Wow! A retail blast from the past!
I started working retail in high school and kept on for several years after so I was in the mall EVERY DAY.
I remember Brooks. I liked to shop there and almost went to work for them at one point. I dated a guy from Chess King for several months. I never bought anything at Merry Go Round because they were a little TOO funky. But I do remember thinking they must be on commission because the one time I tried something on the girl was literally flinging clothes over the door at me. I remember 5-7-9. I remember Body Shop with the car doors on the dressing rooms. I remember The Limited when they sold Outback Red and had amazing clearance sales. I don't shop there anymore. I also liked Strawberry Fields and 7th Avenue Warehouse. Ups & Downs sounds really familiar so we must have had those.
I bought the topper for our wedding cake at Wicks & Sticks. I hadn't thought about that store in forever.
A lot of the places I worked don't exist anymore. Kids Point of View, Mothercare, Parklane Hosiery, Hit or Miss. I don't know if Contempo is still around - it was a crummy place to work! I liked their affiliate store Pastille MUCH better but they weren't hiring when I needed a job! Limited, Too is still around but it is very different.
Casual Corner, Petite Sophisticate, and August Max were all the same company and I think they recently went under because they all closed. Caren Charles used to belong to them, too, but that was back in the late 1990's. Limited had a lingerie store called Cacique that I loved, but they all closed. When Limited was in it's hey-day they owned half the mall. Limited, Limited, Too and Cacique were one division. Lane Bryant and Lerner were another division. Express, Structure, Bath & Body Works, and Victoria's Secret were a division, and they also owned Abercrombie & Fitch. Not sure who is still considered a "Limited Brand" these days. The stores used to be all hooked together so you could pass from one to the other but they aren't like that now.
Lots of good memories! I adore the mall!