Latest news with #BattlefieldMall
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forever 21 completes Springfield store closure in U.S. shutdown
SPRINGFIELD, MO – Trendy clothing retailer Forever 21 is wrapping up its operations across the U.S. as part of its sudden bankruptcy just weeks ago. In recent days, the company completed the closure of its Battlefield Mall location. Customers will notice the signage is gone, the doors are locked, and paper covers the windows. Forever 21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late March and announced it planned to close all of its 354 U.S. stores in early May. The retailer explained it had problems competing in the post-pandemic retail landscape. In an announcement to customers, Brad Sell, Chief Financial Officer of F21 OpCo, LLC, stated, ' After careful deliberation, we have made the decision to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. We are deeply grateful for the support you have shown us over the years, but rising costs and increased competition from abroad have made our current business model unsustainable.' In recent weeks, signs went up outside the Battlefield Mall store announcing that the store was closing and clearance sales were underway to reduce inventory. Forever 21 was partly owned by the mall's owner, Simon Property Group. In 2019, Simon joined Authentic Brand Group to purchase Forever 21 in hopes of keeping it alive. The Springfield store closure creates a large vacancy for one of the larger spaces in the mall. Two other anchor locations in the mall are set to become empty later this summer when Dillard's moves its two separate (men's and women's) stores into a combined spot at the former Sears building. Battlefield Mall has said it will announce plans for those two storefronts sometime in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dillard's sets date for new Springfield store opening
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Work is progressing quickly on the city's new Dillard's store, which is set to open in just a few months at Battlefield Mall. A spokesperson for the Little Rock-based retailer tells Ozarks First it plans to open its new location on Thursday, July 31st. Earlier this year, the company confirmed it planned to have its new store completed this summer, but it didn't announce a set date at that time. The new department, which Dillard's explains as 'state of the art', entails a move, consolidation, and expansion for the retailer. The company, which has been at the mall since the facility's opening in 1970, has long maintained a double presence in the center. Currently, a two-story location in the mall's west wing houses men's, children's, and home furnishings departments, while a separate store in the south wing focuses on women's merchandise. The new store, which is being built in the vacant former Sears store in the west wing of the mall, will combine all departments into a single, one-level, larger 180,000 square foot space. For comparison, that's about the size of an average Walmart Supercenter. It's also shy of the 150,000 sq ft. of space that'll be under the roof of Springfield's new westside Target. Once the new store opens, the current two stores will close. Battlefield Mall said it will announce details about the future of those spaces at a later date. Up until this point, most of the work on the new store has been focused on the interior. However, in recent weeks, crews have been making headway on the outside of the store. That has included enclosing and reconfiguring the former automotive center and constructing a large new customer entrance on that side of the building. Ozarks First will continue to bring you updates on the Dillard's project in the coming weeks leading up to the opening. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dillard's confirms relocation, expansion at Battlefield Mall
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Battlefield Mall has announced the relocation and expansion of its largest tenant. A spokesperson for the Simon property confirms Dillard's will be combining its two mall stores into a combined larger store site formerly occupied by Sears. The project is currently underway and the new store should be open in a few months. Ozarks First reported on the plan back in May of 2024 after Dillard's filed a construction permit request with the City of Springfield. In recent months, construction crews have been on-site working. 'We are thrilled to announce that Dillard's is expanding to provide its signature premium apparel and goods in an elevated and even more convenient space for shoppers at Battlefield Mall,' said Mark Silvestri, President of Simon Development. 'The expansion of Dillard's is yet another example of our commitment to the Springfield community. As Battlefield Mall continues to evolve, add new retailers and meet the changing needs of our shoppers, we remain dedicated to providing local families a best-in-class shopping destination.' Dillard's says the new store will be in the former Sears store in the west wing of the shopping center and will include nearly 180,000 square feet of space. Currently, Dillards is split between two stores- one for men's apparel and home goods, and a second for women's apparel. The spaces would be closed as part of the consolidation. 'We are proud to announce the latest evolution of Dillard's at Battlefield Mall,' Dillard's Senior Vice President Chris Johnson said. 'We look forward to building on our longstanding relationship with Springfield-area shoppers by providing a brand-new, one-stop shopping experience and expanded product selection along with the signature style, quality and value our customers have always known.' The shopping center's former Sears location has sat empty since it closed in 2020 following that retailer's bankruptcy. Opening in the early 1980s, Sears was one of the mall's main tenants for decades. According to previous KOLR10 reporting, the company declared bankruptcy in 2018 and began shuttering locations nationwide. Its Springfield store was one of the last remaining stores in the Midwest when it finally shut down in 2020. Since then, the space has remained vacant except for temporary, pop-up seasonal Halloween costume and decor stores. Dillard's has had a history of changing and adding locations in the mall over the decades. The retailer is the facility's oldest anchor tenant, and opened in conjunction with the shopping center in 1970 in the north wing. In the early 1980s, the retailer moved to a new, larger location closer to the food court when a major expansion of the mall was completed. The original Dillards became a Famous-Barr store and is now a Macy's. The 'new' Dillard's spot remained the company's sole Springfield store until 2001. That's when the retailer split its locations; the existing space became home to the men's, children's, and home goods departments; the women's departments were moved to the old Montgomery Ward space in the south wing. That move was made following Ward's bankruptcy, liquidation, and closure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
