Footlocker closes but woodland mall is still okay Empty shelves, a manager, and one sales associate sporting the referee-like polo shirt were the only ones that stirred in the the Woodland Mall’s Footlocker. The athletic store saw its last business day on Tuesday. After their lease was up, and due to lack of business, they decided not to renew it.

When asked for the details of the stores closing, all the associate said was, “We’re not allowed to say nothin’. Do we have to play chirades?” as she laughed and gestured to the emptiness of the store.

According to Beth Genson, the mall manager, they were experiencing too much competition from Famous Footwear. But according to a Famous Footwear associate, the two shoe stores complimented each other.

“We took business from them, they took business from us,” Genson said.

There is negotiation going on to determine what will replace Footlocker, but what the new store will be and when it will open, remains undisclosed.

Genson is not aware if any other stores are in trouble, but when asked if the closing of Footlocker was an indication that the Woodland Mall was in trouble, her response was a flabbergasted, “Absolutely not!”

After J.C. Penney closed last summer, it seems to be becoming a trend that the mall’s stores are shutting down, but despite what looks to be lack of stores and vacant lots in the mall, it is still considered 91%filled store-wise per square footage.

Blair Huber, a senior at Bowling Green High School, working the customer service stand in the middle of the mall said the Woodland Mall doesn’t get very busy and the holidays are the busiest time of the year. Since the holidays are over, Huber, feels the cinema, X-cape and Professor Tinkers are the big attractions at the mall.

Adrian Mattson, senior, says that the mall is not as nice as others but is willing to make due.

“It’s all we have. It’s something us students at BG have to deal with unless we feel like making a twenty-five minute ride to Toledo. We don’t have much of a choice. We go there or drive thirty minutes up to Toledo and we can’t exactly dictate what kind of shops they are going to have inside,” Mattson said.

Aside from X-cape and Professor Tinkers, Cinema 5 and Waldenbooks are other popular locales among students.

“I see movies. Personally I like the theater and the book store, I like to read books. They need more clothing stores….hipper clothing stores,” Mattson said.