There is something so calming yet so sad, nostalgic, and haunting about an old 90s aesthetic mall.

@SeanStrife

3 жыл бұрын

Ain't that the truth. It's almost like a zen experience. Sadly, my nearest dead mall got shut down JUST before COVID struck, and it's now in the process of being torn down to become an Amazon Enrichment Center. I think the point of no return for my dead mall was when the GNC closed; that's when I knew it was on borrowed time.

@MCDJACDC

2 жыл бұрын

Man, this brings back the good ole days. I miss the 70s through 90s mall era. When the food courts were packed with a variety and there were arcades in almost every mall. Absolutely, make more of these please.

@tennesseeobservations

2 жыл бұрын

I oddly spend more time walking around the dead mall in my area then I do the one that has a lot of people in it.

@pickeldpunches5906

2 жыл бұрын

This mall was strong into the mid 2000s

those are the original fixtures from when the store was built by my father the music box and clock shop mom and dad ran this and one in paradise valley mall for many years it helped put 3 boys through college these were original and no other store like them music boxes clocks and collectables mom too great pride in her store and worked very hard at it

@tabbycat8323

2 жыл бұрын

I loved that store! I have two lovely music boxes.

I miss Fiesta Mall so many childhood and young teen memories, including: - A three month ban - Halloween Trick 'or treating - A hilarious shop lifting incident when I was 6! - Wizards of the Coast Pokemon Cards! Thanks for the video! :)

@animeshock2006

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah loved the wtoc stores had one im my childhood mall

@DJ118USMC

3 жыл бұрын

@@notaffiliatedwith7363 Well my mom and I went to the mall and she was doing some shopping. We passed by a toy store (I think KB Toys) and being a 6 year old kid at the time I convinced my mom to take me in said store. Well, I had noticed a bunch of Dinosaurs in a large plastic bin. Well being six and absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs I had to have them but my mom had refused to buy any for me (and rightly so, I was pretty spoiled when I was a kid) well being the little brat that I was, that reply was not acceptable to me so I proceeded to stuff as many dinosaur toys in my little pockets as I could without being noticed....However, I was indeed noticed but not by an employee but a security guard sitting outside the store. Though to be perfectly honest my pockets where bulging so heavily that there was no way my crime would go unnoticed. He waited until I had left the store and then went to talk to my mom. Essentially she told him to give me a scare which he then proceeded to do. Of course I didn't hear this conversation as I was to busy with the excitement of my latest heist! The security guard came up to me and asked me what I was up to and asked if I had taken anything from the store. Which of course I denied and tried to play as innocently as possible. Well after about five minutes of scaring the crap out of me, having me in tears, and threatened to have the cops called on me I finally admitted to my crime. I was then able to leave after I had returned the dinosaurs I had stolen earlier and My mom was amused and I was traumatized.

@f1champ551

3 жыл бұрын

How did you get a 3 month ban... That is some English FA (soccer/football) type of shit...

@planescaped

3 жыл бұрын

@@DJ118USMC I had a similar childhood experience, except I was looting candy from the bulk bins at Winco. :P

@atariblue

3 жыл бұрын

@@f1champ551 well it's the same as the dinosaur heist story. Except this time he's 10 years old. Still obsessed with dinosaurs and now a chip on his shoulder against that security guard. Determined to show them that they can't mess with him, he decided to jack the whole bin. It's a particular busy day during the holiday season. A JanSport strapped to his back he blends into bustling crowd of moms, dads, little kids looking for that perfect christmas present. This time though he's isn't alone. Three friends, equally dinosaur obsessed are right there with him. They fan out to distract any would be interlopers to their crime. It's very Ocean's 11 elaborate. Unfortunately what he didn't take into account is the newly upgraded security cameras installed since his last vist four years ago. Despite being slightly older the security guard recognizes his grab and stuff technique. Slipping out of the toy store unnoticed they sigh a breath of relief. Its just a 100 feet to the outside exit and they'll be home free. Laughing at their crime the four boys high five each other. Mere feet from the doors they're stopped in their tracks when they're met by the whole security team, 3 burly, fierce looking guys...used to be 7 but due to budget cut backs some guys were let go. Surrounded, it was over. No where to run. The jigg was up. Mothers were called. Tears were shed. And a three month ban was in place. It's a shame, especially during the holidays. But thats what happens when you gamble it all and lose.

