Another business has closed at Chambersburg Mall
Another business has left Chambersburg Mall.
Platinum Fitness closed at the end of the day Wednesday, the mall posted on its Facebook page.
Gym members who already paid their membership for the month can work out at Alpha Fitness at 100 Sunset Blvd. West, Chambersburg, or at other Platinum Fitness locations in Carlisle, Hanover and Harrisburg.
Platinum Fitness was located in what most recently had been Gold's Gym, which moved to the mall in 2015 from its previous home in Southgate shopping center. The corner space the gyms occupied was once an arcade.
It was a neighbor to another just-closed store, Burlington. The store, which sells off-price apparel and home goods, closed in mid-January after just over 10 years at the mall.
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The closure of Burlington left an antique market as the mall's only anchor. Black Rose Antiques and Collectibles is located in the space that was once home to Sears, which closed in early 2015.
J.C. Penny followed just a few months later. Bon-Ton closed its doors in the summer of 2018.
AMC Theaters, American Eagle, Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret are among retailers that remain.
A number of factors have contributed to the struggle of the mall, located near Interstate 81 Exit 20 in Greene Township. They aren't new; U.S. News and World Report listed the mall on its "10 Most Endangered Malls" list in 2009.
The Chambersburg Mall is not alone when it comes to losing stores. Malls around the country have been struggling as consumers' shopping habits change and they increasingly look to online retailers. According Pew Research Center, about eight out of 10 Americans shop online, with 15 percent of those doing so on a weekly basis. USA TODAY cited online shopping as a reason that 30 percent of malls in the country could close during the next recession.
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Greene Township, where the mall is located, does not allow the sale of alcohol. Therefore, restaurants have little incentive to move in. Mike Ross, the president of Franklin County Area Development Corp., has pointed to this as an issue.
In addition, the mall has to compete with the retail center in the area of Norland Avenue and Walker Road, located just a few miles south on I-81, which has exploded in development over the past decade. "As Walker Road has evolved, the mall has devolved," Ross previously told Public Opinion.
Chambersburg Mall does have a number of special events planned in the coming weeks.
Bounce A Palooza, a bounce house festival, is planned noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 23-24 and March 23-24. Kids can jump for free. Vendors will also be set up 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
There will be a wellness event and makeover contest on March 2; an After "I Do" Wedding Garage Sale on March 31, and a Macaroni Kid Easter Party on April 14.
The 455,000-square-foot mall was built in 1982. The mall is owned by New York-based Mason Asset Management.