Livingston Mall was planned in the late 1960s and opened for business in stages starting with Bamberger's in 1971, followed by the mall proper itself in 1972 along with additional anchor stores, Sears, M. Epstein, and Hahne &amp; Company in 1972. The mall benefited from the migration of population in Northern New Jersey to suburban and exurban areas, and the exodus of shoppers and stores from downtown Newark, once Northern New Jersey's premiere shopping mecca that was in serious decline since the July 1967 race riots. Both Bamberger's and Hahne &amp; Co. had massive flagship stores in downtown Newark at the time of the mall opening. Sears also had a store on Elizabeth Avenue in Newark's once popular South Ward. In 1986, the Bamberger's store transformed into Macy's. In 1985, Hahne's gave way to Lord &amp; Taylor when its parent company, which owned both banners, decided to retire the Hahne's brand. Around this time the M. Epstein store was converted to an annex for Macy's. Sears remained the mall's sole original anchor until its closure in 2020.