WPBN: Meriden Mall will lose additional anchors after the holidays. FYE, Petrillo’s Craft Fair & Event Store, Foot Locker, and Claire’s have closed or will close after the holidays.
On Monday, Meriden Mall general manager Dave Roy announced the retail withdrawals.
“The mall is still doing pretty well, but we have some stores leaving,” Roy stated. “We took a few hits, but we are expecting to see some stores coming in early next year.”
“It’s always tough to see stores go, especially ones that have been here so long, but we are trying to make the best of it,” he continued.
FYE will close in early January after Foot Locker and Claire’s. In 2024, Forever 21, Hot Topic, and Dick’s Sporting Goods closed.
Roy says Boscov’s, T.J. Maxx, Kay’s and Michael’s jewels, Finish Line, and Windsor are the mall’s most popular retailers, however T.J. Maxx and Finish Line may close next year.
Roy expects two new food court enterprises to move in early 2025, but he wouldn’t name them. He stated that an entertainment firm will move into the former Best Buy facility “near future.”
“We are looking to keep the mall going,” Roy stated. “We are trying to bring in more retail for the stability of the mall … but we will entertain anything. If someone has any interest in a business, they can contact me at the mall. We will talk to anyone who wants to give it a shot.”
Roy, the Meriden Mall’s general manager for the last year and a half, claimed Black Friday sales were up. They stated Santa Claus will be visiting the mall until Christmas Eve.
Roy said online shopping’s popularity and simplicity had reduced mall visitation over time. Many malls, including Meriden’s, have suffered from online shopping, according to economic development director Joseph Feest.
“We have switched our shopping habits and malls haven’t come back after COVID. Malls need to reinvent themselves,” Feest stated. “That’s why we have brought pickleball in. With it being 35 degrees out, there’s no better place to play than in a heated area in the mall. We are still patiently waiting.”
In September, the Meriden Library and Old Navy moved out of the mall to make room for Club Pickleball.
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According to Feest, the former Macy’s department store was acquired by Yale New Haven Health in 2021, although it hasn’t opened yet.
According to Feest, it’s tough to watch reputable companies depart from the mall. He brought up the recent relocation of Ramani’s Clothiers from the mall to 706 East Main St., which was once Billings Sports.
In 1971, the Meriden Mall was constructed. The 900,000-square-foot mall on Lewis Avenue was purchased by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management, both of Great Neck, New York, in 2020. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield had owned the mall since 1994.
In the state, Enfield Square Mall, Trumbull Mall, and Crystal Mall are also owned by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management.