You were critical of your early videos, but they looked good to me. The time lapsed style was very interesting. What the mall looked like busy until there was no one. Interesting, but so vary sad to watch the mall go through its life cycle.

congrats on hitting 100k subs dude! you must show off your silver play plaque in a video sometime!

@RetailArchaeology

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm working on something for a 100K subscribers 😁

@JeremiahEcks777

2 жыл бұрын

Guru Larry! Hello you! You good sir are literally everywhere! You're KZread royalty mate. Last time I saw you it was over with the OSW boys.

@jen0v4

2 жыл бұрын

what is this, a crossover episode??

This is one of the worst declines of a mall I’ve seen in the Phoenix area. Had a similar experience with Metrocenter when that place died.

It's always sad to see a place you had happy memories go away.

@lucariothehero5009

3 жыл бұрын

As an Arizonan, it really breaks my heart to see my childhood fade away. 💔

I got my ears pierced at THAT Claire's back in 2004! Sad to see this mall close considering it didnt even make it to 40 yrs old and other much older malls like Mall of America still flourishing. So many fond memories of this place as a child in the 80s and early 90s. LIving in Chandler, this was my local mall growing up!!

RIP Fiesta Mall The Dead Mall that was the beginning of Retail Archeology.

@aztrh2005

3 жыл бұрын

Same. And why did the elevator doors sound squeaky every time they open?

I miss fiesta mall so much I wish it would open again & I used to go to fiesta mall a lot when I was 9 & 10

@lucariothehero5009

3 жыл бұрын

Same man. I feel very sorry for you. I also miss it so much I wish it was still alive and open. I used to go to Fiesta Mall a lot when I was very little. Good times… :( Edit: I recently checked out the place and it’s like a ghost town! It’s sad to see it empty.

My dad was born and raised in Mesa, AZ. Every time we flew down from Seattle to visit my cousins and other family, we would pay at least one visit to this mall.

As a high school student in the early 90's, I remember that the Chick-fil-A in the food court was one of the most coveted part time jobs. Don't know why!

@patricksorenson9586

Жыл бұрын

The arcade nearby?

@username00009

10 ай бұрын

Did they pay more than other minimum wage jobs back then?

@jasonw8124

10 ай бұрын

@@username00009 I don't think so. $3.75 to $4.25/hr. I think it's the ambiance of working in the mall that was so appealing back then...and good sandwiches too

Surprisingly, malls in Miami are still bustling. They're usually pretty full and open late.

@DavidLLambertmobile

2 жыл бұрын

Malls 🛒 & outlets in Florida under normal conditions, get tourists, re-seller crowds who buy up clothes, 🧳👜💄💍👖👓 then make $ in Asia, South America. Orlando malls & shops get busy. Florida Mall, Mall of Millenia were active 2000s. 2020s; about half the crowds, parking.

I love this. I was talking my two boys every Wednesday right up to the end. I have very similar video and pics of my boys in this insane post retail background...

Back in the 90s I went to Fiesta Mall for a Pokémon competition tournament. They had a machine there where they inserted your Pokemon game and added Mew, (or was it mewtwo?) the 151st Pokémon to your game lol.

@sirekumasutra7022

3 жыл бұрын

Mew, Mewtwo was 150

I’m really glad that I found this channel

This was my mall when I lived in Tempe. I'm glad you've archived this footage, even thought it's bittersweet.

This is actually a really cool idea patching all the dead mall footage you have of various dead malls in one giant cut from when you started filming to closing.

Fiesta Mall will forever be a remembered gem to me. I remember walking around the place when I was very little. Enjoyed walking a lot along with the food. Crazy how young I was when time flew by.

This was the first mall I went to when I moved to Gilbert back in 2012. I would later work at the Sbarro in the Fiesta Mall in 2013. I used to watch the Mariachi Bands play on Saturdays.

I love this format. I'm in support of the compilation idea. The timeline aspect is something I'm very interested in (I'm a man of dates and numbers). And I don't think your earliest footage is bad at all. It's not as good as your current skill, but it's still pretty good, I think. Keep up the awesome work, Erik!

I like style of video the commentary you did was a really nice touch

I’m never this early! Love your videos!!!!

@RetailArchaeology

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 😁

I remember I first discovered your channel years ago after someone wrote an article about your channel in the seattle times.

@RetailArchaeology

3 жыл бұрын

In the Seattle Times? I don't remember that one. I'll have to go find it.

