The Georgia website GAFollowers posted an article naming Statesboro Mall the worst mall in Georgia: http://www.gafollowers.com/10-worst-malls-georgia/.
Really? Is it that bad? I was in Statesboro, a small city a little over 3 hours east of Atlanta and about an hour west of Savannah, recently and had the opportunity to find out for myself. If this is the worst mall in Georgia, then Georgia is doing pretty well. I've seen malls in metro Atlanta that are in worse condition than this one. This mall is actually in good shape. It was clean, felt safe, and appeared to be decently maintained from signage to carpeting to lighting.
Where this mall falls short are its size and selection of retailers. Then again, this mall is located out in the country. In fact, folks from the surrounding rural areas come here to go to the mall.
Statesboro Mall is small. That's why it's nicknamed "The Small." According to the mall's official website (https://www.statesboromall.com/), it encompasses 262,000 square feet of space. One story. To give you a better idea, you can stand in the center of the mall, look 360 degrees around you, and see the entire thing. Here's a video I recorded of just that: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/statesboro-mall-statesboro?select_video=m2FpV3whGr1RZW6w50PTkg.
When we pulled up to the stoplight at Brannen and Lovett (on the backside of the mall), I pointed at JCPenney and asked my girlfriend, a Statesboro native, "Is *that* the mall?" She nodded and said, "Yep, that's the mall." I couldn't believe how small it was. And I thought the mall in my hometown was small (RIP, Oak Hollow Mall in High Point, North Carolina: 1995-2017).
Statesboro Mall is more like a hybrid shopping mall and shopping center. The enclosed indoor portion of the mall, what one would traditionally consider a shopping mall, is anchored by Belk, JCPenney, and a Bealls Outlet (first time I've heard of Bealls, a department store chain based out of Florida). The most notable or recognizable stores/brands inside included rue21, The Children's Place, Hallmark, Bath & Body Works, Kay Jewelers, and GNC. That's it.
There's a food court, but it's tiny with only three or four dining options. Some of them, such as Los Angeles Mexican Grill, looked like cheap knockoff joints.
The center of the mall currently showcases the Easter Bunny. Around the holidays, I think Santa Claus makes an appearance.
Outside, which is more like a strip mall or shopping plaza, there are more stores. Maybe Statesboro Mall decided to officially include these businesses in the mall directory to make the mall seem bigger than it really is. Outdoor retailers include a Sears Hometown Store (formerly Sears Dealer Store, smaller than a full-sized Sears), GameStop, Carmike movie theater, BI-LO grocery store, and Starbucks. The Carmike and Starbucks are located in their own separate standalone buildings.
The good news is if you can't find what you're looking for at this mall, there's a Walmart Supercenter right next door.
Compared to other American suburban shopping malls I've been to, Yelp's two-star descriptor, "Meh. I've experienced better.," sums up my impression of Statesboro Mall. It's not terrible and for a small city like Statesboro and the surrounding rural counties, it's certainly better than nothing. read more