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Date: 12/2/2020
HOLYOKE – Since the start of the pandemic, many businesses have had to adjust their model, close their doors and/or take extra precautions to keep their customers and staff safe. Among those businesses was the Holyoke Mall.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic first affected the region in March, there have been some changes to the Holyoke Mall. Lisa Wray, the director of marketing for the Holyoke Mall, told Reminder Publishing one of the changes was the few businesses that have remained closed since the mall reopened for business. “Through the Holyoke Mall’s phased reopening, there were a few tenants that remained closed include Subway, Mrs. Field’s and Ruby Tuesday,” she said.
However, while there were some businesses that have remained closed, Wray also said there were new businesses that the mall welcomed during the pandemic. “Holyoke Mall also welcomed several new tenants since reopening in June including Cinnabon, EA-Teriyaki and Wings Express,” Wray said. The most recent addition to the mall, she said, was Furnari Jewelers, which was slated to open next to the Apple store during the week of Thanksgiving.
Safety, she said, was a top priority of the mall for customers, tenants and employees. While tenants of the mall are expected to follow guidelines put forth by the state and local authorities, Wray said the mall is “following guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the state of Massachusetts and Hampden County.”
Such requirements include a mandatory face mask rule while on mall property, which Wray said applies to patrons while they’re both inside and outside the mall. Another safety measure that has been implemented is requiring guests socially distancing within stores and while walking inside the mall. Wray said “one-way directional signage” had been placed around the mall to help guests socially distance.
Wray said mall staff have also increased cleaning and sanitizing of common and high touch areas including restrooms, the food court and seating areas. Additionally, she said soon the cleaning team at the mall will be using “new electrostatic sprayers” that are often used to clean and sanitize hospital rooms. Sanitizing stations have also been placed around the mall, she said, including at the digital directories, food court and in various common areas.
As the holiday season approaches, Wray said while there will be some differences in the holiday shopping experience. One difference, she said, would be in holiday hours. “[The] Holyoke Mall will open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday and offer extended holiday shopping hours throughout the holiday season. The latest the shopping center will be open is 9:30 p.m., which is a little earlier than years past, but several stores such as Target will be open later,” she said. “There are also several days that the shopping center will open at 8 a.m. as we get further into the season.”
She said another change to the holiday season at the mall would be with regard to visits with Santa. This year, Santa arrived at the Holyoke Mall on Nov. 27, Black Friday. In previous years, children would come with their families, line up, sit on Santa’s lap and tell him their holiday wishlist. However, this year, Wray said visits with Santa, which are being done in collaboration with Cherry Hill Programs, will be contactless.
“Children will still be able to have a magical visit with Santa and share their wish list, but the experience will be contactless and children will not sit on Santa’s lap,” she said. Instead, those wanting to visit with Santa are strongly encouraged to make a reservation online at https://reservations.cherryhillprograms.com/scheduling/9GXs1bDZ:holyoke-mall-at-ingleside. This, she said, will reduce the wait time families may experience.
In addition to socially distanced visits with Santa, Wray said Santa and those working in the area “will have daily health screenings and temperature checks, and there will be a focus on hygiene and cleanliness on set.” The visits, she said, will follow guidance set forth by the CDC and local health agencies. To support these efforts, Wray said associates were trained by Cherry Hill on how to promote social distancing during their visit and while waiting in line; cleaning and disinfecting had been increased; and Santa’s suite would be regularly disinfected between shifts.
Additionally, plexiglass would be used during the experience to keep all involved safe and everyone over the age of two attending the event would be required to wear a mask that covered their nose and mouth. Guests are also being encouraged to use contactless forms of payment during their visit. Another option for those who do not feel comfortable visiting Santa in person, is a virtual visit. The collaboration between the two agencies is called Create Holiday Magic and can be accessed online at https://www.createholidaymagic.com/?utm_source=LeadDyno&utm_medium=affiliate&afmc=3d.
“The platform deploys virtual technology to keep the magic of Christmas alive this year through one-on-one personalized visits with Santa from the North Pole, customized experiences for pets, story time and more,” Wray said.
Wray encouraged shoppers to take advantage of deals that will largely be offered for several days instead of a single date like in previous years. She recommended planning visits and exploring which stores offer curbside pickup and in store pickup after purchasing an item online. Additionally, she encouraged shoppers to support small businesses in the mall as well as the chain businesses that are frequented. Such small businesses include The Greek Place, Furnari Jewelers, Hannoush Jewelers and Theory SkateShop.