In ancient times, this was the old Lancaster Mall (#1). My fond memories of being here as a…read moreyoungster have come full circle, as I came back here recently to see it as the semi-newly branded Willamette Town Center. If this is Lancaster Mall 2.0, it looks the part. The feel on the other hand, is a whole 'nother story. Willamette Town Center got hit pretty hard by the pandemic. Minus the clean, super bright, and modern digs, it is on the verge of becoming a dead mall. There are empty storefronts, almost zero activity on a weekend, and one of the saddest food courts I've seen in a mall. What was once a bustling place of Salem's retail seekers, has become a shell of itself. The only things filling up the parking lot are the stores directly outside of the mall. This place needed a facelift decades ago, but it seems the renovation came just a little too late. Timing is never good and even as Salem changes, it stays the same in many ways. One positive note: I was initially sad to see the Orange Julius location replaced by Burlington Coat Factory (#2) but realized it simply moved to the food court. It really has been the mall's most constant business. (#3) _____________ (#1) Lancaster Mall: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lancaster-mall-salem (#2) Burlington Coat Factory: https://www.yelp.com/biz/burlington-coat-factory-salem (#3) Orange Julius: https://www.yelp.com/biz/orange-julius-salem?hrid=6RdTLR3md6dXaKrLyunrGQ

You may know this center as where Lancaster Mall used to be- thankfully it's gotten a nice influx…read moreof popular shops like Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, DSW, and Ulta to make this a shopping destination once again. In the actual "mall" area you have Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, and other mainstream shops- in the center's map they also list the neighboring businesses like McGrath's Fish House and the DMV. While it's not a huge mall, it does have some great anchor stores and nearby conveniences (Target is across the street!) that it's an ideal spot to get your shop on. They had a very nice Christmas tree on display and parking is free and easy. Do remember to bring your reusable bags or pay 5 cents per bag (new law). Glad to see they are adding new stores and keeping up with the retail trends.

Sleepy mall that has a small food court with some fantastic pizza at Cadillac Grill, Crazy Fruit…read morethat has some crazy concoctions, and Chinese and Sushi options. There's Ross in the mall with some great finds for every thing you need at home. They didn't have any major mainstream stores but they had a GameStop, Bath& Body Works, Hot Topic, Journeys.

If it is a poor weather day, this is a good place for a little dry exercise while (window)…read moreshopping. The mall lost an adjacent JCPenney and is losing the adjacent Macy's. However, the Kohl's in the center had customers and employees with a clean and neat shopping experience. Now that JCPenney (and long before that, Liberty House) is gone, the "Marion Parkade" near Kohl's and cinnebarre became more popular due to its skybridge right into Kohl's. It was still easy to park and all kinds of cars are parked here. I felt very safe leaving my vehicle. If one parks in the other free downtown garage, you will be in for a short outdoor walk to enter the center. Today the food court was busy and a new Italian restaurant is coming soon to the first level where Honey baked Ham was. There are two large arcades on the second level. If you want to visit some local shops or Ross, those are here too. Many mall employees were on duty during my visit for security and housekeeping. Definitely still a mall for teens & early 20somethings. An older customer might find more interesting stuff walking south into downtown Salem's streets.

Wasn't very big and the selection was thin. Some of the vendors had new items. Just wasn't the…read morespace I was hoping for. Very friendly staff though.

This is a great store to find a unique gift for yourself or a friend. So much to choose from. You…read morecould spend quite a while browsing through great lay out of the store. The staff is very friend yet not pushy at all. I recently took a card making class there that was so fun and a great value!

When I see the people didn't say hi or anything service was really bad when I see they give me a…read morebad eye look rolling their eyes not cool Customer Service here but select selected. I hate it so much. It's pretty annoying. When I go look around they see me they roll the eyes at me so please do not come to Nordstrom rack never again.

Brought my youngest for the first time and it was great. It was bright and clean with nice cold AC…read moreduring a hot day. The staff was helpful and they had plenty of stock without being messy. Great location.

Really cool, very welcoming. Walked in and there was a movie playing. Some really cool historical…read morewall art, a variety of shops to either just look at or buy a trinket from. Lots of seating area for hanging out in the underworld.

Great local shops & a fun atmosphere! I love to grab a coffee at Caffé Capri and catching a…read morefootball game on the big screen in the underground.

Visited in Oregon for vacation from California. Our boots got wet the previous day. We saw this…read morebuilding store when head over to the electronic store next door. We wanted to check it out... BINGO! This is what we needed for our next hiking trip we navigated through every aisle within men sections we fell in love with these items at bargain prices. This store is a sisters store to some bargain stores such as Ross, HomeGoods, and Marshall's and more. I wish Sierra would have one over here in Los Angeles because i never see anything before.

I love Sierra so it is sad I had to write this. I went to Salem and there were multiple people in…read morethere without a mask. No one cared, even when they were checked out with purchases by employees. We went back in after leaving and were directed to the assistant manager. We let them know that the front door has posted signs saying that it is expected that all customers wear masks for the safety of employees and fellow customers. Her response was corporate has instructed them not intervene or push the issue as they don't want to lose customers. I spent hundreds of dollars in that single visit so what if I chose to leave due to people not wearing masks? It seems like a double edged policy. By not choosing one side, you may alienate the other. Beyond this cash grab policy, it is against Oregon law. Also, that sign says "we care about our customers" but they obviously don't care as much as whoever may bring the next sale. Everyone offers specific times where the more vulnerable can shop so I don't know why they choose not to enforce the law. They have people at the front of every store but not one thing was said to the people who chose to enter without a mask. I hope they fix this very strange policy to have in the times of COVID as I would like to come back to shopping here. Their deals are good but not enough to risk mine or my families life.

Never knew there was an REI here! The store was clean & the staff was friendly, multiple people…read morechecked in on us to see if we needed any help. Great selection of bags!

It was my first time coming into REI, i went in to buy shoes and the sales associate Nate from the…read moreshoe department was so so nice !! He helped me find the right shoes and even though he was quite busy with other customers, he still manage to find what people are looking for and was so kind!! The cashier lady in the other hand.... Abigail wasn't so nice. She asked if I was a member for REI, and I said no since of course it's my first time. She then went on to explain the benefits and I kindly declined. Although the membership is such a steal, I had to pay $30 on top of what I'm buying and at the moment right now I'm low on money, I get paid till next week and was only here to buy shoes for tomorrow's hike with my leftover money that I had!! When I kindly declined she continues to tell me again about the benefits. When I declined again her whole face dropped and bluntly said "okay" and ringed me out. Her whole demeanor changed and I honestly did not like that. I worked as a cashier and I know the struggles of trying to have people sign up for certain things, but it never leads me to being rude against them or changing my demeanor. I know for sure next time I'll sign up but at the moment I literally can't.