Shopper's World is a
retail park
A retail park is a type of shopping centre found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in the United Kingdom and other European countries. They form a key aspect of European retail geographies, alongside indoor shopping centres, standalo ...
in
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city proper covers with a popu ...
. The original facility (spelled Shoppers' World) is of historical significance as one of the first suburban
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
s in the United States upon opening in 1951; it was demolished and replaced by the current open-air facility in 1994. The retail park, with the adjacent
Natick Mall
The Natick Mall (previously named the Natick Collection) is a shopping mall in Natick, Massachusetts. The original facility was the first enclosed shopping mall in Greater Boston upon opening in 1966; it was demolished and replaced by a larger ...
in
Natick
Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...
, are major components of the
Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle may refer to:
Places
Asia
* Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production
* Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development
* Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist ...
shopping district in the center of
MetroWest, situated between
Route 9 and
Route 30.
History and layout
One of the earliest suburban
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
s in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Shoppers' World (spelled with an apostrophe and
possessive "s" in the plural form) opened on October 4, 1951 with 44 stores, 25,000 people, and State Treasurer
John E. Hurley
John E. Hurley (November 3, 1906 – September 22, 1992) was an American politician who served as a Massachusetts State Representative, and the Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts.
Early life and education
Hurley was born on Buttonwo ...
present. This futuristic concept mall was designed to be the mecca of suburban shopping between
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
, as the area around its original property remains today.
At the time the term "mall" was not yet in use as a term for an enclosed shopping center, but articles about the center spoke of its "mall", in the original sense of "promenade" or "walkway", along which the stores were arranged.
The large
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh (officially Jordan Marsh & Company) was an American department store chain that was headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and operated throughout New England. It was founded by Eben Dyer Jordan and Benjamin L. Marsh in 1841. The o ...
dome on the southern end was the sole anchor store for the mall in the earliest days. The dome was visible from the air and was used on aeronautical charts as a visual reporting point for aircraft approaching Boston's
Logan Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...
. It was reputed to be the third largest (in diameter) unsupported dome in the world after
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
in Rome and
St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
There were two long, flanking two-level wings separated by a two-story open courtyard mall surrounded by large, open parking lots.
The original design included a multipurpose theater at one end of the mall. Originally called The Cinema, the house contained a large orchestra seating section, a balcony, and a full stage with a fly area for curtain, scenery, and lighting grid. Early stage crews at The Cinema are credited with coining the now-standard industry term
Best Boy
In a film crew there are two kinds of best boy: best boy electric and best boy grip. They are assistants to their department heads, the gaffer (in charge of electricals) and the key grip (lighting and rigging), respectively. In short, the best ...
to describe an assistant to the chief electrician. In addition to movies, in the 1950s the theater was the site of many live summer theater productions such as
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
's ''
The Glass Menagerie
''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...
'' and
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades.
Early years
Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...
and
John Cecil Holm
John Cecil Holm (November 4, 1904, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – October 24, 1981, in Westerly, Rhode Island) was an American dramatist, theatre director and actor. He is best known for his 1935 play ''Three Men on a Horse'', co-written w ...
's ''
Three Men on a Horse
''Three Men on a Horse'' is a three-act farce co-authored by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. The comedy focuses on a man who discovers he has a talent for choosing the winning horse in a race as long as he never places a bet himself. Originally ...
''. It was the first movie theater in the country to take advantage of the mall parking lots to provide ample parking during evening hours. In later years, The Cinema became strictly a movie house under the ownership of
General Cinema
General Cinema Corporation, also known as General Cinema, GCC, or General Cinema Theatres, was a chain of movie theaters in the United States. At its peak, the company operated about 1,500 screens, some of which were among the first cinemas certi ...
. The Cinema would add a second theater in 1963, and two more in 1974. In the mid-1970s, the first two auditoriums were split in half, bringing the Cinema to a total of 6 screens.
As the mall grew, it eventually took the shape of many newer malls but remained roofless.
The mall's layout consisted of a two-level, open-middle, long rectangle shape. However, by having no main roof over the central mall area, customers had to walk outside to get from store to store. To keep people from getting wet in the rain and snow, the mall management covered the perimeter walkways by extending the roof line of the stores all the way around the mall. The lower walkway was covered by the top walkway. To walk between levels, shoppers used three large , wide, paved, covered ramps placed so customers were never too far from one. Kids often ran up and down them (away from consenting parents) as well as rode bikes and skateboards.
Throughout the years, the courtyard area always had several areas of interest and events going on. The southern end contained a permanent water fountain with synchronized colored lights and a garden area with seasonal plantings of flowers, picnic tables, and sun umbrellas. In the 1950s, several kiddie rides including a small
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
,
merry-go-round
A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
, and a boat ride were in the north end of the courtyard. In 1961, a
Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, known as Stop & Shop, is a regional chain of supermarkets located in the northeastern United States. From its beginnings in 1892 as a small grocery store, it has grown to include 406 stores chain-wide.
