3 stores announce closures at Towson Town Center

Three stores say they won't be doing business at the Towson Town Center Mall anymore.  

Tommy Bahama, Banana Republic, and Wockenfuss Candies all recently closed or will close later this month. This comes after a string of violent incidents at the mall. WJZ confirmed Tommy Bahama closed its doors last week.

Banana Republic says it is closing its location by the end of this month and is working to place employees at another nearby location.

Wockenfuss Candies posted on social media that closing its store in the mall earlier this week was a difficult decision. It encourages customers to visit its location in Parkville.

The stores have not confirmed why they are closing.

How will the store closures impact the mall?

Some shoppers told WJZ they aren't sure what to make of the future of the mall.

One shopper said she was in the mall recently and heard even more stores could soon shutter.

"It's a bummer. I mean, it's not the greatest mall to begin with, and now losing those stores," said shopper Peggy Tomick. "She [a J Crew employee] said that they raised the rent, which is really unfortunate. I guess it's not a very prosperous mall, and now with higher rent, it's going to be hard to keep a lot of the stores around."

Shoppers said they are worried about the mall's future and the impact on the local economy.

"I think it's going to be a big impact financially, because you're going to lose a lot of foot traffic, so you're going to lose a lot of people who go to those stores. It's also going to affect other stores, and, of course, the food court," shopper Sabrina Pitchford-Gorman said.

"You see different parts of the area that are being built up and done well. I don't know what's wrong," Tomick said. "I don't know why they can't figure it out in Towson."

Safety concerns at Towson Town Center

Other shoppers say ongoing safety concerns could be a reason the stores are packing their bags.

"I've been going there for 20 years, so I've seen stores come. I see stores go, but because of theft and crime in the mall, it makes it bad. Where do we shop now?" shopper Sabrina Pitchford-Gorman said. "I've seen them [teens] grab people's bags or snatch phones or interrupt your lunch, so that makes it uncomfortable to shop."

These closures come after four teens were arrested, including one charged as an adult with attempted murder in a stabbing in November. A man was also charged after allegedly stabbing a woman in the mall's parking lot in October.

"I wouldn't go there by myself late at night or anything, but during the day I feel fine," Tomick said. "I live right nearby, so I still like to think of this as a safe place."