety +1

    Loved this video! Our local Sears has sent us coupons for $12 off of any $12 coupon for 3 months. Because we live close, we took advantage and was shocked to see how empty the store was. We walked the entire store each time to find something close to $12 and saw only one or two other people in the entire store.

  • @SearsCool
    @SearsCool Před 5 lety

    My Dillards is also a clearance center, it had 2 floors but got downgraded to a clearance center in 2009. I sometimes go there. The escalator is blocked but you can still see it there. A little busy.
    Thanks for the heart 😄

  • @nickipelazza8727
    @nickipelazza8727 Před 5 lety

    Very well preserved & very beautiful store!

  • @ricashbringer9866
    @ricashbringer9866 Před 5 lety +8

    Makes me think of the empty mall in 1979 Dawn of Dead.

    • @sinandcyanide7505
      @sinandcyanide7505 Před 5 lety

      I've always hoped someone would come film a zombie movie at that mall.

  • @carolinaeric8500
    @carolinaeric8500 Před 5 lety +6

    Whoa...Retail Archeology knows what brutalist architecture is, cool. Wasn’t expecting that lol Definitely dig the architecture on this store...looks like aliens landed a spaceship to go shopping at the mall

  • @jaiboi6986
    @jaiboi6986 Před 5 lety

    The lower flood I work the Dior counter area, the floor if I can remember is was like Carrara marble kinda look like the rest area floor. Brings back a lot of memories.

  • @clairesmyth8733
    @clairesmyth8733 Před 5 lety

    This place reminded me of the Macy's at Vallco in Cupertino, now officially classified as a defunct mall. The Macys was originally a Bullock's, then an Emporium, a Macy's Clearance center, and then a Macy's before it closed in 2015. I worked at the Emporium when it opened. I remembered those parquet floors. The construction had similar features

  • @kathie9823
    @kathie9823 Před 5 lety

    I remember this mall as a kid. I'm not from Phoenix but went often to visit my great grandmother. My favorite part of this mall was the ice skating rink.

  • @leeluv96
    @leeluv96 Před 5 lety +1

    In Detroit I have fond memories of shopping at Hudson's, Crowley's and Lord & Taylor with Grammy. My G'ma also frequented Dittrich Furs. She was first class all the way. Hudson's later became Marshall Fields, and is now Macy's. I also remember Casual Corner, Winklemans, & Gantos. My Mom got most of our school gear from Sears growing up. When I got older I shopped at JcPenny for most of my work suits after college. I haven't worn a suit in 8 years (t-shirt and jeans everyday even for meetings) and I'm an accountant. LOL

    • @lynetterice7842
      @lynetterice7842 Před 5 lety +1

      He should do a video about Northland!! I get nostalgic everytime I pass it.

    • @leeluv96
      @leeluv96 Před 5 lety

      @@lynetterice7842, most of it is demoed now 😢 there was talk about saving the old Hudson's/Marshall Fields/Macy's building as it is connected to the tunnel.

  • @UnpersonDoublethink
    @UnpersonDoublethink Před 5 lety

    Those wood floors oh gosh 😍 I was in my local Dillards (Woodland Hills Mall Tulsa) I decided to cut through the furniture department and found myself on that wood floor. It was such a trip to find part of my childhood.

  • @aspaul86
    @aspaul86 Před 5 lety

    I used to go to this Dillard’s a kid! When I was bored with my parents’ shopping I would go outside the store and watch the fountains that shot up to the second floor. My fav store in the mall was Natural Wonders, which I believe was immediately to the right hand side of Dillard’s on the first floor

    • @missfirenice1421
      @missfirenice1421 Před 5 lety

      Ally Paul Natural Wonders!! I was trying to remember the name of that store a few weeks ago. Ty

  • @mjade1673
    @mjade1673 Před 5 lety

    Oh whoa, I love the outside!