@briangriffith4574

3 жыл бұрын

@@RetailArchaeology yeah it was either the seattle times or the Tacoma news Tribune.

@briangriffith4574

3 жыл бұрын

@@RetailArchaeology I just went and looked, it was the Tacoma News Tribune, not the seattle times. Still a big deal though!

My grandparents used to snowbird to Mesa from Canada and we used to go to Fiesta mall all the time. It’s so sad to see it now. Time marches on I suppose.

@lucariothehero5009

3 жыл бұрын

Same man. I feel very sorry for you. I wish the mall could stay with us longer, but time flies. I remember going there when I was very little. The childhood bears with me everytime I see that mall. :(

@MK-gv1wd

3 жыл бұрын

@@lucariothehero5009 It’s one of those things that you don’t appreciate until it’s gone I suppose. It does remind me of going to the mall with my grandparents (who are no longer with us) and us just having a nice time there as a family.

@lucariothehero5009

3 жыл бұрын

@@MK-gv1wd yeah. I remember shopping and eating there a lot!

I always thought it would be interesting to make an old mall into a paintball arena, indoor go cart track(electric engines), and Mini golf course. Thanks for another great video!

@lucariothehero5009

2 жыл бұрын

They are planning to make it into a medical school grounds but I haven’t heard a lot of updates about it. So I’m just assuming it’s just going to get left to rot?

@yanirafonseca8013

2 жыл бұрын

Ik that would be so lit😭

I never heard of a Best Buy as a mall anchor either until a number of years ago, another dying/dead mall in Port Richey, Florida, Gulfview Square Mall, opened a Best Buy where Dillard's used to be. I was up that way after years of not being in the area and thought it was the weirdest thing!

@animeshock2006

3 жыл бұрын

There not too many I believe that have bestbuy as.an anchor my state has one mall that has it as.an anchor.

@williamharris8367

3 жыл бұрын

I dimly recall one Mall here in Canada that had Best Buy as an anchor. It believe that it had previously been a Future Shop location (also uncommon in malls).

@animeshock2006

3 жыл бұрын

@@williamharris8367 ah I believe future shop was acquired by bestbuy

That walk in the evening was so creepy (in a really neat way). It's just so wild how quiet such a large lit up structure is. That shot from within the dark food court was like straight out of a horror movie. I especially like the absence of music in these kinds of videos. Music works great in the regular videos, but letting the natural raw mall ambience (or lack thereof) gives these old videos a sort of novelty to them.

11:00 Man, I half expected a stereotypical movie serial killer to leap out from the darkened food court!

I am now 53 and have fond memories of Fiesta Mall it so sad that things have moved to the internet there was so much to be said about going to these places and shopping or just hanging out. The new out door malls are OK but there is something to be said about an air conditioned mall environment. Side note look like they began demolition in July of 2023 from the news I found. 😢

I had a dream last week that I was at the Fiesta Mall Sears with a coworker and there were mazes upon mazes of CRT Televisions. I’ve only been to Fiesta Mall a few times, so I had to laugh that it was such a vivid dream. Then you dropped this video and I just HAD to chuckle.

@SynchroSk8

3 жыл бұрын

Also - LOVE hearing how you ended up doing this and finding your passion about this topic. So glad you did this complication. Thank you for posting! -Bree

I have so many heartfelt memories of Fiesta Mall. Thank you for sharing this again.

That opening was amazing

I always wondered about the financials of the mall, the corporate shops, and the Mom and Pop shops. I've been to quite a few dead malls from the Midwest to the East Coast and always made a point to spend a little money at the non corporate stores/restaurants. My brother and I went to a mall in Glen Burnie, Maryland a few years back and we stopped at this Italian sandwich shop for dinner. The owner of the shop chatted with us about business for a bit. He wasn't pushy or "selling us a sob story", but he had that shop for 30 years or so and he was telling us about his realization that things were coming to an end. We paid 20 dollars for 2 meals and they weren't that big. Not to knock the guy, but I imagine his costs were great and the profits were non existent. As a child of the 80s (I'm 38 now), it's a bit depressing to spend so much time and money in malls all over the country that were constantly packed to them being just relics that are just open to what seems "out of habit". Thanks for your channel. I'll never make it out to all of the dying malls before they close for good and I always find myself up until the middle of the night just watching your videos. Gives me comfort in a sense knowing that others recognize the change in the American retail landscape and how times have changed.

My mom lived about 2 miles from the mall; so whenever I visited her, I would always stop by the Fiesta Mall. The last time I visited the Macy's was having a going out of business sale.

