Are New Jersey malls really dead in 2025? A Jersey kid goes back inside

Growing up in a state so closely associated with shopping malls, my earliest memories of Christmas shopping with my parents were at a mall. So yes, that Jersey stereotype fits me perfectly. Not so much these days, though, with so many malls failing or turning into what we now call “dead malls.”

From downtown shopping districts to the rise of the New Jersey mall

Of course, my parents’ generation did their shopping downtown. In their case, that meant Atlantic City and Pleasantville in the 1950s and ’60s. My dad even worked at the Sears when it was still downtown Atlantic City, before the larger store was built at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township.

My parents were big Sears catalog shoppers—especially for back-to-school clothes and when they wanted to “help” Santa at Christmas. We’d sit around the catalog, circle what we wanted, and my mom would mail in the order. When it came in, we’d pick it up at the back of Sears. Then my parents would shop for a few more things in the mall while my brothers and I visited Santa. I’m sure that was the exact routine for thousands of New Jersey families from the mid- to late-20th century.

Peak mall culture in New Jersey: the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s

By the 1980s, the Shore Mall was becoming obsolete, and then the Hamilton Mall opened in my hometown of Mays Landing in 1987. It had its heyday in the ’90s and stayed strong until just a few years ago. It honestly made me sad seeing reports this year of their Santa having very few visitors—sometimes sitting there all alone. Like I said… sad.

As a young adult, I loved trips to places like the Ocean County Mall, Quaker Bridge Mall, Bridgewater Commons, Monmouth Mall—those were destination trips for me.

Online shopping, Amazon, and how malls lost their grip

Then came online shopping, now a generation old, which helped kill many malls. Looking back, it’s kind of amazing that Sears didn’t see the digital shift coming sooner. Their catalog system was practically a blueprint for Amazon. If they had pivoted earlier, who knows? Only a handful of true visionaries saw the digital revolution coming in the ’80s and ’90s.

And don’t get me wrong—I love the ease of online shopping as much as anyone. Sit on the couch, click a button, and it’s on your doorstep the next day (assuming it doesn’t get pirated).

Still, I love getting out to downtowns and malls during the holidays, soaking up the Christmas spirit and maybe picking up a gift or two in person.

Are New Jersey malls dead in 2025? Not exactly.

So at Christmas 2025, are there any malls still alive? Surprisingly, yes. The successful ones have found a niche—high-end shopping, entertainment, or a strong regional draw.

Here’s my take on Jersey malls in 2025, ranked by overall success. These rankings are based on size, foot traffic, retail performance, awards, and good old local perception.

1️⃣–1️⃣0️⃣: Elite & High-Performing Malls
American Dream – East Rutherford
Westfield Garden State Plaza – Paramus
The Mall at Short Hills – Short Hills
The Mills at Jersey Gardens – Elizabeth
Willowbrook Mall – Wayne
Freehold Raceway Mall – Freehold
Cherry Hill Mall – Cherry Hill
Menlo Park Mall – Edison
Woodbridge Center – Woodbridge
Bridgewater Commons – Bridgewater

1️⃣1️⃣–2️⃣0️⃣: Mid-Tier Regional Malls
Deptford Mall – Deptford
Newport Centre – Jersey City
Rockaway Townsquare – Rockaway
Quaker Bridge Mall – Lawrence Township
Ocean County Mall – Toms River
Bergen Town Center – Paramus
Cumberland Mall – Vineland
Paramus Park – Paramus
Voorhees Town Center – Voorhees
Brunswick Square Mall – East Brunswick

So maybe the mall isn’t completely dead after all—it’s just grown up, changed clothes, and figured out a new role. The days of jam-packed food courts and endless laps around Sears and JCPenney may be mostly behind us, but there’s still something special about walking into a mall or downtown at Christmas. The music, the lights, the feeling of picking out a gift in person.

I’ll always love the convenience of shopping from the couch, but I’m glad some Jersey malls are still hanging on, finding their niche, and giving Santa a place to sit that isn’t empty. Because for those of us who grew up here, the mall isn’t just a place to shop—it’s a memory, a tradition, and at least during the holidays, still a little bit of magic.