Shopping malls in New Jersey have played a major role in shaping the suburban landscape of the state following World War II.
History
New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the United States, and in the suburban sphere of influence of both New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has a comparatively large number of notable malls throughout the state. Paramus, in Bergen County, is one of the largest shopping meccas in the country, with its four major shopping malls accounting for a significant proportion of the over $5 billion in annual retail sales generated in the borough, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States.Paramus 07652 , GlobeSt. Retail, October 3, 2005. This high level of retail sales persists despite the fact that the County, in general, and the Borough, in particular, have blue laws that force the malls and other retailers to close on Sunday.
Garden State Plaza was the state's first shopping mall. It opened in three stages between May 1957 and September 1960 and was fully enclosed in 1984. The shopping complex is now known as Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Garden State's second mall-type shopping venue, Bergen Mall (now known as Outlets at Bergen Town Center), was built in Paramus and Maywood and was officially dedicated on November 14, 1957, with great fanfare, as Dave Garroway, host of The Today Show served as master of ceremonies.
The Bergen Mall, which was fully enclosed in 1973, was first planned in 1955 by Allied Stores to have 100 stores and 8,600 parking spaces in a mall that would include a Stern's store and two other department stores as part of the initial design. Allied's chairman B. Earl Puckett confidently announced The Bergen Mall as the largest of ten proposed centers, stating that there were 25 cities that could support such centers and that no more than 50 malls of this type would ever be built nationwide.Bergen Mall's makeover approved, The Record (Bergen County), December 1, 2006.
Cherry Hill Mall, was the first large indoor shopping center on the East Coast of the United States and attracted busloads of visitors soon after its opening in October 1961. (The Southdale Shopping Center in Edina, Minnesota, was the very first enclosed mall, beating Cherry Hill to the honor by five years). The popularity of the mall as a destination is often cited as one of the factors that led the mall's host municipality to change its name from Delaware Township, to its current name of Cherry Hill Township.Cherry Hill Township: About Us , accessed September 4, 2006.
Despite an early refusal to temporarily close other New Jersey shopping malls during the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy eventually agreed to do so on March 17, 2020. This came one day after the Jersey Gardens closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop closed Jersey City's two major shopping malls Newport Centre and Hudson Mall.
Role as public square
With the shift in shopping from publicly owned Main Streets to privately held shopping malls, the question of access to malls, and their shoppers, as a public forum has been an issue raised nationwide. This issue has become particularly relevant in New Jersey, where malls in both suburban and exurban areas have largely supplanted local downtown districts as shopping destinations, depriving individuals and organizations of a public location to reach out to neighbors for distribution of fliers and other forms of expression. While different conclusions have been reached elsewhere, New Jersey's approach has been one of the most expansive in providing groups with access to malls as a public forum, despite their private ownership.
The Bergen Mall was the target of a lawsuit by nuclear-freeze advocates who challenged the malls restrictions on distribution of literature to shoppers. On October 12, 1984, Bergen County Superior Court judge Paul R. Huot ruled that the organization should be allowed to distribute literature anywhere and anytime in a shopping mall, noting that "The Bergen Mall has assumed the features and characteristics of the traditional town center for the citizens who reside in Paramus and surrounding Bergen County towns."
The New Jersey Supreme Court has been at the forefront in providing access to malls as a public forum under the New Jersey State Constitution's free-speech protections, requiring private owners of shopping malls to allow use as a forum by individuals and groups. In New Jersey Coalition Against War in the Middle East v. JMB Realty Corp. (1994), the Court ruled that because the mall owners "have intentionally transformed their property into a public square or market, a public gathering place, a downtown business district, a community," they cannot later deny their own implied invitation to use the space as it was clearly intended.assembly on private property, First Amendment Center, accessed August 10, 2006. Despite the broad powers granted to those seeking to use these facilities as public forums, mall owners retain the right to establish regulations regulating the time, place and manner of exercising of freedom of speech rights on their properties.The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: ACCESS TO PRIVATE PROPERTY, accessed August 10, 2006.
Role as performance venue In their role as a public forum, malls have also developed a role as a public performance venue, as an addition to theaters, arenas and stadiums. Singer Tiffany was one of the pioneers in this innovative use of malls, using the mall tour as a stepping stone to stardom. The first performance on Tiffany's mall tour — "The Beautiful You: Celebrating The Good Life Shopping Mall Tour '87" — took place on June 23, 1987 at The Bergen Mall (now known as Outlets at Bergen Town Center) in Paramus. The tour was sponsored by major advertisers Toyota, Clairol, and Adidas.Chronology of the Life and Career of Tiffany, accessed August 10, 2006. While perhaps not the first singer to do so, Tiffany established the shopping mall as a location for public performances. Britney Spears' Hair Zone Mall Tour built on Tiffany's use of the mall as a medium to reach fans. Currently, the New Jersey Youth Symphony plays annually in the Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall. This performance is known as the Playathon and occurs in March.
