Open In the Open

What Do You Think You're Looking At? #80

Today we’re at the Fair Lakes Shopping Center, in suburban Fairfax, Virginia:

Well, this is what it looks like, other than the fact that Uniqlo is not the first tenant in this strip-mall space. But there’s nothing particularly interesting about the previous tenants.

What’s interesting is that it’s a strip-mall space.

According to a local news story from late September, the chain “opened its first location in an open-air mall at Fair Lakes Shopping Center” on the day of publication. Despite its U.S. locations being located exclusively in large indoor malls, with the exception of this new location, Uniqlo apparently began differently in its home country of Japan:

Masahiko [the chain’s North American marketing director] said the Fair Lakes location offers conveniences similar to Uniqlo’s original location in Japan, where it was built as a roadside store.

“Fair Lakes Center offers a similar convenience, as well as a real sense of community where people can live, work, and gather,” Masahiko said. “As our first store opening following the pandemic, we’re proud to be bringing people back together again at a location that resonates so well with the brand.”

I was at this shopping center last month, and I actually stopped and though, “Huh, a Uniqlo in a strip mall? If that’s actually the first one, I can write about it!”

I don’t think there’s much of a bigger story here—e.g. the end of the indoor mall, or some such—but it is interesting to see a strip plaza grab a rare and sort of “prestige” store (Uniqlo is basically a discount clothing store, but it’s what you might call upscale discount).

Bonus: in the same strip, there’s this repainted former Toys ‘R’ Us:

And there’s also this very cool chain woodworking and lumber store:

I don’t know if the property manager courted these less common stores, or if they approached the management, but there is a pretty interesting mix of typical and less typical stores here.

If only the land use were better!

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Related Reading:

Secondhand Supermarkets

Suburban Archaeology

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