Finding a Place to Shop

With Black Friday looming, the question on the front of every college student staying in Decatur’s mind for Black Friday is, “Where can I go shopping, and where can I get the best deals?”

If you had asked a Millikin student this same question 20, maybe even 10, years ago, the answer would have likely been to go to Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth to shop in a variety of stores. However, several important clothing stores have closed in the mall since then, leaving shoppers out to dry.

If you went to Forsyth’s mall 15 years ago, there were a variety of stores to shop at. American Eagle, Foot Locker, JCPenny, MC Sports, Justice, and Aeropostale are all shops that dominated the foot traffic at the mall for a Black Friday spending spree. In my family, all of the cousins visiting town would strategically plan which stores we would attend and when. This was always a highlight of our Thanksgiving Break, and we didn’t mind the fact that we had to wake up three hours earlier than normal to get these deals.

Fast forward to the present day, and the mall is now a place to walk and get exercise. There are still a few popular stores, such as Finish Line, Hibbett Sports, Von Maur, and Hobby Lobby, but the mall is nothing compared to what it once was. In high school, when my teamates were slacking in football practice, my coach would say, “If you want to walk, go to the mall.” This statement has become especially true in the last decade or so. 

Watching the mall slowly succumb to the pressures of online shopping has been depressing. A place where families used to flock to has now become a place that has been passed by over time. So, where are students supposed to go if they have to stay in Decatur over Thanksgiving?

There are still some local options for students. Hickory Point Mall’s Directory still includes a decent amount of stores for college students looking for clothes. These stores include Kohl’s, Finish Line, Ross, Hibbett Sports, and Shoe Dept. Encore. Across the street, there is a Play-it-Again-Sports and Best Buy, leaving a few fun options for students interested in sports or technology.

Several stores in Downtown Decatur can make for a fun shopping experience. Giggles, Del’s Popcorn Shop, and All Things Beautiful are great options for any student looking to buy fun things and take a stroll down Decatur’s Merchant Street. All of those stores lie around 2 miles from Millikin’s campus.

Now, if you’re looking for a more substantial day of shopping, you may want to consider leaving Decatur for the day and making about a 40-minute trip west to Springfield. The capital city has lots of options for every shopper. My personal favorite place to walk around is Scheels, which is likely the largest standalone shopping building that the city has to offer, besides White Oaks Mall. Scheels offers clothes from many brands, such as Nike, Adidas, and North Face, while also selling sporting equipment and fishing and hunting gear. Scheels is an expensive store to shop at, so making the trip on Black Friday would likely be the best time to go to ensure that the clothing is more affordable. While there, make sure to stop by the candy shop on the second floor to enjoy a tasty treat. Additionally, Scheels is such a large building that there is a ferris wheel in the middle of the store, making it a great place to stop if family is in town.

If you’re looking to walk around a building that has several different types of stores, then the White Oaks Mall is the perfect place for you. My go-to trip starts at Scheels and includes walking around the mall afterward, making for a great day of shopping. White Oaks offers several clothing stores, such as American Eagle and Aerie, H&M, Dicks, and Champs Sports. If you get hungry, White Oaks has a great food court, offering Mexican, Chinese, and American cuisines. If you’re not in the mood for mall food, there are several nice dining options sharing a parking lot with the mall. 

Last, but not least, Springfield has two Goodwill stores. If you are looking for a cheap option, Goodwill is a great place to go. Although you never know what you may find at Goodwill, that is the exact excitement of it. I have found clothing, Nerf guns, and golf clubs at this store, making it an entertaining place to look around. Springfield, as a city, is a great place to spend a day overall, with stores that make it a fun experience for any college student or family member visiting in town.

If you’re looking to head east to shop, be sure to stop at Champaign for a great shopping experience. The highlight of the city is the Market Place Shopping Center, located just under an hour away from campus. This mall also offers many clothing stores that have left Decatur, such as Aéropostale, American Eagle, and Old Navy. Market Place has several different stores to choose from, but there are also several stands in the walkways, offering sweatshirts, toys, and so much more, depending on where you go.

While you are in the area, be sure to check out Dicks House of Sport for a more substantial store than the Dicks in Springfield. This store is enormous, offering more merchandise than a normal store. Once again, Dicks is an expensive shopping experience, so be sure to take advantage of their Black Friday deals.

The Market Place is likely the most substantial mall in the area, offering the most stores to college students. If I had to recommend one day of shopping for students staying in the Decatur area, I would advise heading east to Champaign to start at the Market Place Mall. After that, there are lots of fun shops and places to walk around in Downtown Champaign, with lots of awesome restaurants, such as Ko Fusion, Seven Saints, and Black Dog Smoke & Ale House.

Although my favorite experience is to walk around Scheels and White Oaks Mall in Springfield, the shopping experience that will be the most fruitful for college students likely lies in Champaign, Illinois. 

Be sure to take advantage of the Black Friday deals that are offered in our area!