Bellis Fair

Great mall in the states that is closest to Vancouver, BC to me. The mall is on Meridian Way which is super convenient to get to. They have lots of stores mostly clothing stores and a few big department stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s, JC Penny and Target. Bellingham has gone through so many transitions and renovations and not to mention a much nicer food court! Sadly their movie theater has come to an end last year with tickets for $ 3. I think the mall is much livelier with the new H&M and Forever 21. I usually like to check out those stores along with A&F and Hollister. Be sure to check out their holiday hours for extended hours. Tonnes of mall parking available.

This mall is always a must stop at place when we do Day trip for shopping.
It has a good variety of different shops. Everyone in the family has a favourite shop or two here.
There are massive deals to be had, but you have to do the work to find them
Each store has a clearance area. If you spend a bit of time perusing the racks in this area you will find amazing deals.

I think this mall has been renovated and upgraded since many of the reviewers posted reviews. My kid and I were here the other night and we kept commenting on how lovely this mall is! Architecturally, the exterior façade is radically different than the photos posted on this site, leading me to believe this place has had a MAJOR ovrehaul sometime in the past 4 – 5 years. It’s really nice, with clean lights, lots of skylights, lots of glassed walls (bringing in more light); we parked by the H&M and the mall walls here, as well as the abutting Forever 21 store, are all glass. This serves to bring in natural light into the stores and the mall in general, along with all the skylights.
It has an airy, bright feel to it (as opposed to dark and gloomy).
The mall is anchored by Macy’s, Target, Sports Authority and JC Penney’s. As mentioned, they have a large H&M and Forever 21 here, as well as the usual mall fare (especially those stores that cater to teens and tweens, like Zumiez, Pac Sun, Claire’s, etc). We liked how open the floor plan was, and how open and wide the central mall walkways were.
The food court was fantastic! We didn’t eat there, but we checked out how cool it was, with a large, contemporary Starbucks island located near the middle, with an enormous skylight/​atrium ceiling bringing in even more light, with a central stone wall with a built-​in fireplace, and lots of confy chairs and tables. It reminded me of the eating court at Seatac Airport, which I thought was well-​designed. Although this one here is even better, as there are better choices for foods on the court perimeter (including Subway, and Cinnebon and more).
I will review all the stores we visited separately, but the sales help in all of them were friendly and helpful, and every store was clean, and … oh, yes, there’s a Teavana here that will make you a cup of tea! (I’ve recently become hooked on Teavana). We were so surprised to find this store here, as they are fairly new (especially those that willl make you a custome cup of tea). So, yeah! Teavana!
The parking lot is well laid-​out and well lit. We thought this was a really nice shopping center!

We were here just a few days ago. We haven’t been here since last summer but were regulars when the CDN dollar was strong.
This mall is so dated, it’s ridiculous. Nothing has changed much over 20 years. It has been renovated within the last 10 years ago and probably within the last 5 years the food court has experienced some changes. The mall owners seemingly don’t care about this mall. They’re holding onto their old attitudes and beliefs: «build-​it, they will come». Well, as you can see from talking to the store merchants, people are not coming.
It’s not surprising, nothing has changed over the years with the exception of merchants coming and going. It’s nothing to write home about, nothing stands-​out, and you can’t compare it to most malls in North America, it’s simply lame. Their wifi is horrific as well, but you have to get the mall app to use.
At the moment, the mall is suffering badly because there is a lack of business due to the 30% lower CDN dollar. I’ve talked to many merchants and they all say the same thing. The mall needs to offer Canadians (only) additional incentives and discounts to shop here, but for whatever reason, that’s not a mindset shared amongst businesses in the pacific northwest. At one time, they would offer Canadian dollars at par, not any more. Mall management is shooting themselves in the foot.
Any how, it’s a pity that on the mobile app you can’t sort reviews here based on date, you have to go to the desktop website only which is ridiculous. There are so many merchants in the mall that should be added to the Unilocal app business directory, separate from Bellis Fair.

The mall is the same as 10 years ago. Only issue is that there is really not much to buy there. There is a target, Macy’s, Kohl and JC Penny. The mall is not very busy. But there is old country buffet in the mall.

The owners of Bellis Fair mall have placed a large amount of money in making this mall more attractive, upscale and modern. This is a great benefit to visiting and as more modern retailers join the mall it has huge potential. The biggest aspect hurting this mall now is vacancy rates and stores that look like they could pack up overnight and you would never know they were there.

Looks like they’ve remodeled the mall since the last time I was here. I actually can’t recognize the place anymore.
I was here early, before the stores opened, but the interior looks much nicer than in the 1990s. With that said, the mall did seem a bit empty, even for the early hours.
The food court looks much nicer than before, so maybe the place is worth revisiting during more normal hours.

It’s not much of a mall compared to Metrotown shopping, however, for cross boarder shopping this has a lot of what I need including a large department store, basic shoes and accessories and a grocery store… for a lot cheaper than back home. The food court is pathetic, however, there is plenty of other places to eat that isn’t in the mall.