Sto ...
grocery store was built at the northwest side of the mall. The store was eventually replaced in the late 1970s by a
Toys 'R Us
A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...
, which remained a tenant until the entire chain was shuttered in 2018.
During the holidays, the mall put up decorations that included several giant wooden soldiers around the inner concourse, and artistic flower arrangements and banners.
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
appeared with live
reindeer
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...
in the courtyard in front of Jordan Marsh Basement Store every Christmas. In the early 1950s, an Easter egg hunt was held, but the practice was abandoned after children searching for the hidden candy eggs tore up shrubbery and landscape in their search.
Other zoo animals and many special attractions, like Flipper and
spaceship rides, were displayed throughout the year. Automotive events, such as autocross racing and motorcycle riding school took place in the parking lot. In the 1980s, the gazebo area was constructed where the kiddie rides once were. Ragtime and brass bands played regularly by the gazebo in the 1980s and 1990s. Shoppers' World was the first shopping center to have a musical water fountain show, a feature famously used by
The Grove at Farmers Market
The Grove is a retail and entertainment complex in Los Angeles, located on parts of the historic Farmers Market.
History
The complex fills space previously occupied by an orchard and nursery, which were the last remains of a dairy farm owned ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. The "Dancing Waters" attraction was based on the fountains at the
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair was a world's fair held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States. It was the second-most expensive American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchas ...
and was programmed to music and colored lights. There was also a train/tram that brought customers around the mall.
In 1967, the Jordan Marsh Basement Store was built at the north end of the mall. Jordan Marsh's original main store, located on the south end, had a remote underground entry point in the middle of the parking lot near the bus stop. Shoppers could enter a small enclosure and walk down two flights of stairs to arrive in the lower level of the Jordan Marsh store. Jordan Marsh also had a separate tire store that stood alone across the street on the west side of the mall.
The large yellow smokestack on the outer west side originally had "Sears" written on it but was removed when the store moved to the newer Natick Mall in 1965.
Replacement
While the mall had enjoyed several decades of success from shoppers and retailers alike, the overall facility was beginning to show its age by the early 1980s. Aside from the additions of the Stop & Shop and Jordan Marsh Basement Store anchors, the original mall itself had changed very little since opening in 1951.
In 1983, Shopper's World was sold to
Melvin Simon
Melvin Simon (October 21, 1926 – September 16, 2009)
September 18, 2009 was an American businessman and ...
and
Robert Campeau
Robert Joseph Antoine Campeau (August 3, 1923 June 12, 2017) was a Canadian financier and real estate developer. Starting from a single house constructed in 1940 in the Alta Vista neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Campeau built a large land dev ...
, who proposed to replace it with a new enclosed, multi-floor structure with four anchor stores. Construction on the new Shopper's World was slated to begin in late 1980s. However,
Robert Campeau
Robert Joseph Antoine Campeau (August 3, 1923 June 12, 2017) was a Canadian financier and real estate developer. Starting from a single house constructed in 1940 in the Alta Vista neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Campeau built a large land dev ...
's
Campeau Corporation
Campeau Corporation was a Canadian real estate development and investment company founded by entrepreneur Robert Campeau. It was infamous from its ultimately unsuccessful acquisitions of American department store holding companies Allied Stor ...
went bankrupt before plans could be finalized and the expansion begun. Adding to this, a series of lawsuits over the nature of the project between Simon and Campeau delayed development plans. In 1992, the mall was sold to the Sears real estate division,
Homart Development Company
Homart Development Company, a Chicago-based subsidiary of Sears, was one of the largest builders of shopping centers and malls in the United States from 1959 to 1995.
Company history
As retail development in the United States shifted away from d ...
. Homart, who also purchased the adjacent
Natick Mall
The Natick Mall (previously named the Natick Collection) is a shopping mall in Natick, Massachusetts. The original facility was the first enclosed shopping mall in Greater Boston upon opening in 1966; it was demolished and replaced by a larger ...
property, canceled the expansion plans for both mall complexes and developed two new concepts for a completely rebuilt, enclosed mall on the larger Shopper's World property and a
power center Power center may refer to:
*Power center (geometry), the intersection point of the three radical axes of the pairs of circles
*Power center (retail)
A power center or big-box center (known in Canadian and Commonwealth English as power centre o ...
at the Natick Mall location.
However, one of the major tenants,
Filene's
Filene's (formally William Filene & Sons Co.) was an American department store chain; it was founded by William Filene in 1881. The success of the original full-line store in Boston, Massachusetts, was supplemented by the foundation of its off-p ...
