Mission Valley shoppers will soon have twice the selection when it comes to licensed team gear. Lids, the headwear retailer known for its wall-to-wall selection of NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college caps, is opening a second storefront inside San Diego’s Fashion Valley mall this November, according to a center announcement reported by Hoodline.
The new shop is slated to open near Cafe Terrace, just steps from the chain’s existing store at 7007 Friars Road, Suite 791 — meaning Fashion Valley will soon host two Lids locations under one roof. Representatives for the company haven’t detailed the new store’s size, staffing, or exact opening date, but the move signals growing confidence in the San Diego market for a brand that has built its business on game-day gear and local-team pride.
Fashion Valley has been a fixture of Central San Diego retail since 1969. The Simon Property Group mall spans more than 1.7 million square feet and is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale’s, drawing shoppers from across Mission Valley and beyond. Adding a second Lids location fits a mall that has leaned into expanding its sports and lifestyle retail mix in recent years.
The San Diego expansion appears to be part of a bigger pattern for Lids this fall. The company is also opening a larger-format store on Powell Street in San Francisco, nearly three times the size of a shop that closed there in 2023. Lids representatives told The San Francisco Standard that its Powell Street and San Francisco Centre locations have outperformed the company average — a track record that may be fueling a broader push into bigger, higher-traffic formats in West Coast malls like Fashion Valley.
For Mission Valley-area businesses, a second major retailer anchor is good news. Foot traffic begets foot traffic, and mall expansions like this one tend to ripple outward to nearby restaurants, parking structures, and smaller retailers that benefit from the increased draw. It’s also a reminder that even in a tough retail climate, well-run specialty chains are still betting on brick-and-mortar growth in San Diego.
No word yet on whether the new Fashion Valley location will mirror the customization features planned for the San Francisco store, but shoppers can expect to see construction progress at the mall as the November target approaches.
Source: Hoodline
Are you a local business owner? Add your business listing on San Diego Business Web today.
Find Businesses Near Central San Diego