Mall at Fox Run

History

For many years, the Mall at Fox Run had four anchor department stores: Sears, J. C. Penney, Macy's (formerly Jordan Marsh), and Filene's. The Filene's brand was discontinued following the Federated and May merger. Fox Run was one of a small number of malls where the former Filene's (or Lord & Taylor) store was converted into a second Macy's store. The other malls that have done this are the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and the Northshore Mall in Peabody, Massachusetts.

In 2015, Sears Holdings spun off 235 of its properties, including the Sears at the Mall at Fox Run, into Seritage Growth Properties.

On October 15, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of its plan to close 142 stores nationwide. The space has been empty since 2019.

The mall was originally managed by JLL, and from 2011 through 2017 by Simon Properties. From January 1, 2018 until August 3, 2023, the mall was leased and managed by Spinoso Real Estate Group.

Since then, it has been acquired by Massachusetts-based property management group Torrington Properties for $17.5 million dollars. In addition to the mall, Torrington also owns the adjacent Newington Park Shopping Center, which they took ownership of in 2021. It was announced in February 2025 that JCPenney would be closing on May 25, 2025, leaving the two Macy's stores as the last anchors. That same year, Torrington announced that the mall will be demolished in 2026 to be redeveloped into a new commercial space called Seacoast Landing. Torrington has said that the plans for this redevelopment should cost around $500 million.

On January 8, 2026, Macy's announced that it would be closing as part of a plan to close 14 stores by the end of Q1 2026. This will leave the mall with no anchors, cementing its status as a dead mall.

Architecture and Layout

The Mall at Fox Run opened in 1983 and is an 82-acre property that followed the standard architectural look of the time . Some of its main architectural features included open floor layouts, a single-story design and a strategic placement of anchor stores at each end to draw customers attention. These original anchor stores were Lord & Taylor, J. C. Penney and Sears. The interior also includes numerous skylights all along the main walkway. This 1983-style design, popular in many malls of the era, intended to provide a feeling of light and openness for shoppers. The mall includes lots of wide indoor hallways that create a generous amount of space for shoppers. About three years ago, the mall undergone some changes, the children's play area was moved into the center court. This emphasized its role of that area as a gathering space along with an area to help guide shoppers through the mall.

Food Court

The food and dining sections are located in the center of the mall. The food court consisted of occupants such as Orange Julius, Roman Delight Pizza, Sarku Japan, the Pink Hippo Cafe and One Love cuisine. As of January 2026, Sarku Japan and Roman Delight Pizza remain the two sole restaurants operating until the mall’s final closure.

Demolition and Redevelopment

A report from October 2025 from the Portsmouth Herald said that the demolition of the 600,000 square foot Fox Run Mall is set to begin in the early to mid months of 2026. {{cite news

A September 2025 article in Business NH Magazine reported that small business owners inside the Mall at Fox Run were getting ready for the mall shut down, with their leases expiring in January 2026. The article looked into several small businesses within the mall including Fox Run Dance Hall and Studio, Sweet Josie’s Candy Shoppe, One Love Cuisine, Cottage Chic, Mugshots, and Pet Wants. Some of these businesses plan to relocate in places nearby like the Kittery Maine Outlet centers, or switch to fully online business models. Store owners noted how recent change in shopping like the rise online stores contributed to the decline of the malls success rate in recent time.{{cite news

Stores

, the Fox Run Mall Directory has this list of currently open stores:

• Aeropostale
• Art of Eyebrows Spa and Threading
• Bath and Body Works
• Battle Zone
• Cell Fashion
• Cycle Works
• Fox Run Dance
• Francesca's
• Let's Move
• Gen X Gaming
• Go! Calendars Toys and Games
• H&M
• Hot Topic
• Kay Jewelers
• LensCrafters
• Li Ming Art
• Lids
• Loft
• Luxury Vapes
• Macy's
• Men's Warehouse
• Mug Shots
• Nail Trix
• NL Community
• One Love Cuisine
• Pet Wants
• The Pink Hippo Cafe
• Port City Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• Portsmouth Team Building
• Roman Delight Pizza
• Sages Entertainment
• Sarku Japan
• Seacoast Cars and Coffee Cafe
• Sleep Number
• Spencer's
• Sunglass Hut
• Sweet Josie's Candy Shoppe
• The Makers Bazaar
• To The Nines
• Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt
• Upside Arts
• Watch Stop
• Wow Family Entertainment Center

References

References

1. Lacaillade, Josh. (2023-08-03). "New Hampshire mall has new owner".
2. "At Fox Run Mall {{!}} Seritage".
3. Cronin, Mike. (October 16, 2018). "Another NH Sears store to close after company declares bankruptcy".
4. "New management to take over Fox Run Mall". Seacoastonline.com.
5. (August 1, 2023). "Mall at Fox Run in Newington Sold".
6. "Portsmouth Herald".
7. Lenahan, Ian. (February 12, 2025). "JCPenney to close at Mall at Fox Run in Newington after $8 million sale". NH Business Review.
8. (2025-10-29). "Mall at Fox Run demolition and Seacoast Landing plans slowly emerging".
9. (January 8, 2026). "Macy's shrinking again with new round of store closings".
10. (2025-01-13). "Torrington Properties to develop Fox Run Mall Into mixed-use space". Montagne Powers.
11. (2021-11-13). "Mall at Fox Run Play Area Reopens". Seacoast Current.
12. "Dining Directory – Mall at Fox Run". Mall at Fox Run.
13. "Mall at Fox Run ::: Directory".