What’s Happening Now (2020s and Beyond)
The Mall at Fox Run entered the 2020s, facing a tough retail market.
Brick-and-mortar shopping had already been struggling, and the COVID-19 pandemic made things worse. Many malls saw declining foot traffic, and Fox Run was no exception.
Some retailers shut down permanently, while others reduced their store sizes or changed business models to rely more on online sales. The mall remained open, but vacancies became more noticeable.
In August 2023, a major ownership change took place. Massachusetts-based Torrington Properties purchased the mall for $17.5 million, acquiring it from Spinoso Real Estate Group.
Torrington had previously bought the neighboring Newington Park Shopping Center in 2021.
With control over both properties, the company hinted at redevelopment plans, though they have not yet shared a clear roadmap for the mall’s future.
In January 2025, Torrington Properties expanded its holdings by purchasing the JCPenney building within the mall for $8 million.
This acquisition completed their control over the entire mall complex. JCPenney announced it would be closing its Fox Run store on May 25, 2025.
This will leave the mall with only two anchor stores—Macy’s Men’s & Home and Macy’s Women’s. Losing JCPenney raises more questions about the mall’s future.
Vacant spaces have continued to increase, making some shoppers wonder whether the mall will remain a traditional retail center or transition into something else.
Some struggling malls across the country have been repurposed into mixed-use spaces featuring offices, residential units, or entertainment centers.
How the Mall at Fox Run Came to Be
In the early 1980s, Newington, New Hampshire, was due for a retail upgrade.
The Newington Mall, a small and aging shopping center, had served the area for years, but it was no longer enough to keep up with growing demand.
Developers saw an opportunity to bring a more modern shopping experience to the region, something that could pull in shoppers from beyond the immediate area.
Plans for a new mall took shape quickly, and construction began in 1982. By February 1983, the Mall at Fox Run opened its doors, introducing a one-level shopping center covering over 600,000 square feet.
The mall is located just off U.S. Route 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike (NH Route 16), making it easy to reach from nearby cities, including Portsmouth.
More importantly, it was just three miles from the Maine border. This put it in a prime position to attract out-of-state shoppers looking to take advantage of New Hampshire’s lack of sales tax.
Like the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua and the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, the Mall at Fox Run capitalized on tax-free shopping, drawing a steady stream of visitors from across state lines.
Retailers saw the potential, and the mall opened with a strong lineup of stores.
Its anchor tenants included Sears, JCPenney, Jordan Marsh, and Filene’s, giving shoppers a mix of fashion, home goods, and department store staples.
Smaller national brands and local retailers filled out the rest of the space, covering everything from clothing to electronics.
The mall’s early years were marked by steady foot traffic, with many considering it a welcome alternative to traveling farther for better shopping options.
The mall’s arrival put pressure on the existing Newington Mall, located right across the road.
With Mall at Fox Run offering larger, more updated retail spaces, many shoppers and businesses made the switch.
Over time, Newington Mall lost its appeal and was eventually repurposed into a big-box shopping center with stores like Best Buy and Walmart.
This left the Mall at Fox Run as the town’s primary indoor shopping destination, a role it held for decades.
For much of the 1980s, Mall at Fox Run maintained its status as a go-to shopping hub.
The mix of stores, tax-free pricing, and easy access made it a reliable stop for both everyday needs and bigger shopping trips.
Back then, things to do in Newington, NH, often included a visit to the mall, whether for browsing, holiday shopping, or grabbing a bite at the food court.
Its early success set the foundation for what would come next, shaping the mall’s role in the local economy and retail scene.
The Mall’s Best Years (1980s–1990s)
The Mall at Fox Run hit its stride during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s.
Shoppers filled the hallways, drawn by a strong mix of retailers, seasonal sales, and the convenience of tax-free shopping.
The anchor stores set the foundation, but the mall’s smaller shops played a huge role in keeping foot traffic steady.
National brands like The Gap, Foot Locker, and RadioShack attracted regular shoppers, while local businesses found a place in the mix, offering a variety of products and services.
During the holidays, the mall saw some of its busiest days. Black Friday and Christmas shopping pushed the parking lot to capacity, with customers searching for the best deals.
Back-to-school shopping in late summer was another major driver, bringing in families looking for clothes, shoes, and school supplies.
At the time, shopping centers like the Mall at Fox Run were the go-to spots for these purchases before online retail changed consumer habits.
Beyond shopping, the mall became a gathering place. People met up at the food court for lunch or spent weekends browsing stores to pass the time.
Seasonal events brought even more activity. Santa visits during the holidays and Halloween trick-or-treating events kept families engaged while retailers ran promotions to draw customers in.
By the mid-1990s, the mall had firmly established itself as a retail and social hub for Newington and the surrounding towns.
The Shift: Mergers, Closures, and Changing Retail (2000s–2010s)
The 2000s brought changes that started reshaping the mall. In 2006, a major corporate merger between Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores led to the rebranding of Filene’s as Macy’s.
This gave the Mall at Fox Run an unusual setup—two Macy’s locations, one focused on women’s fashion and the other on men’s and home goods.
Other changes followed. Competition from online shopping started affecting brick-and-mortar stores, and some national chains began closing locations.
Despite this, the mall held on through the late 2000s, though some smaller stores cycled out.
Management also changed hands. Simon Property Group took over operations in 2011, bringing updated leasing strategies and marketing campaigns.
By the mid-2010s, anchor store closures became harder to ignore. The biggest blow came from Sears. In 2015, Sears Holdings spun off many of its properties, including its Mall at Fox Run location, into Seritage Growth Properties.
The move was part of a broader shift for the struggling retailer, which was cutting stores across the country.
In 2018, Sears announced it would close 142 locations nationwide, including its location at Fox Run. The closure left a major vacancy, and the space has remained empty since 2019.
While the mall still had a mix of national chains and local retailers, the loss of a major anchor store like Sears made an impact.
By the end of the decade, questions about the mall’s long-term future started surfacing.
Ownership changed again in 2018 when Spinoso Real Estate Group took over leasing and management.
Though efforts were made to maintain the mall’s appeal, retail trends were shifting, and fewer people were making the mall a regular shopping destination.