Headline: Marlton Pike Watch — Cherry Hill Mall Gets a New Athletic Anchor as Torrid and Michael Kors Step Down
By Ari Williams — 295Times.com
If you drive I‑295 through Camden County, the Marlton Pike corridor is one of those stretches you check for new construction and new storefronts — and Cherry Hill Mall is once again sending signals that the retail landscape there is changing. Recent photos and on‑site observation show steel rising for a new Dick’s House of Sport at the mall, while two fashion names — Torrid and Michael Kors — have quietly closed their Cherry Hill Mall doors.
Where this is happening
Cherry Hill Mall sits along the Route 70/Marlton Pike corridor in Cherry Hill Township (Camden County), a short drive from the highway for commuters and shoppers off I‑295. The mall has long been a regional draw for residents across South Jersey, and what happens there ripples across nearby shopping strips, restaurants, and service businesses that depend on mall traffic.
What’s being built: Dick’s House of Sport
Anyone watching mall redevelopment trends knows experience‑driven retail is the play right now. Dick’s Sporting Goods’ “House of Sport” format is built around that idea: bigger footprints, interactive zones, and programming that goes beyond selling gear. Typical features in House of Sport stores include simulated golf or batting cages, skills‑training areas, and expanded footwear and team sports sections — all designed to create reasons for shoppers to stay longer and visit more often.
The construction at Cherry Hill Mall — visible from Marlton Pike and mapped on Google Maps as part of the mall grounds — signals the landlord is leaning into that experiential strategy to keep the property relevant. For Marlton Pike, an in‑town, auto‑centric corridor, an active sporting‑goods anchor could bring more daytime families, leagues, and weekend traffic than a typical apparel shop.
Why it matters to the community and nearby businesses
– Foot traffic and customer mix: A House of Sport tends to attract families, youth sports teams, and recreational athletes. That brings different customer patterns than fashion boutiques do — more parking turnover for short stays and increased demand for nearby casual dining and quick‑service restaurants.
– Synergies with local businesses: Independent fitness studios, pro shops, and sporting fields nearby could see spillover from events or clinics hosted at the new space. Conversely, restaurants along Marlton Pike could pick up more dinner and takeout business tied to late‑afternoon practices and weekend events.
– Transportation and infrastructure: More activity means more cars. Marlton Pike (Route 70) already handles heavy local and regional traffic; the addition of a larger experiential store may prompt changes in signal timing, lot circulation, or temporary construction impacts that commuters using I‑295 exits into Cherry Hill should watch for.
– Property and market signaling: Replacing traditional retail with an experience venue is a pattern we’ve seen in mall markets across New Jersey. Local outlet lists and regional stories on sites like NJ.com and Patch have documented similar shifts as malls rethink tenant mixes to compete with online shopping.
Closures: Torrid and Michael Kors
Two familiar mall names — Torrid (a plus‑size fashion chain) and Michael Kors (a global fashion brand) — are no longer listed at the Cherry Hill Mall directory and storefronts show they’ve closed. Shoppers on Yelp and on community forums have noted the closures with a mix of disappointment and resignation: for some, a favorite fitting‑room stop is gone; for others, the loss confirms that fashion retailers are consolidating stores or reworking footprints to focus on outlets and online.
Closures like these are not unique to Cherry Hill. Market forces — rent costs, shifting consumer habits, and the pivot to experiences — are prompting many malls to swap fashion boutiques for entertainment, fitness, and dining options that create steady draw.
Community reaction and sentiment
Online review platforms like Yelp show shoppers often view the Dick’s brand positively for selection and service; other community posts express nostalgia for the mall’s fashion past. For Cherry Hill residents and those who use the I‑295 exits to get onto Marlton Pike, the change is a practical one: some stores you relied on are gone, but new ones could mean different conveniences — and new crowds — in return.
What to watch next
– Construction timeline: Keep an eye on local updates and the mall directory for an official opening date for Dick’s House of Sport. Expect phased work that may intermittently affect parking and access from Marlton Pike.
– Traffic patterns: Commuters using I‑295 exits into Cherry Hill may notice changes in rush‑hour flows as the new tenant ramps up. Local traffic planning agencies and the township may adjust signals or signage in response.
– Tenant strategy: Will the mall bring in more experiential or service‑oriented tenants to complement Dick’s? Or will the center pursue off‑price and dining options to fill vacated fashion spaces? Those choices will shape shopping patterns for years.
Why this story matters for I‑295 drivers and Cherry Hill residents
Cherry Hill Mall isn’t just a shopping spot; it’s a transportation node and community hub. Changes at the mall influence where parents take kids for activities, where people stop for dinner after an interstate commute, and how traffic flows onto Marlton Pike. For residents of Cherry Hill Township and neighbors in Camden County, the rise of Dick’s House of Sport and the departure of Torrid and Michael Kors are part of a broader evolution — malls becoming mixed‑use, experience‑first places that must serve local daily life as much as regional retail demand.
I’ll keep watching Marlton Pike and reporting what these shifts mean for traffic, local business mix, and the daily rhythms of Cherry Hill. If you drive that exit of I‑295 often, this is one redevelopment you’ll likely notice — on the road and in your shopping patterns.
Sources and local context: visual confirmation of construction and storefront changes are visible on-site and on Google Maps; regional retail trends and mall redevelopment have been covered by outlets like NJ.com and Patch; community sentiment can be found in reviews and discussions on Yelp and local social feeds.
