Hawley Lane Mall

Hawley Lane Mall is a shopping mall in Trumbull, Connecticut, United States. The property is situated near Exit 5 of Route 8 and Exits 33 and 34 of the Merritt Parkway, giving it access to the Bridgeport-area suburban market. It is one of two malls located in Trumbull, the other being Trumbull Mall. The center serves as a general-purpose retail destination rather than as a narrowly specialized shopping complex, combining department-store, discount, home-goods, electronics, supermarket, apparel, and other consumer-oriented uses over its history. The mall opened in 1971 with Caldor and Waldbaum's as its original anchor tenants. Caldor operated a distinctive two-story store equipped with belt escalators, while Waldbaum's provided supermarket traffic. Smaller retailers also occupied the center, including B. Dalton Booksellers and Hawley Lane Shoes. In 1982, the property expanded its retail offer with a new upper level that brought in Sage-Allen as a third anchor. This expansion reflected the mall's early effort to broaden its tenant mix and increase its role as a regional shopping destination. Hawley Lane Mall faced increasing competitive pressure in the late 1980s and early 1990s as nearby Milford Crossroads and Trumbull Shopping Park expanded. The resulting changes in the local retail landscape reduced the property's profitability. Sage-Allen ceased operating in 1993 and became part of Filene's; Filene's subsequently closed its Hawley Lane location to avoid competition with larger stores in Milford and Trumbull. Steinbach later occupied the former space from approximately 1997 to 1999, but that retailer also entered bankruptcy. Caldor filed for bankruptcy in 1999, and Waldbaum's exited Connecticut after closing its stores. These tenant failures left Hawley Lane Mall without its former anchor lineup. A major repositioning followed the property's acquisition by National Realty and Development Corp. The firm invested approximately $8 million in a comprehensive refurbishment in 2005 and rebuilt the tenant base around larger, more durable national retailers. Kohl's was added, followed by HomeGoods, Target, and Best Buy. Target broke ground in late 2004 for a 124,500-square-foot store, a building that represented roughly one-quarter of the mall's total size. These additions shifted the center away from its earlier department-store and supermarket identity toward a big-box and value-oriented retail model. The tenant mix continued to change in the 2020s. HomeGoods announced in October 2023 that it would relocate to a former Bed Bath & Beyond site in Shelton, Connecticut, and the new location opened on October 26, 2023. In March 2024, Ross Dress for Less was announced as the prospective replacement for HomeGoods in the Hawley Lane Mall space. The Ross store opened in 2025 and was described as the chain's first Connecticut location. The current anchor lineup includes Best Buy, Kohl's, and Target, with Ross representing a further expansion of the center's discount-apparel and off-price retail offer. Public transportation is available through the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority, and taxi service also serves the property.

Hawley Lane Mall opened in 1971 in Trumbull, Connecticut, near major regional road connections including Route 8 and the Merritt Parkway. Its first anchor tenants were Caldor and Waldbaum's. Caldor's store had a two-story format and belt escalators, while Waldbaum's supplied supermarket traffic. The early tenant roster also included smaller specialty businesses such as B. Dalton Booksellers and Hawley Lane Shoes. The center added a new upper level in 1982, and Sage-Allen became a third anchor. The expansion gave the mall a broader department-store profile, but the property later encountered increasing competition from expanded shopping centers in nearby Milford and Trumbull. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, this competitive environment had weakened the mall's profitability. Sage-Allen left the property in 1993 and became part of Filene's. Filene's then closed the Hawley Lane store because it already operated larger locations in Milford and Trumbull. Steinbach occupied the former Sage-Allen space from approximately 1997 until 1999, when it entered bankruptcy. Caldor also went bankrupt in 1999, while Waldbaum's closed its Connecticut stores and left the state. The simultaneous departures removed all of Hawley Lane Mall's major anchors. The property entered a new phase after National Realty and Development Corp. acquired it. The firm carried out an approximately $8 million renovation in 2005 and sought to rebuild the center around national big-box retailers. Kohl's was added, followed by HomeGoods, Target, and Best Buy. Target's project broke ground in late 2004 and produced a 124,500-square-foot store, equivalent to about one-quarter of the mall's total area. This redevelopment replaced the earlier department-store and supermarket-centered model with a more diversified large-format retail strategy. In the 2020s, tenant changes continued. HomeGoods announced in October 2023 that it would move to a former Bed Bath & Beyond property in Shelton; that store opened on October 26, 2023. Ross Dress for Less was announced in March 2024 as the replacement tenant for the former HomeGoods space. Ross opened in 2025, marking its first Connecticut location. The mall's current principal anchors are Best Buy, Kohl's, and Target, while Ross adds an off-price apparel and general-merchandise component. Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority buses and taxi service provide transportation access.