Nothing earth-​shattering in terms of designer names, but it’s a good drop by spot for Macy’s and Target. Or just resting in the food court.
And using the washroom.

When visiting the in-​laws in the area, I usually pay a visit to this mall as well. There are some good things happening at this mall and hopefully it is just the start of a beautiful transformation. This mall is owned by the same company as the Glendale Galleria in my neck of the woods but is light years away in choices of noteworthy stores.
Overall, the stores are fairly typical of any mall. There’s nothing unique that I wish we had in Los Angeles and there isn’t any high end retail (though some could argue Teavana is high end at least in the tea world) which considering how rural this area of Washington is, it’s not too surprising. I’m sure the Canadians who come shopping in the US are a bit disappointed with that.
They do have a great play area for fathers like me who could care less to shop and take the kids to. It’s geared to 1 – 5 year olds. The seating for the adults isn’t luxurious by any means, but my kids had a great time in there and I didn’t have to watch out for them too much. At one point, some teenage kids came in and started playing which they didn’t bother the kids, but really? That’s about the last thing I would have done as a teenager. What was worse, mall security walked by and smiled at the teenagers regardless of the sign posted saying that this was designed for children under the age of 12.
The entrance of the mall was recently renovated and is very nice. This takes you directly into the food court and they made it very comfortable and evoked the spirit of the Northwest with the design. Food court options are pretty disappointing though.
If I owned this mall, I’d step it up by putting in way better restaurants and poll people to see what stores they wish were in the mall. I’m sure stores like J Crew, Express and Nordstrom would be welcomed additions to replace Radio Shack, J.C. Penny, and Men’s Warehouse.

I honestly don’t understand the previews reviews. I walked in here not expecting much and WHOAAA was I surprised! This mall is great and has lots of shops and restos. Maybe it’s been remodelled since the last few reviews, but I was impressed.
It’s just like any other mall, it’s clean and very bright. They have maybe 5 – 7 different shoe stores (Zumiez, Payless, Vans, Journey’s, Foot Locker, Ladies Foot Locker, and more) and lots of popular clothing stores (Forever 21, H&M, Hollister, American Eagle, Aeropostal, Pacsun, and so on).
Lots of choices for lots of different people, which I like!
Quick note on the service: every store I walked into (maybe about 12?), the people working there were super nice and charming. Asked me questions like «what have you been up to today». This is something I’m not used to back home (in Montréal, Canada) so it was refreshing to hear! I ended up buying some shoes from Journey’s and leaving the mall with a smile!
I would totally recommend it!
PS: There is a Red Robin super close to the mall and I also recommend going there!
PPS: A pervious «tip» indicated there was free wifi. Unfortunately I tried for 2 hours to connect with no luck. SOME stores did have free wifi but it wasn’t Mall-​wide. Maybe the wifi had an off day, who knows!

This is kind of an ordinary mall, at least it has become an ordinary mall in the last decade. For Canadians, this used to be a must stop on any cross-​border shopping trip. Now, you have places like Seattle Premium Outlets stealing people away even though it’s 45 minutes further south just because they have better stores.
Don’t get me wrong, this still has many stores that we don’t have in Canada but the whole vibe of the mall is bad and to be honest, the bargains just aren’t there.
With any mall, even one that’s in decline, they can always stand out with a superior food court. Unfortunately, Bellis Fair fails on that as well.
20 years ago, when the Canadian dollar was really bad, many of the stores offered to take Canadian money at par as a means to lure people. I personally think they’d do very well if they did that since even the the 7−8% differential is enough to make people notice.

Got here right after it opened and the bathrooms were gross! The variety of stores is dwindling because they charge too much for rent. I’ve been to this mall since it opened sad to see it go so downhill.

From a Canadian’s standpoint:
Just your regular mall, with perhaps a bit more/​different selection than Canadian malls. You’ve got your Macy’s, JC Penney, Target, etc. With all these departmental stores under one roof, I doubt you’ll have to leave this mall for anything. There is, of course, a food court as well.
This was my first stop in Bellingham. I enjoyed walking through the mall, although I didn’t purchase anything. The prices here are comparable to Canadian stores, unless the items are on sale. The post Christmas sales are quite, quite good! The Hallmark in here sold some very interesting things. I spent most of my time exploring the store and playing around with the snazzy toys and displays. There is a toy dog that responds to certain phrases within a book. It will interact with the reader accordingly. How neat is that! Where were these when I was 5?
We skipped the food court, but I did find an Auntie Anne’s somewhere in the mall away from the food court. It was marvelous. Fresh, hot cinnamon sugar pretzels for everybody! I was also introduced to the Old Country Buffet restaurant. I don’t know why I was so surprised to find out that the Old Country Buffet served a buffet… …don’t ask.
After taking a full tour of the mall, which took about 2 hours, we got bored and decided to leave. I appreciated the visit, and wouldn’t mind returning on my next trip to Bellingham.

