TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Traditional "anchor stores" at malls are closing their doors and abandoning once high target shopping areas.
Governor Square Mall, a shopping center with over 100 stores, but losing another anchor store.
Once home to many large retail stores, has very few local mom and pop shops.
"We could never see ourselves in a mall just because it is so large," said Kelley Ausley and Shelley Ruthstrom, Co-Owners of Midtown Rebel Boutique.
Ausley and Ruthstrom opened a small boutique store at Betton Place just under a year ago.
They both understand the "traditional big mall formula," but they believe for smaller businesses, it's easier to run a store outside of a mall.
"This is more of an intimate shopping experience. The mall personally to me is just a little overwhelming," said Ausley and Ruthstrom.
While malls are full of clothing stores, many places like Governor Square Mall are seeing more tech, phone case, and fix it stores.
The mall, however, for a place like Computer Repair Doctor, doesn't provide enough space to have a real good quality fix it shop.
"The mall can get really crazy, parking is a big issue, and that with a tech repair shop like we have, there just isn't enough space in most of the stores for us to have enough things we need to have in order to function properly," said Collin Fitzsimmons, Manager of Computer Repair Doctor.
Both stores feel that not being in a mall allows them to better interact with their customers and in turn helps to grow their reputation. Where as if they were in a mall, they might be seen as just another store.
"A lot of shops In the mall get bad reputations honestly just for being in the mall where as when you have your own location established," said Fitzsimmons. "It make sit easier for customers to come. They know exactly where you are at."
We reached out to Governor's Square Mall to see if they had a comment on Sears leaving and if any locally-owned stores have tried to be a part of the mall.
We are waiting to hear back.