It's interesting to go realise that this little turned this sub channel into your main channel and changed your KZread life around.

Went back to my old stomping grounds and got some pics of the teardown. Hit me in the feels.

Today you can see that the mall was severely vandalized, broken glass everywhere, trash everywhere, very sad.

CambridgeSide in Cambridge, MA also has a Best Buy as an anchor. Theirs is a 2 story store tucked next to a TJ Maxx.

@DavidLLambertmobile

2 жыл бұрын

I'm 50 & can not recall any 2 floor Best Buy. I've seen malls in VA, GA, PA, NY, FL. 🛒

what a great look back! one of my fb friends was saying how they were watching a bunch of videos like that of dead malls and it got me curious and I think that's how I found what you were doing so I've just been watching ever since!!

Watched this today and totally enjoyed it. We were in our local (mostly dying) mall last year I think it was and I too got yelled at by security for taking pictures - had to laugh because there really was nothing to see so not sure what he was so afraid of but he was so rude about it, I told my husband to get me out of there before I started saying things that would get me in trouble :-) Love ALL the videos you put out and it is so sad seeing just how many malls are dying around the country.

The first video of yours I watched was one of the final Fiesta Mall videos in 2017, after hearing you on the CGR podcast. Your work is great, man!

Great look back! Interesting concept for a video!

I have quite a few fond memories of that mall from the 80s and early 90s.

YES! Please more compilation vids- it's really cool to be able see the progression of a mall in decline!

I loved seeing the footage from different visits to Fiesta Mall! Enjoyed the content!

I remember when this mall opened. It was just a Sears in a parking lot and the mall was built around it. Good times….

That’s so cool to learn more of the back story of how Retail Archeology came to be! I remember the smelly elevator adventure, and now I want to go revisit some of those old livestreams. They were awesome.

Wow so it closed way back in 2018 question work that so sad because I actually visited that mall well the seers back in 2002 and it was Really busy back then. When did it start going downhill?

@RetailArchaeology

3 жыл бұрын

It started having some issues around 2007 I think. But then from about 2015 until it closed it really went downhill.

@Ozzy_2014

3 жыл бұрын

@@RetailArchaeology the great recession... 1.0.

Very much enjoyed the compilation style video. Keep them coming!

This is a sad case but we are very grateful that you have kept this record for posterity, this is of great importance. Full marks to the cleaning staff who kept these places so clean and polished right to the end. Thank you for bringing us this very interesting and informative video presentation.

I remember my mother working at National Uniforms the day the mall opened. It was downstairs where the King's Table use to be.

Fantastic retrospective that also gave us some cool insight into yer channels history!! It’s nice to get that every once in a while for people who subscribed in the past year or two!

The last time I was inside that mall was right around October 2017. Went to Sears one last time right before Fiesta permanently closed but the rest of the mall was closed off from Sears unfortunately

I enjoyed the style of this video and would watch future ones. Your commentary made it engaging.

Would love to see more videos like this! You always make them interesting. Thanks!

Great Video as always. Love allyour vids!!!! I love learning about the history of the malls that you visit. So sad to see them go. It just rips a piece of my heart and Childhood memories out :(. Keep up the good work!!!

That Best Buy used to be across the street in a strip mall on Alma School & Southern. I was surprised it moved into Fiesta as the mall was already dying by that stage.

Now that I'm watching this, I wish I had the gumption to ask Hull Property if I could've taken a last tour of Reading, PA's Fairgrounds Square Mall before it was taken apart - only the anchor stores remain.

I started watching you years ago back when I lived in Missouri, and as of last year I now live right up the street from Fiesta Mall! I too enjoy malls and like knowing the history of them, and it's sad yet interesting to see their decline. I'm glad I get to see Fiesta Mall through your videos, even if I was a few years too late to see it myself.

Man I miss going here as a kid. I loved it

The footage of walking through the dark food court is very spooky. Enjoyed the format. Thanks for the video!

I always find dead malls beautiful even if they’re incredibly sad at the same time. I was a kid in the 80s and going to the mall was what we did every weekend. It’s sad seeing the Fiesta Mall in this state. Me and my grandma used to go there all the time when we first moved to Phoenix. The music box shop was one of my faves because of its retro storefront.

7:00 it was a Johnny Rockets. Ate there every time I went. Burger, fries, and a shake.

