The mall’s original anchors were JCPenney, Sears, Bullock's, and The Broadway. The first store to open at the mall was a Bullock's department store, in September 1971. The Broadway followed in October, and Sears in November; after the rest of the mall opened in 1971, J. C. Penney was added as a fourth anchor in 1972. An expansion was announced in 1985, comprising J. W. Robinson's and May Company California. Both stores were the anchors to two new wings added in 1988. When those chains merged in 1993, they both operated as Robinsons-May. In January 1994, the mall was damaged by the Northridge earthquake. The earthquake severely damaged several parking structures, caused damage to the interior mall, and all six anchor stores, including the Bullock's store, which was condemned soon afterward. Although The Broadway and Sears reopened in late 1994, renovation was further delayed through mid-1995. By June 1995, J. C. Penney was gutted and rebuilt. Bullock's was completely demolished and rebuilt from the ground up as a result of the earthquake. Federated Department Stores, then-owners of the Bullock's and Broadway chains, converted the Bullock's to Macy's in 1996 and closed the Broadway, despite the fact that it was planned to become a Bloomingdale's. A year later, Robinsons-May consolidated its two stores into the store at the southwest corner of the mall. The Robinsons-May at the northwest end was demolished for a movie theater, while the former Broadway store was subdivided for smaller mall shops. General Growth Properties acquired the mall and began construction on the outdoor promenade that replaced the former Broadway. It opened in 1999 with Borders Books & Music and several restaurants. When Macy's acquired Robinsons-May in 2006, the Robinsons-May store became a Macy's Home Store. The mall was renovated in 2013, including new tile and paint throughout the mall concourses, redesign of the common spaces, upgrades to the main courts, food court and an outdoor patio expansion. The entire mall was brought up to ADA standards. Borders closed and became Sports Authority in 2011, but it too went out of business in 2016 and the space was taken over by Dave & Buster's. In 2013, Ross Stores took over the space vacated by Circuit City. In 2015, Sears Holdingsspun off its 235 properties, including the Sears at Northridge Fashion Center, into Seritage Growth Properties. Sears closed this location on January 5, 2020 after an announcement in November 2019 that the chain would be shutting down 96 stores nationwide.
