Online shopping
Consequently, customers even within the surrounding area were deterred, and major retailers who desired a low crime, middle class, and wealthy area for profitable support began to leave. Oshman's Sporting Goods closed its store in 1997, around the same time it opened a store in the nearby suburb of Stafford to serve the Sugar Land area that once frequented Sharpstown for retail business. In 1998, JCPenney would close its store at Sharpstown, having lost much of its clientele to its First Colony store, with much of its remaining business going to its Meyerland Plaza store. In addition to the loss of businesses and customers to the Sugar Land area, further compounded by many big box retailers opening new locations in and around said area, such aforementioned big box stores as well as discounters including Walmart and Target have grown on the loyalties of customers who used to frequent shopping malls. Online shopping began and started to take away from mall shoppers as well. Shopping center developer Ed Wulfe, whose Wulfe &amp; Co. redeveloped Meyerland Plaza as well as Gulfgate Mall, said that the loss of the major tenants negatively affected Sharpstown Center.