The mall originally opened in February 1986 as North County Fair with JCPenney, May Company, Nordstrom, J.W. Robinson's, Sears, and The Broadway as its original anchors. Two separate bank buildings were part of the development and located on the northern side of the mall but have since been demolished and replaced with additional parking.[citation needed]
1990s
In 1993, both the Robinson's and May Company anchors became Robinsons-May locations. In 1996, The Broadway became Macy's.
2000s
Westfield dropped the "Shoppingtown" from the names of all centers they operated in June 2005. In 2006, following Federated Department Stores' merger with May Department Stores, the two Robinsons-May locations closed. The former Robinson's location has been subdivided into Forever 21, H&M and Old Navy, while the former May Company location is now Target.
2010s
North County Tavern + Bowl opened on the second level of the mall in December 2010, replacing Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. and three adjacent stores. The 15,000 square foot facility encompassed a 300-seat restaurant, a 30-foot bar, and eight bowling lanes. The tavern closed in 2017 and was replaced by a Comic Book and Memorabilia store.
In 2012, Westfield announced a $55 million revitalization plan and included renovating the mall's interior, updating the exterior mall entrances, and resurfacing the parking lot.
A view of the three-level center court of the mall in 2011.
2020s
On May 7, 2020, it was announced that the Nordstrom anchor store would close, as a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 22, 2020, it was announced that the Sears anchor store would close. Plans were announced for Costco Wholesale to lease the Sears space, but a year later, those plans were canceled.
On February 7, 2023, it was announced that Westfield had sold the mall to a joint venture of Bridge Group Investments and Steerpoint Capital, with Spinoso Real Estate Group taking over management duties. As part of the sale the mall was renamed to North County Mall.
In late 2024, Round1 Entertainment signed a 20-year lease for the three-level space formerly occupied by Nordstrom, with construction slated to begin in 2025.
On June 11, 2025, the Escondido Public Library opened a temporary location in the mall while the main library closed for remodeling. It remained open until July 2026.
In August 2025, North County Mall rebranded as Mershops North County because of Bridge Group Investments rebrand as Mershops, which was a portfolio wide change across all of their properties.
24 Hour Fitness closed its location at North County in March 2026. That vacancy would be short lived however as Chuze Fitness is planning on opening in the former 24 Hour Fitness according to its website.
In April 2026, Apple announced that it would be closing its North County location in June 2026. There was no given reason as to why Apple chose to close its North County location. Its North County location would close on June 20, 2026.
In 2025 and 2026, discussions about Costco potentially reviving plans to open in former Sears at North County were announced. On August 12, 2026, a new lease was approved for Costco to open a store on the ground level of the former Sears site, along with a gas station.
