Old Market Square Kenosha Wi.

Old Market Square Mall came to life in late 1981 or early 1982 in a building that had been vacant for several years that was once a Topps Department Store. The malls anchor store, so to speak, was the Market Square Theatres which was a twin movie theatre at that back of the mall. In line stores accounted for the rest of the space. There were maybe twenty to twenty-five stores most of which were never occupied. The only chain that I am aware of to ever be in the mall was Merle Norman Cosmetics. The rest of the stores were small mom and pop which were mostly gift orientated stores. There was a video arcade near the theatre. The mall would close in stages becoming the Kenosha Job Training Center and local job service offices. The theatres would be the last to close, doing so in the late nineties.

The Stores and Malls of Johannesburg South Africa

I thought that I would change the posting a little bit by posting some photos taken by ex-coworker and friend Julian Cohn. Mr. Cohn now resides in the northern Chicago suburbs but was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. When Mr. Cohn returned home for a visit, he took the pictures for me at that time. The photos include several of South Africa's largest retailers and malls.

Major retailers scene:

1. Pick N Pay Hypermarkets
2. Woolworth's Departments Stores "not associated with F.W. Woolworths"
3. Checkers Supermarket
4. Edgars Department Stores
5. Okay Bizarres
6. Jet Department Store
7. Sales House Department Stores


Malls scene:

1. Balfour Park Mall
2. Killarney Mall
3. Sandton City Mall
4. Eastgate Mall
5. Downtown Johannesburg
6. Town of Delmas, South Africa " a town that is 35 miles east of Johannesburg"

Thank You Mr. Cohn for your pictures. Please forward any comments on this section.

Zahns department store Racine Wi.

This is how it all began for me Zahns. When I was a small kid my family wood go to downtown Racine every Friday night this was the only nitre the stores were open. i remember how dig Zahns was and how the large post were so big and round and the walkways lined with counters and tables. that look that feeling i knew that retail was for me. and 40 years latter here i am with my own blog on malls and stores who wood have thought such a thing wood be possible.

As for Zahns it began in 1898 with a small shop a move to a much larger store wood happen in 1916. that store at 436 main st. wood latter be come a part of Racine's woolworths.In 1925 the store wood move to 500 monument sq. it wood be its last home and its largest 4 floors and a full basement there wood also be a store next to the main store latter known as the annex it wood house the Zahns food store. the store wood have all the features of its big city revels including a restaurant and budget store in the basement. the store wood be remodeled several times through the years with the most extensive renovation hapening in the 1950s mr. Zahn wood sell the store to the Goldstine fammily. Thay wood then in turn sell the store to Chandlar Copp he wood remodel the store for one last time in the end of the 70s . he also wood eliminate several departments and close the basement and forth floor in 1981 with presher mounting for him to pay back lones to the bank mr Copp wood file bankruptcy and close for good just before Regency Mall wood open it was the start of the end for that era of downtown Racine retail.