God seeing those first few minutes of footage was painful lmao. I grew up with this mall before my parents started going to Chandler Fashion. If this is the right mall I'm thinking of then the indoor playground there had a bunch of equipment that looked like desert animals and a giant rock that stood two stories high with a giant eagle on top, which to this day was the best mall playground I ever played in. My brother played in it too when he was a toddler. I used to play with him on the stage where the elevator is. I always got gifts for family from there. I hated going to the Sears there during back to school shopping lol. I remember we went back once in the beginning of its decline and all but one of my favorite stores had closed. Thank you for documenting the place in its final days, it gave me closure to see people still hanging around even though it was going downhill. RIP Fiesta Mall.

It’s awesome seeing these videos showing the slow death of the mall put together over a length of time. Thanks for posting!

This channel reminds me of sort of like an "after-the-fact" video docuseries of something like Michael Galinsky's Malls Across America book. Brings back memories of my childhood malls.

I really enjoyed the compilation! I have a few playlists for when you filmed at same locations so it's definitely something I'd be interested in hearing your comments on and seeing the editing.

I lived in Arizona for eight years, between 2004 - 2012. Fiesta Mall was actually my favorite mall and for a time, I lived in Stonegate Apartments up on Alma School. Bums me out that it died. Thanks for the memories 😊

I love your channel, it's soothing & relaxing. you're a great narrator & very friendly. keep posting, I'll subscribe now 🎥

Great video enjoyed seeing this old footage. Went to this mall all the time when I lived in Arizona attending college in the late 90s. So crazy its closed as was always busy back in those days.

Great video as always.

Thanks for the video and documentation of malls.

Love all your vids. Very interesting.

Nice job on the video,it’s interesting seeing the different times and sad to see the decline and ultimate demise,but I enjoyed watching the footage.

I'm from Florida, and our malls along the space coast are struggling, especially on Merritt Island. I like your channel.

Great history lesson on the creation of this channel. I've been subscribed since December 2017. I think you had around 37k subscribers at that point. I eagerly look forward to each and every video you post. Such a great channel. Funny thing, my local mall where I live is anything but dead, so there is still some hope out there.

Yes i really liked the comparisons of each footage. Really cool to see it go from slightly dead to completely dead.

I loved going this mall and the Harkins across the street. I work at MCC so I still get to pass by and reminisce. And drive around it for an In-N-Out every once and awhile.

it's crazy to see the gradual decay of my own childhood mall catalogged in 15 minutes of video, and hear that it's ultimately what kickstarted one of my favorite youtube channels

Great video! Awesome idea for other dead malls that you've covered. Can you please make a timeline video like this for Paradise Valley Mall, Power Square Mall and Metrocenter?

Also, the dark food court takes me back to the twilight years of Wonderland Mall in Livonia, MI.

LOOOVE your vids and it's nice to see they are local. New sub.

Although its very sad to see the decline of a mall its also interesting to see the comparison and change in one video. I would be happy to see more of this sort of content.

This was my childhood mall, I remember getting my ear pierced here when I was 6, that hottopic started my emo phase at 11, and i went amiibo hunting there but during that time you could tell it was closing. I had the best memories there, but ever since I moved to tempe it just went downhill. R.i.p. Fiesta Mall

I love your videos. Please don't ever quit.

I work by fiesta mall and they are developing across the street pretty heavily. The only things that are busy now is the fast food and coffee shops that face Alma school.

Thanks for this memory lane trip, what a treat!

Definitely would enjoy more like this. Thank you!

Oh man sarkura was the last thing to close in my local mall too! They really hang in there!

Fascinating stuff!

Backlog footage is usually interesting and I enjoyed the ambient mall sounds; Ghosts of shopping trips past. 😁

I'm glad someone is documenting the rise and fall of these places. It's strangely haunting to watch. The same thing has happened to so many malls where I grew up in southwest Ohio.

Southland Center near me has a Best Buy where the food court used to be and Arundel Mills has a Best Buy too. :D This was really cool and I'd love more videos like this.

I enjoyed this, keep em coming. 😊

Subbed, quite an interesting and refreshing content. Keep up man

I worked at the Diamonds store at Fiesta Mall in 1980. In its infancy, Fiesta Mall had four upscale anchor stores.

Great video. Thanks.

I was born in 82, and the first time I remember eating Chick Fil-A for the first time at Fiesta Mall. Prob like 85-86.

Loved the dude at the end just laying back and soaking up the dead mall vibe.