Retro Columbia Mall commercial
Recently, I was on YouTube and I stumbled across this Columbia Mall commercial from 1980. It brought back memories and I wanted to share it.
Meet me at Columbia Mall
I used to love the mall's commercials from the 80s and it was so interesting to see this and hear the familiar jingle after so many years. Anyone remember the mall's Christmas commercials where the jingle was changed to "Christmas at Columbia Mall"? Ahhh, the memories.
Growing up in the 80s, Columbia Mall was Grand Forks to me. I lived on a Grand Forks-area farm when I was a kid. Every Friday night, my mother, my big sister, and I would come to Grand Forks and shop at Columbia Mall (especially Target), buy our week's worth of groceries at Albertson's, and have supper at McDonald's. With so many childhood memories of it, Columbia Mall has always been kind of special to me. I was very excited when SuperTarget opened across the street back in 2001, but my family and I were still a little devastated that our beloved old Target store at Columbia Mall was closing.
It's so fun to see what the mall looked like back in the 80s (even if the video is really dark). Anyone else remember Bridget's in center court? I used to love their licorice ice cream. How about the mall's sunken seating areas with the waterfall? Or what about those elaborate Christmas displays they used to have around the mall?
When did they abandon the old "Meet me at Columbia Mall" slogan anyways? I'm thinking it must have been the early 90s. In my opinion, they should really bring it back. The current slogan (although they never really even use it) is "When you want to taste, touch, hug and hold...experience". That doesn't do anything for me.
Digg 
del.icio.us 
Posts
22 comments:
Who cares!
Perhaps because its a Sunday...I'm not sure...
...but the above comment makes me wonder just what readers of this blog WOULD be satisfied with, anyway? All the comparisons to West Acres, to the ample franchises (which actually make 13th Avenue look ugly, industrial)and constant negativism of what Grand Forks has...
Boy, folks...you ought to sit back and just look at the wonderful things that happen in that community, and bask in the friendliness of so many interesting people!
I complain, too, of lackadaisical, erratic quality of service---it is present, even in businesses where people work hard at doing well---but, overall, I'd take the Grand Cities over much of what Fargo offers any day.
P.S. Okay...so maybe it would be nicer if Barnes and Noble's location in GF wasn't a college bookstore, so my member discounts would be honored there just as they are in Fargo. :o)
Oh god! The horrible 80s hair! aiiieeeee!
piggily wiggily
the mall used to have some sort of clinic as well right? i am quite sure i went there for some stiches at some point.
wasn't bridget's ice creamnext to Target?
I could swear that it was...
Anyway, this old commercial is before my time, so I don't remember it very well, but I do share some of the reminiscence of old Columbia Mall. Orange Julius for some reason, was always a favorite of mine and the nacho platter at the short lived Tacotime franchise in the mall was pretty badass. well worth the money.
I think the reason Columbia Mall isn't doing so hot now is directly because of all the competition that it now has from stores south of the mall. All the new strip malls are not good for business. Plus the fact that Columbia Mall hasn't been a real destination for a while. bah.
The mall business has evolved:
enclosed regional malls were "the" shopping destination in the '70's and '80's.
Big box superstores changed that in the '90's.
Now the rage is the lifestyle malls, which are suburban with a downtown drive-up feel. The retail at the Urban Plains development supposedly will be of this type. With this type development, you can get in and out of the store more quickly than at a regional mall or superstore. It's actually like going back to downtown environments without the parking hassles.
Yep bridgets was right next to target. ahhh....brings back the childhood into teenage years memories. Columbia mall bring back your awesomeness!
Bridget's was indeed next to Target, but it moved there from the centre of the mall when a jewelry store took their space. They had way too much space for an ice cream store in the old location.
Wendy's would be a good example of "can't make it in the mall, can make it outside" -- also at the end of the Target wing was Wendy's, and it did a fair amount of business until the day it closed. Don't know why they left, but given that Ken Towers is still around, I'd guess the mall rent was a bit much. He built the new one over by Menards a few years later and seems to be doing fine.
Dale, is correct...Bridget's used to be located right in center court. The old space is currently the Riddle's store. They probably moved next to Target in the late 80s. Even as a kid, I remember thinking that the center court location was huge for an ice cream shop.
Does anybody else remember how virtually every store used to have a wood front? They got rid of most of it in the late 80s. I think the only spots that still have the old wood fronts are the Royal Fork and the golf store.
Didn't the ice cream shop take the spot of the famous Nut House? (What a concept)
Thanks for the old commercial, I remember seeing that one.
All the stores used to have the wood fronts to be 'consistent'. I seem to remember from back then that there was a few stores that complained about it, but the mall management didn't want to changed. But eventually they gave ground. It was interesting for a while because you could tell which stores were new or had remodeled.
And yes, I remember Bridgeman's in the center court with that nice long glass ice cream freezer.
GJB
-who used to work at the Circus arcade...
I loved seeing the old commercial and have similar memories. I have to say though, Columbia Mall could use some new signage. It hasn't changed since this commercial aired.
Tower's partner, Dave Rubin, was the guiding (or misguided) light of the Columbia Mall Wendy's, if memory serves me well.
wow....you guys remember where the ice cream store was before it was next to target. Damn I feel young! Woohoo for 25!!
"wow....you guys remember where the ice cream store was before it was next to target. Damn I feel young! Woohoo for 25!!" - Beth
Beth, the ice cream store's center court location was around until the mid to late 80s. You're not really any younger than me and I remember the center court location pretty well. Then again, I do have a pretty good memory. I can clearly remember my whole family going to a movie that was out when I was about two and a half.
Wow! You could make alot of money with a memory like that....!
I seem to remember there being a hotdog place where Knights Formal is now across from where Orange Julius was. It may not have lasted long, because I remember it having a kind of "disco" look to the place. I was probably 3 when the mall opened, so my memory is kind of cloudy.
Yeah, I think the Royal Trough still has the wood front. Never did put any money back into that place. Now there's Golden Corral and...
I remember when they had the seating/visiting areas that were sort of "below ground"...little circles surrounded by stairs. I used to love to play in those. Fun.
any changes coming ?
Post a Comment