A Crossroad of Commerce: The HO Scale Strip Mall Shopping Center

The basics: This is a fully assembled and decorated strip shopping center with five retail outlets ranging from food to appliance sales. The building has a 11-1/2" by 3-1/4" footprint and the building is 3-1/8-inches tall. Stores have a color interior with ample interior and exterior lighting.

The front has a simulated concrete sidewalk with six support columns. Placed in front are 10 customer figures, a coin-operated riding horse, and Jack the German shepherd. The structure has a simulated tarpaper roof and four heating and air conditioning units decorating the topside.

The building is illuminated by 32 LEDs. This requires a Menards 4.5 volt power supply, Menards SKU# 279-4061, 4062, or 279-4050. You may wish to consider the 8- or 9-piece Plug & Play accessory kits (SKU# 279-4035, 4681) and to serve multiple structures and vehicles. All are available separately.

Why you need this: Gone is the shopping mall; the day of the strip mall has begun. The style of this great new building is purely modern. This is an architectural design that you’ll find all across the country.

The building packs in five shops that provide a good cross section of the retail trade. The Chicago Burger Co. satisfied your town folks’ need for a tasty burger. Next door is the Candy Shop where you can get your fix of M&Ms or chocolate-covered peanuts.

The anchor storefront is the Dollar Store. The familiar store will attract the harried shopper who needs a convenient place to get paper towels and laundry soap without needing to fight the crowds at the Mega Market!

The two remaining shops are a boon to homeowners: Klearvue Cabinets for that kitchen renovation on the books, and a Whirlpool appliance store for all the major appliances your citizenry needs.

Each shop has a color cardstock interior matching the theme of the business: Restaurant, candy, a mini market, kitchen counters, and rows of stoves and refrigerators.

The shops have clear windows with bracing and doorways. The front walkway is simulated concrete. Figures are placed in front of the shops: Five women, four men, one tyke, and Jack the German Shepherd going on a walk. A salute to shopping center nostalgia is a coin-operated horse ride.

The support columns are painted to match the structure’s tan decoration. The end and rear walls are smooth, so you can place multiple strip malls in a row for an impressive shopping experience. The roof has simulated tarpaper covering. You’ll find four heating and air conditioning units spaced evenly on the roof. Lighting for the storefront signage and the stores themselves is covered by more than 30 LEDs.

The shallow depth of the building gives you flexibility in placement on your layout, and the styling fits right in with modern Menards buildings such as Starbucks, Taco Bell, and the County Hotel by Menards.

The strip mall shopping center adds another level of depth realism and texture to your HO gauge railroad.

Features

• Fully assembled
• Prelit with over 30 LED lights
• Features five unique stores with realistic interiors and signage
• Bustling sidewalk with ten shoppers, a coin-operated horse, and Jack the German Shepherd
• Simulated tarpaper roof with four AC units
• Requires 4.5-volt power source (sold separately, Menards SKU# 279-4061, 4062, 4050)