Tucson Mall has a new tenant selling locally made T-shirts, prints and crafts, and Schief has considered offering a 10% discount to customers willing to sing. Warm Shape, the gift shop known for showcasing Tucson artists, opened a second location on the mall's upper level, next to Caffeine Cauldron, after a soft opening on Sept. 29.
Warm Shape’s first shop opened at the MSA Annex, 267 South Avenida del Convento, in 2022. Tucson artist Linus Schief founded the business, which has featured products from dozens of Tucson makers, including T-shirts, hats, mugs, bookmarks, keychains, stickers, clothing, skincare, herbal remedies and ceramics, according to the Arizona Daily Star and This Is Tucson.
The second location is at 4500 N. Oracle Road, on Tucson Mall’s upper level near Caffeine Cauldron. Schief told the Arizona Daily Star that the mall shop will focus on print artists and new T-shirt styles.
Events and Community at the Mall
Schief said she had been visiting Tucson Mall over the summer to walk her dog. During a trivia night at Tesoro restaurant in June, a friend suggested she open a store there, according to the Arizona Daily Star’s reporting.
Schief described Tucson Mall as a place for everybody, the Arizona Daily Star reported. The shop plans to host 1990s-style aerobics classes and community arts events, and Schief wants karaoke available there. She told the paper she has considered offering customers 10% off a purchase for singing.
Live Music and Local Vinyl on the Shelves
Local musician Dimitri Manos, of the band Golden Boots, will sell Bug Club albums at the shop. Manos and Bug Club are also slated to hold an album release show there, according to the Arizona Daily Star’s reporting.
A This Is Tucson item also described Warm Shape’s original MSA Annex shop as a place for shopping and community. The original MSA Annex location has carried products such as a “Javin' a Good Time in Tucson, AZ” Comfort Colors T-shirt listed on Warm Shape's website, along with mugs, hats, soaps and herbal salt soaks from local makers covered in This Is Tucson's earlier reporting. It is not confirmed whether those same items will be sold at the mall.
Another model for local makers
Warm Shape is not the only local retail effort focused on makers. The Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition says its separate Made in Tucson Market showcases artists and makers who reside in Pima County, according to the market’s FAQ.
Part of a Broader Shift at the Mall
The expansion comes as Tucson Mall has worked to reverse a slump in foot traffic tied to online shopping, with the mall drawing in several new stores in recent time, according to earlier Arizona Daily Star reporting.
The new Warm Shape location is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
