When The Westchester opened in White Plains in 1995 – on St. Patrick’s Day – its mall playlist often included “A Whole New World” from Disney’s “Aladdin” – appropriate enough since Disney, as well as Warner Brothers and F.A.O. Schwarz, had stores in the mall that appealed particularly to families.
But the song was also appropriate, because it really was a whole new world for Westchester County – a 2.5-million-square-foot, $250-million luxury mall built on the site of what had been the first suburban department store in the United States – B. Altman & Co., opened in 1930 – and the terminal for the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway’s White Plains branch. (A B. Altman drinking fountain at an entrance off the lower-level parking area serves as a reminder of the mall’s elegant antecedents.) And it was a whole new world, too, for White Plains, which at that time had been struggling to keep up with retail competition from other suburban centers. https://casestudies.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/C026008.pdf
For shoppers of a certain vintage, the mall – one of some 250 properties belonging to Simon, a multibillion-dollar real estate investment trust of shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations in North America, Europe and Asia and an S&P 100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE: SPG) – is really a kind of retail archeological site as well, offering insights into the tectonic shift in lifestyle and shopping habits in the advent of the digital age. Gone are the stores that were the calling cards of players in the arts and entertainment industry, including Disney, Warner Bros., The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum Co. In their place are athleisure, electronics and electronic vehicles (EV) stores (alo, Garage, Apple, Microsoft, Lucid, Rivian) stores that engage a younger demographic especially.
But some things never change. The Westchester — which has 149 stores and eateries — is still anchored by the 143,000-square-foot Neiman Marcus and the 200,000-square-foot Nordstrom, with other 30-year tenants including Ann Taylor, Bath & Body Works, Crate & Barrel, Eileen Fisher, Express, Foot Locker, Tiffany & Co., Tourneau / Bucherer 1888, Victoria’s Secret and Williams Sonoma.
And it can still throw a party as it did for its 30th birthday on Saturday, March 22, featuring a timeline of The Westchester’s history, a DJ playing the top hits of 1995, a photographic moment with a ’90s theme and a showcase of “What’s Old is New Again” fashion trends.
“For 30 years, families have made The Westchester their preferred destination for shopping, dining and entertainment,” Rick Ranges, The Westchester’s general manager, said in a statement. “We’re delighted to have the ongoing support of our community and a diverse selection of brands, both long-standing and new. We can’t wait to see what the next 30 years will bring.”
The future is now with Uniqlo
Shoppers didn’t have to wait for the next 30 years as Uniqlo, the always hot Japanese casual-wear brand thundered into the mall quite literally Friday, March 21, with a performance by Yamatai, a student Taiko percussion ensemble from Cornell University, to mark the opening of the company’s newest, 11,000-square-foot store.
Uniqlo is one of the eight brands of Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., a leading retail holding company with headquarters in Tokyo, the others being GU, Theory (a minimalist women’s line that has its own dedicated shop in The Westchester and other department stores like Bloomingdale’s), PLST, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Princesse tam.tam, J Brand and Helmut Lang. With global sales of approximately 3.1 trillion yen ($21.39 billion) for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2024, Fast Retailing is one of the world’s largest apparel retail companies.
Japan’s leading specialty retailer and a U.S. favorite as demonstrated by the line waiting for giveaways and gifts with purchase on March 21 at The Westchester, Uniqlo has 2,500 stores worldwide and 70 in the United States, including two others in our area at Ridge Hill in Yonkers and the Palisades Center in West Nyack. The brand, which launched as a brick and mortar in Hiroshima in 1984, is known for its comfortable, affordable, machine-washable yet stylish LifeWear line for men, women and children. It’s also big on giving back, partnering with the New York City Department of Homeless and volunteering with Feeding America.
New and upcoming stores
The Westchester has also welcomed the following:
Aroma 360, featuring fragrances and scented oils, candles and diffusers for cars, homes and businesses, including the hospitality industry (through its sister Hotel Collection) to the tune of more than $400 million in revenue;
FP Movement, offering activewear that goes beyond the gym as a complement to sister store Free People; GOAT USA, with lifestyle items and apparel for the Greatest of all Time in each person.
Still to come are Mavi Jeans (early June), Mejuri fine jewelry (late May) and Princess Polly, an
online Australian brand that’s making a foray into brick and mortar for the Gen Z woman.
Shoppers can also share memories of The Westchester from the past 30 years through words or images for a chance to win a prize pack valued at $559, with gifts from FP Movement, Rowan and Venchi.