List of indoor malls Mall City County Retail space Square feet (ft²)StoresAnchor stores/entertainment venues Year openedOwnershipBridgewater CommonsBridgewaterSomerset1,002,532170Macy's, Bloomingdale's, AMC Theatres1988Pacific Retail Capital PartnersCherry Hill MallCherry Hill Camden1,283,000160Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Dick's House of Sport1961PREITDeptford MallDeptford Gloucester1,069,657125Macy's, JCPenney, Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Round 1 Entertainment1975MacerichAmerican DreamEast Rutherford Bergen3,000,000450+Nickelodeon Universe, DreamWorks Water Park, Big Snow American Dream2019Triple Five GroupMenlo Park MallEdison Middlesex1,232,000167Macy's, Nordstrom, AMC Theaters, Barnes & Noble, Round 1 Entertainment (Opening in 2026)1959Simon Property GroupThe Mills at Jersey GardensElizabeth Union1,292,611230AMC Theaters, Burlington, Marshalls, Primark, Cohoes, Round 1 Entertainment1999Simon Property GroupFreehold Raceway MallFreehold Monmouth 1,671,000237Macy's, JCPenney, Primark, Dick's House of Sport, L.L. Bean, Von Maur, Dave and Buster's, Freehold Athletic Club1990MacerichThe Shops at RiversideHackensack Bergen637,96366Bloomingdale's, AMC Theatres, Barnes and Noble1977Simon Property GroupNewport CentreJersey City Hudson1,149,147131Macy's, JCPenney, Kohl's, Primark, Dick's House of Sport1987LeFrak Organization & Simon Property GroupQuaker Bridge MallLawrence Township Mercer1,102,000116Macy's, JCPenney1975Simon Property GroupLivingston MallLivingston Essex980,000109Macy's (closing 2026), Barnes & Noble (closing 2027)1972Kohan Retail Investment GroupHamilton MallMays Landing Atlantic1,028,500115Macy's1987Namdar Realty GroupMoorestown MallMoorestown Burlington1,046,10090+Boscov's, HomeSense, Michaels, Planet Fitness, Sierra Trading Post, Regal Cinemas, Turn 71963PREITBergen Town CenterParamus Bergen1,011,575100Saks Off Fifth, Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington, Kohl’s, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Target, Whole Foods, Emberly Furniture1957Urban Edge PropertiesGarden State PlazaParamus Bergen2,132,112335Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, AMC Theatres1957Unibail-Rodamco-WestfieldParamus ParkParamus Bergen764,996107Macy's, Stew Leonard's1974Brookfield PropertiesMarketFair MallPrinceton Mercer245,94747AMC Theatres, Barnes & Noble1987Madison MarquetteRockaway Townsquare Rockaway Township Morris1,250,000152Macy's, JCPenney, Raymour & Flanigan1977Simon Property GroupThe Mall at Short HillsShort Hills Essex1,342,000160+Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus1961Taubman CentersOcean County MallToms River Ocean791,125105Macy's, JCPenney, Boscov's1976Simon Property GroupCumberland MallVineland Cumberland921,593Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods1973Kohan Retail Investment GroupWillowbrook MallWayne Passaic1,514,000165Macy's, Bloomingdale's, JCPenney, Dave & Buster's, BJ’s Wholesale Club1969Brookfield PropertiesWoodbridge CenterWoodbridge Middlesex1,633,000200Macy's, JCPenney, Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dave & Buster's1971Sagehall Partners and Spinoso Real Estate Group
List of non traditional indoor malls Mall City Retail space Square feet (ft²)StoresAnchor stores/entertainment venues Year openedOwnershipPlayground PierAtlantic City320,78810ACX1 Studios1906C-III Capital PartnersThe Quarter at TropicanaAtlantic City200,00040+2004Tropicana EntertainmentHudson MallJersey City377,09040Big Lots, Marshalls, Staples, Old Navy, Asian Food Market, Chuck E. Cheese, Retro FitnessUrban Edge PropertiesCenter City MallPaterson320,000Marshalls, Burlington, PriceRite, Fabian 8 Cinema2008City of PatersonKinnelon MallButler77,00012Stop & Shop, Atlantic Health System Primary CareUBP Properties
List of outlet malls Mall City Retail space Square feet (ft²)Stores Year openedOwnershipTanger Outlets Atlantic CityAtlantic City, New Jersey1,292,611100+2003TangerJersey Shore Premium OutletsTinton Falls, New Jersey434,4281202008Simon Property GroupGloucester Premium OutletsBlackwood, New Jersey369,68680+2015Simon Property GroupJackson Premium OutletsJackson, New Jersey285,696701997Simon Property Group
List of outdoor malls