• 2025

  Ross Dress for Less opens

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Ross opened in the former HomeGoods space, establishing the chain's first Connecticut location.

• 2023

  HomeGoods relocation announced

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  HomeGoods announced its move to Shelton, with the replacement store opening on October 26.

• 2005

  National Realty and Development Corp. renovates the mall

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  National Realty and Development Corp. completed an approximately $8 million property-wide refit and added a new national-retailer tenant strategy.

• 2004

  Target project breaks ground

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Construction began on a 124,500-square-foot Target store at the mall.

• 1999

  Former anchor lineup collapses

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Steinbach and Caldor entered bankruptcy, while Waldbaum's closed its Connecticut stores, leaving the mall without anchor tenants.

• 1993

  Sage-Allen leaves the property

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Following Sage-Allen's business combination with Filene's, the Hawley Lane store was closed.

• 1982

  Upper-level expansion adds Sage-Allen

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A new upper level was added to the mall, and Sage-Allen became a third anchor tenant.

• 1971

  Mall opens with Caldor and Waldbaum's

  [1]Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Hawley Lane Mall opened in Trumbull with Caldor and Waldbaum's as its two anchor tenants.

A suburban, highway-accessible shopping center built around large national retailers, value-oriented shopping, general merchandise, electronics, apparel, and home-related categories.

• Consumer electronics

  Best Buy

  A major electronics anchor offering computing products, televisions, appliances, mobile technology, entertainment hardware, accessories, and related services. Best Buy is one of the mall's current anchor stores.

• Department store

  Kohl's

  A national department-store anchor carrying apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, beauty products, and general merchandise. Kohl's was part of the post-2005 redevelopment strategy.

• General merchandise · 2004

  Target

  A large-format general-merchandise store combining household goods, apparel, groceries, electronics, health and beauty products, and seasonal merchandise. Its 124,500-square-foot store is one of the mall's principal anchors.

• Off-price retail · 2025

  Ross Dress for Less

  An off-price retailer focused on discounted apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, and general merchandise. The Hawley Lane Mall store opened in 2025 in the former HomeGoods space and was the chain's first Connecticut location.

• Home furnishings

  HomeGoods

  A home-goods anchor specializing in furniture, décor, kitchen products, textiles, and other household merchandise. It was added after the mall's 2005 redevelopment and later relocated to Shelton.

• 2024

  Ross selected for former HomeGoods spaceProduct launch

  Background

  Following HomeGoods' relocation, the mall needed a replacement tenant for a major retail space.

  Action taken

  Ross Dress for Less was announced as the incoming tenant in March 2024.

  Aftermath

  Ross opened in 2025 and became the retailer's first Connecticut location, adding an off-price apparel and general-merchandise offer to the mall.

  Source

• 2023

  HomeGoods relocationStrategy

  Background

  HomeGoods announced that it would leave Hawley Lane Mall for a new Shelton location in a former Bed Bath & Beyond store.

  Action taken

  The retailer opened its Shelton replacement store on October 26, 2023, creating a vacancy at Hawley Lane Mall.

  Aftermath

  The former HomeGoods space was subsequently designated for Ross Dress for Less.

  Source

• 2005

  Repositioning around national big-box retailersStrategy

  Background

  The mall had lost its historic anchor tenants after the departures or bankruptcies of Sage-Allen, Filene's, Steinbach, Caldor, and Waldbaum's, while nearby shopping centers increased competitive pressure.

  Action taken

  National Realty and Development Corp. undertook a property-wide renovation and added Kohl's, HomeGoods, Target, and Best Buy to rebuild the center's anchor base.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment shifted Hawley Lane Mall toward a large-format, value-oriented retail model and restored a lineup of nationally recognized anchor stores.

  Renovation investment. $8 million (2005)

  Source

1. 1Hawley Lane Mallen.wikipedia.org