BIGMallrat | Retail history of Northern California

Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto first opened in September 1955 with Roos Brothers, then Joseph Magnin a month later. It was unlike anything the Bay Area had seen before. By February 23, 1956, The Emporium completed the vision, solidifying the shopping center as a modern retail destination. Designed by Welton Becket & Associates, with landscaping by Lawrence Halprin, the open-air design embraced mid-century modernism with tropical plantings, shaded walkways, and decorative concrete details. The 1960s: a decade of expansion The 1960s were a transformative time for Stanford Shopping Center. On October 12, 1961, Macy’s opened as the mall’s second major department store, bringing a wide range of goods and drawing shoppers from across the region. Then, on August 5, 1963, Saks Fifth Avenue opened its doors, introducing high-end fashion and luxury retail to Palo Alto. These key additions helped establish the center as a premier shopping destination, blending everyday conveni...

Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton, California in September 1980. It was designed by architect Avner Naggar, whose other projects included Sunvalley Mall, Eastridge Mall, Hilltop Mall, and portions of Southland Mall. Its original anchor tenants were JCPenney, Emporium-Capwell, and Macy’s, forming the foundation of what would become one of the Tri-Valley’s key retail destinations. Opening day and early years Plans for a major regional mall in Pleasanton date back to 1966. By the early 1970s, plans included an ambitious proposal to bring five department stores to the region: JCPenney, Emporium-Capwell, Macy’s, Liberty House, and Sears. While space was allocated for five anchors—with potential for two additional wings—only three department stores would open with the mall in 1980. Center court of Stoneridge Mall in 1985, featuring the mall's original indoor landscaping, glass water feature, railings, and Charles O. Perry sculpture suspended above the atrium. Grand opening ad for Macy...

Originally published in 2006; expanded and updated in 2026. Before Southland Mall opened in 1964, Bay Area shoppers moved between stores under the sun and rain. Southland changed that. As the San Francisco Bay Area's first enclosed shopping mall—and at the time the largest enclosed mall in the western United States—it introduced a new way of shopping: climate-controlled, comfortable, and designed as a destination rather than a collection of stores. Inside were features that felt futuristic to mid-century shoppers: indoor fountains, aviaries filled with chirping birds, soaring chandeliers, and eventually even an ice rink. Southland wasn't just a place to buy things. It was an early showcase for suburban California's new indoor lifestyle. 1957–1963: From Palma Ceia to Southland The story of Southland Mall begins in December 1957, when ground was broken on a new project named Palma Ceia Shopping Plaza. The developer, Branden Enterprises, was also responsible for the adjacen...

When NewPark Mall opened its doors on August 6, 1980, it felt like the dawn of a new shopping era for the East Bay. Developed by Homart Development Company (a division of Sears) and Calmart (from Macy’s), the mall debuted with Macy’s and Sears as its original anchors. It wasn’t long before NewPark grew: Mervyn’s and a brand-new wing arrived on October 18, 1985, relocating from Fremont. Emporium-Capwell followed on February 7, 1987, also from Fremont. And finally, JCPenney joined the lineup on November 6, 1991, rounding out NewPark’s status as a full-fledged regional shopping center. A newspaper ad announcing the grand opening of NewPark Mall on August 6, 1980, featuring Macy’s and Sears. A tale of two malls NewPark always reminded me of Stoneridge Mall’s fraternal twin—the two centers opened just a few weeks apart in 1980. While Stoneridge exuded a bright, sleek elegance with its white-on-white palette and blue accents, NewPark embraced 1980s earth tones: deep browns, muted ta...

In the early 1970s, Federated Department Stores, owners of Bullock's of Southern California, decided the Bay Area was missing something. Not sunshine. Not warmer weather. But Fashion. They quickly unfurled plans to dazzle the region by bringing Bullock's north. Bullock's opened its first store at Palo Alto's Stanford Shopping Center in 1972—polished, posh, and perhaps a bit puzzled. They brought SoCal's easy-breezy fashion vibe north, but Palo Alto wasn't quite ready for casual Fridays. Yet the ambition didn’t end there. In came Walnut Creek (1973), then Vallco (1975), Stonestown (1977), and Oakridge (1978), like a runway of retail hope. At Oakridge, we saw the latest in fashion, natural light in a department store. The fiberglass roof debuted at Bullock's Oakridge, from 1981 Progressive Architecture. The stores were well-dressed, well-placed, and well… not very well visited. Despite fancy in-store restaurants and enough chrome racks to make Studio...