, had completely remodeled and expanded its Natick location as part of the former Natick Mall expansion plans and was unwilling to spend more capital on constructing a new building at Shopper's World. In response, Homart reversed the plans and developed the concepts that became the new Natick Mall and Shoppers' World. The original mall's tenants were moved into the Shopper's World complex in 1993, and the mall torn down. A new, modern two-story Natick mall with over 200 stores was built and opened in late 1994. After tenants were moved to the new Natick Mall, the original Shopper's World closed in August, 1994, and demolition occurred in the following months.
The new Shopper's World was reopened as a modern, U-shaped
power center Power center may refer to:
*Power center (geometry), the intersection point of the three radical axes of the pairs of circles
*Power center (retail)
A power center or big-box center (known in Canadian and Commonwealth English as power centre o ...
in 1995. The new Shopper's World (the possessive "s" was changed to the singular form), a strip mall that features of retail space. Stores include
Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
, John Harvard's Brew House,
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
,
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
,
Chipotle
A chipotle (, ; ), or ''chilpotle'', is a smoking (food), smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican cuisine, Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex cuisine, Tex-Mex and So ...
, The Paper Store,
Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom Rack is an American off-price department store chain founded in 1973. It is a sister brand to the luxury department store chain Nordstrom.
As of 2021, Nordstrom Rack operates 352 stores in 41 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces ...
, and many others.
The center is also home to the first
HomeSense
HomeSense (stylized as Homesense in Europe and the United States) is a Canadian chain of discount home furnishing stores owned by TJX Companies. It originated in Canada in 2001, and was expanded to Europe in 2008 and the United States in 2017. O ...
in the United States and opened alongside
Sierra Trading Post
Sierra Trading Post, Inc., doing business as Sierra, is an online and brick-and-mortar retailer of off-price merchandise operated by the TJX Companies. The Framingham, Massachusetts–based company offers products in categories such as outdoor r ...
in August 2017, replacing a
Sports Authority
Sports Authority, Inc. (formerly The Sports Authority) was an American sports retailer. At its peak, Sports Authority operated 463 stores in 45 States and Puerto Rico. The company's website was on the GSI Commerce platform and supported the reta ...
store.
On January 24, 2018, it was announced that
Toys "R" Us
Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1957; its first store was built in April 1948, with its headquarters loc ...
' sister store,
Babies "R" Us
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
would be closing as part of a plan to close 182 Toys "R" Us and/or Babies "R" Us stores nationwide due to bankruptcy. The Babies "R" Us store closed in April 2018. On March 14, 2018, Toys "R" Us announced that they would be closing all 1,795 locations Worldwide, including the Shopper's World Toys "R" Us location. The store closed on June 27, 2018.
Toy City
A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include Toy block, toy blocks, Board game, board games, and Doll, dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed sp ...
moved in place in September.
On November 25, 2019, It was announced that
A.C. Moore will be closing all 145 stores, including the one at Shoppers World in Framingham.
According to a news article from October 30, 2020
"John Harvard’s space up for lease in Framingham, as brewpub is apparently closed for good"
metrowestdailynews.com, October 30, 2020 John Harvard's Brew House has permanently closed.
On January 10, 2022, it was announced that a new grocery store would replace the Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
and Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...
stores.
See also
* Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza (often called The Plaza) is a privately-owned regional shopping center in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri. Opened in 1923, it was the first planned suburban shopping center and the first regional shoppi ...
- first shopping mall in the U.S.
* Highland Park Village
Highland Park Village is an upscale shopping plaza located at the southwest corner of Mockingbird Lane and Preston Road in Highland Park, Texas and was the first self-contained shopping center in America. The Highland Park Village was declared a N ...
- second shopping mall in the U.S.
* Lake View Store
The Lake View Store was the first modern indoor mall built in the United States . It was built in 1915, and held its grand opening on July 20, 1916. The architect was Dean & Dean from Chicago and the building contractor was George H. Lounsberry fr ...
- first enclosed shopping mall
* Natick Mall
The Natick Mall (previously named the Natick Collection) is a shopping mall in Natick, Massachusetts. The original facility was the first enclosed shopping mall in Greater Boston upon opening in 1966; it was demolished and replaced by a larger ...
- a large enclosed shopping mall adjacent to Shopper's World.
References
External links
The Shoppers' World History Page
Shopper's World management site
(a self-published website)
Framingham/Natick Retail
(a self-published website)
Shopper's World on ''This is Framingham''
(a self-published website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shopper's World
Buildings and structures in Framingham, Massachusetts
MetroWest
Shopping malls established in 1951
Shopping malls in Massachusetts
Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
1951 establishments in Massachusetts