A Most Unusual Mall

I once lived in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, as I mentioned the other day. It is home to Black Sheep Sporting Goods, a mecca for all things outdoorsy. At the time I lived there, Black Sheep was located along Highway 95. A rival corporation opened a store two blocks away by the then-new Costco, but didn't last. Black Sheep later moved their main retail operations into that building and turned their original location into a discount and overstocks outlet.

Fast forward to the present. It is no secret that shopping malls are in a slump. Sears was a common anchor store, as was JCPenney. Macy's is still hanging on, but Sears went broke pre-COVID, and Penny's is collapsing now. A year ago, the news broke that Black Sheep had bought the Silver Lake Mall. That seemed odd, but it makes a strange sort of sense now. Apparently the location near Costco was wanted for more parking, and rumor has it the structure will be demolished. This seems to have created an opportunity to build a new kind of mall.

When I visited the other day, there was still a measure of chaos in the old JCPenney location as it was transformed into an emporium of camping, fishing, and hunting supplies. The past two years of supply chain chaos and high demand for certain goods has been a strain on all such retailers. The big news when I visited was that there were no limits on ammunition purchases. Prices were certainly higher than pre-Biden, pre-COVID, pre-Imminent-War-With-Russia levels, but there were cases full of 9x19mm, .223/5.56mm, .308 Winchester, and .45ACP as of Monday at least. There were also primers, empty brass, and reloading tools to remanufacture cartridges yourself.

Other businesses in the mall include Jo-Ann Fabrics, Planet Fitness, the aforementioned Macy's, Life Is Good, a tabletop game shop, and various typical jewelry and teen fashion stores. The sea of camouflage in the main intersection is certainly an unusual sight, and I suspect that cutlery store in the background is the first of many specialty stores dedicated to different aspects of Black Sheep inventory which will grow into vacant storefronts as they continue moving in.

It may seem odd to see people walking around with metal ammo boxes in addition to colorful bags adorned with retail logos. Let me suggest not choosing this location for any assault-and-battery or robbery attempts. Half the people there probably have concealed weapons. You do not want sudden acute lead poisoning accompanied by springing a severe leak of that useful red juice that keeps you alive. However, if you need camping gear, fishing supplies, or a firearm for hunting or self-defense, this is the place to visit first. Maybe this will be the one mall which thrives as the economy collapses?