Alexandria Mall — Local services in Alexandria

Update Apr 1st, 2018: Recently visited after being away, and I must say... Still exactly the same. At least they're consistent. Worst mall I've been to in over a decade. (Which is the last time I've been to the Alex Mall). The look is really outdated. Half of the mall is closed down, no stores. The carpet in the walkways of the mall gives it that "Hey, it's the 70's and we're poor." kind of feel. All of the promotions they do are in the food court, so the other tenants in the failing parts of the mall (Essentially everywhere except the food court, but especially the middle of the mall and opposite end.) have no way to drive traffic. All of the foot traffic has been driven from the main entrance of the mall (which would be the middle of the mall) to the food court. The mall is full of those booths that sell knock-off products that break right after you buy them. One day, I watched a woman yell and complain, for over an hour, to the tenant of a jewelry booth that lied to her and told her they sold real jewelry. She found out that what she bought was fake. She had to stand there and tell customers that stopped to shop "He sells fake jewelry and lies to people and now that he's busted he won't refund my money." This went on for an hour and still nobody from the mall came. The guy is...

The mall itself is ok. Clean. It's the fact that so many spaces are empty that you grt tired walking from one end to the other. And no carts or baskets in stores. You have to stand in line and wait for one at JC Penny and Dillard's etc. That makes me get just the minimum of what I need. No one wants to walk around a store with clothes hanging across your arms. Definitely needs improvement. If it's easier to shop more people will come and more spaces will fill up. So far the staff in the stores have all been great. I drove in from Lake Charles Monday with a teenager, it had been a bad and long day but we needed a homecoming dress. Went to Dillard's. And honestly, if they judged a book by the cover, they would have sent us somewhere else. We all looked terrible, didn't take a change of clothes,so yeah. But they didn't, we were treated like we should have. I appreciated that. Because I know I didn't LOOK like I could afford it. They took time and were helpful without asking or knowing anything about us. Everyone is supposed to be treated like that no matter what. Thanks so much ladies. The dress is awesome and thanks for pointing me in the...

This mall is sort of an embarrassment. It definitely seems like malls I've seen in larger cities that are on the verge of being shut down and bulldozed. There is a fairly large stretch of the mall that is mostly abandoned, and one stretch in particular has weird little "shops" that don't seem to be open to the public.

The area by the food court is more like a real mall, with actual stores. But there are ominous signs that speak to a crime problem throughout, indicating that people under 18 have to be escorted by an adult. And I've never seen more security guards in a mall, even in Washington DC. In fact, when I've been here, they sometimes outnumber the shoppers.

I would honestly let this mall die, if I were the city. If stores think there is enough sales potential (I think there is), build a nicer, more up-to-date outdoor shopping area out by Highway...