In September 2006, The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno, California, proudly presented itself as “The New Shape of Shopping.” Just one year after a massive redevelopment project transformed the aging mid-century mall into a sleek, two-level shopping destination, Tanforan was riding a wave of optimism—anchored by Target, JCPenney, and Sears, and bolstered by an upgraded food court and an influx of national brands.
Today, we’re revisiting that era through a rare 2006 directory and kiosk guide that captured Tanforan at the peak of its early-2000s reinvention.
A mall map for the new millennium
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| Back of the September 2006 directory for The Shops at Tanforan, featuring the updated mall layout with anchor stores and expanded food court. |
The directory’s reverse side reveals a layout designed for efficiency and visibility. The new Target store—added during the 2005 overhaul—occupied the mall’s western edge, while long-time anchors JCPenney and Sears remained cornerstones. In between, a vast selection of retailers and a dramatically expanded food court created a destination geared toward both shopping and lingering.
Tenant lineup: a snapshot of 2000s mall culture
The front of the September 2006 directory touts the mall’s stylish credentials. Hollister Co., the beach-themed Abercrombie offshoot, was set to debut in Spring 2007, while Justice (the preteen girls’ fashion brand) had a grand opening planned for November 2006. These additions reflected the mall’s focus on youth culture and fast fashion during this retail era.
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| Front of the September 2006 directory, promoting gift cards, shopping club, and services—popular mall staples of the 2000s. |
Other tenants from the era included:
Victoria’s Secret
Bath & Body Works
Foot Locker
Kay Jewelers
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Old Navy
Petco
T-Mobile
Starbucks
This was a time when malls still leaned heavily on apparel, books, and electronics, with kiosks and seasonal pop-ups filling in the gaps.
The kiosk culture
An insert from September 2006 lists mall kiosks, offering everything from cell phone accessories and imported jewelry to photo booths and bathroom remodeling. These temporary or mobile vendors played a critical role in filling out mall common areas and keeping the retail experience dynamic.
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| A separate 2006 pamphlet details kiosks and carts, giving insight into the micro-retail culture within The Shops at Tanforan. |
Tanforan in 2006: between nostalgia and renewal
The Tanforan of 2006 stood in stark contrast to the Tanforan Park Shopping Center of the 1970s and ’80s. With its updated escalators, brighter interiors, and trend-conscious retail mix, the mall reflected a broader wave of early 21st-century renovations aimed at preserving traditional mall relevance in an evolving retail landscape.
Yet, as we now know, this revival would only last so long. Within 15 years, many of these stores would vanish, and in 2022, redevelopment plans for the site—including biotech offices and a Japanese-American memorial—would be announced, signaling the end of The Shops at Tanforan as a regional shopping center.
But in 2006, the mall had new life—and a bold new identity.
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