But despite all the safety measures, the question
remains: Will anyone come?
“There are still a lot of people who are scared,”
said Jon Reily, global head of commerce strategy
at Isobar Global, a global digital agency. “The
tricky part for malls is finding that sweet spot.
Yes, you can come here and yes, you can be safe.”
So far, the early signs haven’t been encouraging.
At Simon’s Town Center at Cobb, which
reopened Monday in Kennesaw, a suburb of
Atlanta, many of the stores remained closed.
Those still dark and locked by gates included
Starbucks, Victoria Secret, Helzberg Diamonds
and the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Some of the
kiosks selling jewelry, cell phones and T-shirts
were open, though others were closed.
For sale at one of the kiosks: A black-and-white
T-shirt emblazoned with a gas mask and the
words “I Survived Coronavirus 2020.”
Douglas Butler, 28, arrived at Simon’s Lenox
Square mall in Atlanta around 11 a.m. on
Monday. It was much less crowded than normal,
and he easily found a parking spot in the
normally packed lot.
Mall employees were handing out masks at
the door, and just about everyone was wearing
one while also maintaining distance from other
shoppers, he said. Many stores still weren’t open,
especially the higher-end and designer stores.
He bought two new pairs of shoes for his 4-year-
old son. He added he might pick up something
for himself as well.
“Since I’m here, I might as well,” Butler said.
“Everybody has a sale on. If you’re open, you
have a sale.”
Image: Rick Bowmer