As families prepare to head back to the classroom, many parents may be making a trip to Millcreek Mall for new clothes and school essentials.
This comes as the mall is also preparing to welcome several new businesses over the next few months.
Ginza, a new steak and sushi house, is expected to open in the former Osaki Japanese Steakhouse building on the mall property.
Inside the mall, Happy Beauty, a beauty and cosmetics store, will open in Center Court.
Books-A-Million will also be expanding and relocating to a new space between Build-A-Bear and Foot Locker, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Candy World, a bulk candy shop featuring a variety of nostalgic sweets, will open near the children’s play area.
Mall officials said the new additions are expected to appeal not only to Erie-area shoppers, but also to tourists, including visitors from Canada.
“All the Canadian tour buses coming down, they know that there’s greater variety that they have at the Millcreek Mall than rather some of the shopping centers in Ontario,” said Joe Bell, a Millcreek Mall spokesperson with the Cafaro Group. “We are looking forward to welcoming them, and we are happy there’s a trust we built up over the years with our shoppers north of the border.”
Mall officials also emphasize the importance of supporting local retailers and businesses as consumers continue to deal with rising costs.
“It’s very, very important not only to supporting your local retailers, many of whom are small and franchised,” Bell said. “They are local business people, they rely upon that, but you also get the personalized service in terms of what you may need.”
The mall is currently offering a special for shoppers. Customers who spend $250 at participating mall stores can receive a $25 gift card when they show their receipts.
The promotion runs through September 7.