A snapshot of Sunvalley Mall in its opening year, showing the stores, restaurants, and services that defined one of Northern California’s most ambitious new shopping centers.
Directory
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| Store directory of Sunvalley Mall, 1967. |
Mall map
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| Mall map of Sunvalley Mall, 1967. |
Fast facts
- Date: 1967
- Location: Concord, California
- Anchors: Sears, Macy's, JCPenney
- Stores and services: More than 120
- Layout: Two levels
- Source: Newspaper mall directory
What this directory reveals
This directory comes from Sunvalley Mall in 1967 and captures the center on its opening day. While the mall was already largely complete, finishing work was still underway in places, and the layout continued to evolve as stores opened and customer traffic patterns emerged.
What makes this directory particularly interesting is how complete Sunvalley already appears. More than 120 stores, restaurants, and services were operating when the mall opened, creating a retail environment that feels fully established rather than newly launched. National chains, local merchants, restaurants, and specialty retailers filled nearly every available storefront.
The mall map also reveals aspects of Sunvalley's original design that would later change. The two-level shopping concourse did not yet fully extend to Sears, reflecting the phased nature of the mall's construction. Even so, the center already functioned as a cohesive regional destination rather than a collection of separate retail buildings.
The directory offers a snapshot of what shoppers expected from a major mall in the late 1960s. Department stores provided the primary draw, while bookstores, shoe stores, fabric shops, music retailers, restaurants, and specialty food merchants created reasons to stay and explore. Together, they illustrate the formula that would define American regional malls for decades.
Anchored by three major department stores and supported by more than 120 smaller tenants, the directory captures Sunvalley at the moment it emerged as a regional shopping destination. For modern readers, it also serves as a catalog of retailers, restaurants, and brands that once defined the American mall experience.
Stores you'll remember
The directory includes many retailers that were once familiar sights in shopping malls across America:
- Anita Shops
- B. Dalton Bookseller
- Florsheim Shoes
- Hickory Farms
- House of Fabrics
- Roos/Atkins
- Sherman Clay
- Sunvalley Cinema
- Swiss Colony
- Walgreen's
Food & dining
Popular dining options listed in the directory include:
- Crepes & Pancake House
- Fish 'n Chips
- Hamburger House
- Mel's Restaurant
- Steak House
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