Step Back in Time at Concord Mall: A Retro Mall Experience

For those who love retro malls, it’s a dispiriting time: indoor malls are closing in staggering numbers nationwide, and many of the remaining ones have had updates in the past decade or two that erased their original aesthetic. If you appreciate the earnest kitsch malls once had, the Concord Mall in Wilmington, Delaware really should be on your list of places to visit immediately.

The Concord Mall opened in 1968 and is Delaware’s first indoor mall. Boasting over 800,000 square feet of retail space, it’s also the state’s second largest. Early anchors included Pomeroy’s in 1971, now a Boscov’s, the discount store Almart (demolished for a Sears), and Strawbridge and Clothier, which was later taken over by Macy’s. In 2020, the Sears location closed. It was the last Sears in Delaware.

While the Concord Mall did undergo renovations in 1998, it is refreshing to see that they both incorporated and honored original features, such as the fountains, which are still there today. Mall lovers will appreciate the multitude of well-maintained plants, the gorgeous skylights, and the funky Art Deco flourishes in the columns and light fixtures. Unfortunately, Concord Mall is struggling to retain tenants and was sold by Allied Properties to Namdar Realty Group in 2020 in an effort to avoid foreclosure.

The Macy’s stores are slated to close by 2026, and I’d highly recommend visiting them while you can. A large medallion – Strawbridge and Clothier’s “Seal of Confidence” – still sits outside their interior mall entrance honoring the former occupant, and the store itself is a unique and mesmerizing space that features mirrored elevators beneath a magnificent arched ceiling. The elevators lead to the second floor, which offers a breathtaking view of the entrance. I’d also recommend taking the time to enter Macy’s Home, located in a separate mall area. It was once Strawbridge’s Home Furnishings, and if you go to the second and third floor, it extends over the central mall and offers an incredible view with Strawbridge’s Seal of Confidence on either side. Easy to miss, but well worth the trip.

The Concord Mall briefly made viral news in 2022 when a forgotten Burger King was found, hidden behind drywall since 2009. The Burger King, which hadn’t been updated since it was opened in 1987, delighted the internet with its vintage vibes. The mall management was looking to rent out the space, and there’s no word on whether it survives today. In my opinion, it was a missed opportunity to draw visitors to the mall who would love to take a peek back in time.

As sad as the retail meltdown is, there is still time left to visit the Concord Mall, buy some tax-free goods, and reminisce about the golden days of malls on a bench beneath a skylight. In all probability, it’s an experience future generations will never know. While the idea of indoor malls became considered passe by many in the 2000s, perhaps there’s a chance for a resurgence. The interior design, at once tacky and ornate, that once enchanted shoppers decades ago is still alive and well at the Concord Mall. Despite the retail headwinds, I hope it stays that way for years to come.