Episode notes
This week on the Simply Authentic Podcast, we’re sitting down with Amanda Estes, General Manager of the Battlefield Mall in Springfield — a place most of us know for shopping, dining, and entertainment, but one whose economic impact reaches far deeper into our community.
In this episode, Amanda takes us behind the scenes of one of the region’s largest retail hubs. We talk about how malls and in-person shopping have rebounded since the COVID years, and how retailers are adapting by blending online convenience with in-store experiences like easy pick-up and returns.
Amanda also shares a fascinating look back at the mall’s history — from its opening in 1970, to the 1983 expansion, to surviving an EF3 tornado that caused significant damage that same year. We revisit the days of iconic anchors like Sears and Montgomery Ward, and discuss th ...