The venerable New England music/video/lifestyle retailer that has operated since 1978 is shifting away from strip centers to mall locations. They have already moved into the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH and are said to be moving to the Maine Mall in South Portland, ME. A curious development for a sector whose profit margins are not known to support mall-level rents.
Here is a typical mall-based Newbury Comics storefront:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0TrLVYnrXms/S8iuLaVynyI/AAAAAAAAAa8/kVhAlStILrk/s1600/Newbury+Comics.jpg)
there is a Newbury Comics in the Providence Place Mall and it seems to be doing well.
There's also one at The Buckland Hills Mall The Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester, CT. They've been there for a few years.
Shows you what I know! I thought this was a new thing. I guess they're rolling this out over time as their old leases expire.
They moved their free standing store at the Square One Mall in Saugus, MA into the mall about a year ago.
They also moved their store in Hyannis into the Cape Cod Mall about a year ago as well.
Confirmation of the trend we've all observed, including some fascinating details courtesy of Mike Dreese himself:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/51382-newbury-comics---it--s-always-morph-or-die--.html