Slowly, but surely...

This is a good sign, in more ways than one.

1. The Sonic Drive-In chain is expanding. In this era of job-cutting and business closing, it's good to see someone expanding.

2. They're coming to Wilkes-Barre. The old KFC at the Wyoming Valley Mall is being converted into a Sonic.

It's refreshing news, considering that Waldenbooks (a mall original in 1971) is closing on Saturday. I see quite a few empty storefronts in malls all around our area... and there's a feeling all around that things will get worse before they get better.

If you want to see an interesting website, see www.deadmalls.com. Unfairly, Schuylkill Mall is listed from a few years ago... perhaps because of all the empty stores. It's a shame that Steve and Barry's went under, plus Waldenbooks and Claire's are closing up.

The trend now is outparcels or big box stores. Go to the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley or Shoppes at Montage, or even the Wegman's in Mechanicsburg, and you'll see what I mean. You can see what the mall in Hunt Valley, MD used to be, and how it's been transformed into the Shoppes at Hunt Valley.

Some good examples of dead malls are the Richland Mall in Johnstown, Landover Mall outside of DC, and whatever that mall used to be at the parking garage in Niagara Falls.

Five years from now, we'll be reminiscing how we remembered shopping at Circuit City.

That site also has lists of old stores... I'm sure you remember Ames, Hills, and Jamesway. How about Bradlees, Caldor, Service Merchandise, Fay's, Revco, Woolworth, McCrory's, Kresge's, Lazarus, Grant's, Pomeroy's, Hess's, King's Department Store, and (my favorite) Zayre's. Zayre's will forever be remembered in Wilkes-Barre as where the Cabbage Patch Kid riots broke out in 1983. Picture Black Friday 50 times worse.

While I'm being nostalgic, I miss having Acme, A&P, Insalaco's, and Shop Rite around here.

Happy shopping and buckle up,
TS