After 50 years, The Village, also known as the Orange Mall, a symbol of retail nostalgia and a cherished landmark for the community will be closing it’s doors on January 31, 2024. For decades, it had been a destination for shoppers seeking everything from the latest fashion trends to household essentials. But as time marched on, change was inevitable, and the Orange Mall faced its own transformation.

Now the the investment group managing the property, TRC Retail, has announced that the interior portion of the mall will be closing with plans to demolish the interior portion of the existing mall. The larger exterior stores such as Sprouts, Walmart, Home Goods, Trader Joe’s, Red Robin and Buffalo Wild Wings will remain open. TRC has not announced future plans for the site.
However, TRC is not the only property owner at the former Orange Mall site. Integral Communities owns the former JC Penney building, and is currently seeking city approval to demolish the building and replace it with condos and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The Sears building is also a separately owned by another by company called Transformco. No plans for the Sears building have been announced.
The Village at Orange
Address: 1500 East Village Way, Orange, CA 92865
Phone: 714.998.1521

The Village Merchants
Note: List of all exterior and interior stores. Only interior portion of mall stores will be closing.
APPAREL & JEWELRY
- Bono Spera
- Daniel’s Jewelers
- Don Roberto Jewelers
- Fashion Boomy
- J & C Creative Designs
- Milano Shoes
- NXT Outlet
- Suit Zone
- Weiman Shoes
DEPARTMENT STORES & SPECIAL INTEREST
- Cell Planet
- Fiesta Center
- H&D Toy World
- HomeGoods
- JR Personalized Gifts
- Party City
- Paul’s Products
- PetSmart
- Piano Empire
- Play & Parties
- Ross Dress for Less
- Starlight Union
- Walmart
ELECTRONICS & TECHNOLOLOGY
- Cell Planet
- Phone Logistics
- T-Mobile
- Verizon Wireless
HEALTH & BEAUTY
- 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport
- Abi Nail Spa
- Acupuncture
- Bath & Body Works
- CVS Pharmacy
- Ganesa Threading and Beauty
- The Lash Lounge
- Oriental Relaxation Station
- Orangetheory Fitness
- Sam Kay Fragrances
- QT Nails & Spa
- Ulta Beauty
RESTAURANTS, SPECIALTY FOODS & GROCERY
- Annie’s Pretzels
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Crumbl
- Fil-Am BBQ Grill
- Hotties Fried Chicken
- Jamba Juice
- Noodles & Company
- Olive Garden Italian Kitchen
- Panda Express
- Panera Bread
- Poke to the Moon
- Red Robin
- RK Indian Food
- Rubio’s Baja Grill
- See’s Candies
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- The Habit Burger Grill
- Trader Joe’s
- Yogurtland
SERVICES
- Marine Recruiting Office
- Walmart Vision Center
- Walmart Pharmacy
Orange Mall History
The Orange Mall, now known as the The Village, located in Orange, California, has a rich history dating back to its establishment in the early 1970s. Here’s a brief overview of its history:
A standalone Sears store first opened its doors at the Tustin at Meats location in 1967.
In 1970, there were plans to expand the site by adding a mall adjacent to Sears. This new shopping center, situated on a 63-acre plot, was set to cost $30 million and was named the Orange Mall. The Broadway store would encompass 167,500 sq. ft., Sears would occupy 273,500 sq. ft., and the mall’s overall size would reach 900,000 sq. ft., accommodating 80 retail stores and offering parking space for 4,700 cars. Remarkably, it became the first mall in Southern California with wall-to-wall carpeting. The Orange Mall officially opened its doors on August 16, 1971.
The AMC Orange Mall 6 Theater opened on December 16, 1971 and was billed as the West Coast’s first six-screen complex. The 1800 seats at the Orange theatre, which was situated in a separate building outside the mall, were divided among rectangular auditoriums. The theater closed it’s doors for the last time on April 20, 1997.
In 1977, Woolworth’s closed its store, which was subsequently replaced by a smaller JCPenney store.
The Broadway store shut down in 1996 due to the chain’s acquisition by Macy’s, and the site was eventually replaced by a Walmart. In 2003, the shopping center underwent a comprehensive $57 million renovation. The surrounding area boasted a densely populated trade area, with over 1.6 million residents living within a 10-mile (16 km) radius.
In July 2009, a Sprouts Farmers Market store opened, taking the place of the Linens ‘n Things store, which had closed as part of the chain’s nationwide store closures.
In 2013, Vestar purchased the mall from Passco Real Estate Enterprises and $30 million in renovation work commenced in 2015.
On March 17, 2017, it was announced that JCPenney would be closing its doors as part of a plan to shut down 138 stores nationwide. The store officially closed on July 31, 2017.
Then, on January 29, 2021, Sears also announced its closure on April 18, 2021, as part of a plan to shut down 23 stores nationwide. This left Walmart as the sole remaining traditional anchor store, marking the end of Sears as the last original anchor in the mall.
For many people growing up the Orange Mall was the place to be in the 1970s through 1990s where people cruised the malls and hung out on Friday and Saturday nights at the movie theaters. Some of the former establishments include Hickory Farms, Russo’s pet store, Broadway Department Store, Woolworth’s, Sweats n Surf, Ticketron/Ticketmaster, AMC Orange Mall 6 Theater (pictures), B. Dalton, Spencer’s, Richman Brothers, Whimsy Works, Tinderbox, Cracker Barrell, Carl’s Jr., Ecco’s Pizza, Parasol Restaurant, and a candy counter and arcade in the Sears basement. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour was also located across the street.