Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall sees more turnover as major retailers leave, others open
Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall continues to see turnover from its major brands as retailers large and small feel the lingering effects of the pandemic.
After opening to much excitement and lines of shoppers in 2009, European fast-fashion brand H&M closed earlier this year at the north Modesto mall. But a new European company already has taken its place. JD Sports, a British sports apparel seller, opened last weekend in part of H&M’s former Center Court space, said mall spokeswoman Annie Amies.
Swedish brand H&M is known for its trendy clothing at affordable prices, and opened at Vintage Faire just before the holidays in 2009. Since the brand began its rapid expansion into the United States about two decades ago, it’s had high-profile collaborations with haute couture icons including Karl Lagerfeld and Jimmy Choo, pop superstar Madonna and supermodel Naomi Campbell.
But the company ran into problems amid the pandemic, and in October 2020 the retailer announced plans to close some 250 stores because of slowdowns in sales and increased online shopping. The Modesto location closed at the end of January this year.
JD Sports, which is filling part of the former H&M space, is the British equivalent of Foot Locker or Finish Line, selling sports apparel and shoes. The remaining portion of the former H&M space is available for lease.
Vintage Faire has seen a number of its well-known retailers leave during the pandemic, starting with GNC and including Coach, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap and GameStop.
Also closed, but not for lack of effort, is Fire Bar & Grill. The independent restaurant had a prominent spot in front of the mall’s outdoor extension, The Villages. First opened in June 2018 by husband-and-wife team Rich and Christine Loudermilk, the restaurant started as a franchise from regional Northern California chain Buckhorn Grill.
The Buckhorn brand has several locations in the Bay Area and Sacramento. The mall spot was its first in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. But business took a hit with with the arrival of COVID-19 in early 2020, and the Loudermilks decided to exit the franchise and reopen as their own barbecue restaurant in June 2021.
Rich Loudermilk said a combination of the pandemic and the staffing shortages it created ultimately did them in and they closed for good in mid-July. Amies said a new tenant for the restaurant space could be announced shortly.
More recently, the mall has seen a handful of major openings. That includes the new Dave & Buster’s, which opened this Memorial Day weekend to fill the top floor of the former Sears anchor space. The former Dick’s Sporting Goods standalone building along Dale Road has been filled by national home furnishings seller Bob’s Discount Furniture. In fall 2020, Dick’s moved to fill the first floor of the former Sears space below the now-open Dave & Buster’s.
Joining those new businesses at the mall this year are a second location for Don Roberto Jewelers (in the former Crocs store) and Maximum Sports (next to Abercrombie Kids). The latter specializes in sports and other collectibles like cards, Legos and Funko Pops.
New in the second-level food court is Jamba, filling the former GameSpot location. Also coming soon to the food court is the new Taqueria El Grullense (in the former Taxi’s hamburger space, for those with long mall memories). The former Nestle Tollhouse Café location, also on the second level, is becoming an Artly Coffee.
And the mall soon will have a Spirit Halloween location for the spooky season. The pop-up Halloween store is set to open next week in the former Charming Charlie space in the outdoor The Villages area.
The location was Charming Charlie’s second spot in Vintage Faire. An indoor location for the women’s fashion, handbag and accessory seller closed in 2019, but the company returned in April 2021 with its Villages spot. It shut recently, too, though, making way for the temporary Halloween costumes and decorations seller.
