See bizarre photos of dead Hollister stores turned into aquariums, haunted houses, escape rooms, and more

Bethany BironDec 29, 2022, 02:04 IST

A Hollister store.Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Dead Hollister stores in malls around the country are being transformed into everything from aquariums to axe throwing venues.
Many have maintained the store's iconic aesthetic, keeping the beach house facade and dimly lit interior design.

Founded in 2000, Hollister was once a thriving youth apparel brand synonymous with its colorful polo shirts, denim mini skirts, and flip flops designed to embody a California surfer aesthetic.

A Hollister store.Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Founded in 2000, Hollister was once a thriving youth apparel brand synonymous with its colorful polo shirts, denim mini skirts, and flip flops designed to embody a California surfer aesthetic.

Many of its distinctive stores were designed to look like beach houses, and became known for their dark interiors and smell of pungent Hollister-brand cologne.

A woman enters a retail store of the lifestyle brand Hollister in Sulzbach, Germany.Fredrik von Erichsen/Getty Images

Parent company Abercrombie & Fitch describes Hollister as "the quintessential retail brand of the global teen consumer" focused on "liberating the spirit of an endless summer inside everyone."

People walk by a Hollister advertisement.Mary Altaffer/AP

Parent company Abercrombie & Fitch describes Hollister as "the quintessential retail brand of the global teen consumer" focused on "liberating the spirit of an endless summer inside everyone."

However, like many of its mall brand peers, Hollister struggled with slumping sales and foot traffic in recent years, as customers turn to buzzy online competitors.

A former Hollister clothing store at the Ridgedale Mall in Minneapolis. This store has the original facade exterior, and sold trendy casual teen clothing.melissamn/Shutterstock

The company was among many retailers who felt the sting of the Retail Apocalypse in 2018, leading to the closure of 60 Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch stores at the time.

An ad display for Hollister.Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

The company was among many retailers who felt the sting of the Retail Apocalypse in 2018, leading to the closure of 60 Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch stores at the time.

The brand's difficulties were exacerbated further during the pandemic, prompting additional closures.

Mallory Schlossberg/Business Insider

As the brand goes through a period of rebuilding — including recently hiring a new head of marketing and testing fresh retail strategies — malls are getting creative with what to do with the distinctive former Hollister stores.

Business Insider/Jessica Tyler

As the brand goes through a period of rebuilding — including recently hiring a new head of marketing and testing fresh retail strategies — malls are getting creative with what to do with the distinctive former Hollister stores.

Many are maintaining the beach house aesthetic, while opening completely new stores in its place, which has been disorienting for some on social media. Here are 8 of the strangest Hollister store transformations:

Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider

Many are maintaining the beach house aesthetic, while opening completely new stores in its place, which has been disorienting for some on social media. Here are 8 of the strangest Hollister store transformations:

An aquarium

A haunted house

A mini golf course

An escape room

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A sock store

TikTok

An "fairy" photo studio

Bookstores

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Axe-throwing venue

I tried to buy a week's worth of groceries at Erewhon, a high-end grocery store in Los Angeles. I quickly blew through my budget, but I'd shop there again.

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See bizarre photos of dead Hollister stores turned into aquariums, haunted houses, escape rooms, and more

Founded in 2000, Hollister was once a thriving youth apparel brand synonymous with its colorful polo shirts, denim mini skirts, and flip flops designed to embody a California surfer aesthetic.

Many of its distinctive stores were designed to look like beach houses, and became known for their dark interiors and smell of pungent Hollister-brand cologne.

Parent company Abercrombie & Fitch describes Hollister as "the quintessential retail brand of the global teen consumer" focused on "liberating the spirit of an endless summer inside everyone."

However, like many of its mall brand peers, Hollister struggled with slumping sales and foot traffic in recent years, as customers turn to buzzy online competitors.

The company was among many retailers who felt the sting of the Retail Apocalypse in 2018, leading to the closure of 60 Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch stores at the time.

The brand's difficulties were exacerbated further during the pandemic, prompting additional closures.

As the brand goes through a period of rebuilding — including recently hiring a new head of marketing and testing fresh retail strategies — malls are getting creative with what to do with the distinctive former Hollister stores.

Many are maintaining the beach house aesthetic, while opening completely new stores in its place, which has been disorienting for some on social media. Here are 8 of the strangest Hollister store transformations:

An aquarium

A haunted house

A mini golf course

An escape room

A sock store

An "fairy" photo studio

Bookstores

Axe-throwing venue