SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Amazon’s plans for a new addition to the Destiny USA Mall combining internet shopping with a brick-and-mortar store have been called off.
Destiny is losing out because Amazon plans to close all of its 4-Star stores, and Books and Pop Up shops to focus on Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Go, Amazon Style Stores and its Just Walk Out technology, according to a statement made in March.
The Amazon 4-Star store would have been replacing the Microsoft Store on the second floor in the center atrium.
The mall had looked forward to the new addition and it was not an easy process. General Manager of Destiny USA, Robert Schoeneck, blamed the pandemic for delaying plans.
“So the lease negotiation started, [and] kind of got a little sidetracked when we shut down back in March of 2020 with COVID-19, but they got back on track, [and] got a lease finalized,” Schoeneck said. “Amazon was a little unique in the fact that I think they knew the lease was going to get done because their architect and their design team had plans ready, almost before the lease got finalized.”
But all of that was scrapped with Amazon’s new plans.
The Amazon 4-Star stores were able to sell anything on its website that had a four-star rating or higher. It was supposed to make online shopping easier, but apparently COVID-19 changed that because stores everywhere were closed.
“You can return something to the store that you bought online that was delivered to your house,” Schoeneck said. “You’ll also be able to order online and pick it up in the store if you don’t want to have it delivered to your house.”
Other retail stores in the mall were optimistic about the attention the new addition would have brought to the collection.
“I think it will probably be a great advantage and you know bring in more customers to Destiny USA,” said Unique Graves, a sales associate at Champs retail store in the mall. Graves was optimistic back in February.
Before Amazon cancelled its plans, Schoeneck said that the store was scheduled to open in the first few weeks of April.
