The mall opened on October 19, 2001 with 229 stores and five anchors (Arizona's second
Nordstrom,
Sears,
Dillard's,
Robinsons-May and
Harkins Theatres). Originally owned by Westcor, Chandler Fashion Center became part of The Macerich Company's portfolio in 2002. Arizona's first Apple Store opened in Chandler Fashion Center a few days after the mall's opening. This location moved elsewhere in the mall in 2016. A freestanding
Best Buy was later built on the property. In 2006, Robinsons-May transitioned into a
Macy's store. On January 5, 2011, a shootout occurred at the mall with the suspect and two officers, causing a lockdown immediately. The standoff lasted shortly, and police arrested the suspect after his surrender, no deaths or injuries were recorded. Sears announced in October 2018 that it would shutter as part of an ongoing decision to eliminate its traditional brick-and-mortar format. Several potential replacement tenants were reportedly in the midst of early on discussions. In 2019, the
Crayola Experience opened near the food court. In May 2020, Nordstrom, which also retains an additional outpost in nearby Scottsdale, announced plans to shutter along with several additional locations as a direct result of pulling back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, it was announced that specialty sporting goods retailer
Scheels would be reconstructing the original Nordstrom space. It also includes a 65-foot Ferris wheel, a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium featuring more than 600 fish, an arcade, sports simulators, a wildlife mountain, a restaurant, and a specialty candy shop. It opened as the first Scheels store in the state of Arizona on September 30, 2023. On February 8, 2025,
Round1 Bowling & Arcade opened occupying the former Sears on the first floor. It was later announced that California based
Seafood City's first location in Arizona would be occupying the second floor of the Sears. The supermarket is under construction and scheduled to open in early 2026. ==Anchors==