Was this place really busy at one point of time? Is this all just an illusion, what exactly happened, I remember when I was young and when I would tag along with family friends and buy Nintendo cartridges and BK (British Knight) running shoes here, while the place was jammed with shoppers. Now when you go in, you can hear a pin drop, and you can close your eyes, and the only thing you would run into is a wall, and it would take you awhile to run into that wall. There is no life here, and that’s a really sad thing, not that there are no stores to shop at, this mall does carry most of the big brands, from the Macy’s to the big Target store on either ends of the mall.
I remember when this place was packed with shoppers, and mostly Canadian too. The lots would be filled with BC license plates, but now it’s just a former shell of itself. The food court alone barely has people sitting around let alone the stores. Sometimes this can be a good thing as you get some good service at certain stores here cause they aren’t bombarded by people. It does sometimes make shopping a drag, as it’s supposed to be a lively event, and if there is no one shopping, it might put you off, as we do copy traits and follow trends of how people act. It seems like everytime I come I notice they are doing some sort of renovation or construction on this mall.
I guess the Canadians decided to go farther South, ever since the outlets open up. You can find quite a bit here if you really look, you just have to get through the boredom and quiet nature of this mall and you may spend some hard earned $$$, just think, at least you don’t have to drive another hour, and it’s close to the Canadian border. If you want to relive old memories, come here, if you need anything last moment like that shirt you wanted to get at Hollister, come here, if your wallet is itchy, and you want to spend that last $ 100, I guess… come here, just don’t be surprised when you can hear your own mind speak, and the music in the background… yes your in a mall… a really dead mall.

Lots of little construction projects going on in here. Seems to be more packed on fridays and saturdays

I think all the other reviewers have nailed this on the head. Big ups to Carolyn N who described it perfectly. It is just like a graveyard.
Other than Target, there isn’t a lot going on in here for me. And I guess the As Seen on TV store is pretty funny. The most happening place in here is the free play area for kids. But fortunately for everyone you cannot buy the kids.
Where did all the stores go?

Once upon a time, Bellis Fair used to be *the* place all the Vancouver Island and Vancouverite kids dreamt about. «The Mall» contained the department stores and shops that only existed across the border, like Bön Marche, even though we ended up getting bombarded with their advertisements on all the American stations. Bön Marche was basically synonymous with the epic shopping trip on a weekend that didn’t require a lengthier journey all the way down to Seattle.
Flash forward fifteen years when I had my own car and passport, and I wondered what all the fuss was about. Bellis Fair resembles any other small town mall catering to a fairly large region with a lot of college students, and it’s seen a relative decline over the years. I remember going there as a child and every store being packed. I suspect the decline of the Canadian dollar versus the American greenback really gutted a lot of the demand from north of the border, to say nothing of the economic upheavals now. The end result are a lot of vacancies, a few chain stores holding on, and a basic oasis in between.
The Bön Marche has become a JC Penney, for all the ill that entails as the department store has plummeted in quality and offerings. The biggest draw for me was actually the cinema where I met up with friends from Ferndale and Bellingham before heading north of the border. I can still find the standby shops and services needed for any mall, ranging from the bank and post office to a really quirky pseudo-​hippy boutique that I’m sure has gone under, but nothing here is especially interesting. You can get a much better selection in a similarly compact shopping area downtown in the historical district or just cruising the streets of Bellingham.
Target of course continues to be the primary lure, but even that is declining with the northward expansion into the Canadian market. In short, there’s a lot more competition from smaller and local mom and pop shops that reduce local demand, and the border-​shoppers who wanted to get their Macy’s gifts really no longer have the need to do so. Whether Bellis Fair will transform or suffer is unclear.
Also, the light near the main parking lot is always congested and people seem incapable of putting on their turn signals. Real headache despite roadway improvements, so exercise caution!

So… this mall is just as the three star rating states. It’s A-​OK. There are lots of stores but you’ll find a mix of both nice and not-​so-​nice stores. Don’t expect anything high-​end at all.
Sears, JC Penney, Target and Macys. Macy’s being the fanciest it gets.
Good things: It’s clean (including the bathrooms), there’s an area for kids and small children to play, there are lots of VERY affordable smaller shops, and the big brand stores while HUGE, are not out of reach with regard to prices. In fact, in Macys there’s still a section if higher end goods if you’re looking to splurge, but nothing that compares to Seattle.
If you want Banana Republic, Anthropologie, H&M, Nordstrom, etc — you’ll have to travel to Seattle. However, I do think the demand here is met and the stores match the demographic. Bellingham is not a big city and if you want to make the effort and spend the cash, you just have to drive out of town. Otherwise Bellis Fair is a great spot to get lots of shopping done, eat some mall food and head back home in time for dinner.

With an American ATM in the food court before you knew it, I too held some of this magically bland currency. Money in hand we zipped over to the Mongolian Grill place and weighed ourselves $ 6.20 of «wow can I eat all that» goodness over a pile of delicious brown rice. Tummy satisfied we found a ‘just right’ backpack bag and a «like he’s always owned it-​it fits that nicely» sweater for Steve. A cool ball-​cap style hat and a few smaller items graced my brought-​along shopping bags and better fitting ‘gator’ styled iphone covers adorned both of our iphones from the cell store «Alternate».
What a great way to spend a day.