Uniontown Mall joins trend, chooses to close for Thanksgiving
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
The Uniontown Mall has announced that it will be closed on Thanksgiving, joining a counter-trend against stores opening on Thanksgiving to get an edge on Black Friday sales.
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
The Uniontown Mall has announced that it will be closed on Thanksgiving, joining a counter-trend against stores opening on Thanksgiving to get an edge on Black Friday sales.
Uniontown Mall is joining other retail venues across the country in deciding — for the most part — to close their doors on Thanksgiving Day.
“The new owners of the mall are very family oriented and together along with input from the merchants made the decision to close on Thanksgiving Day,” mall General Manager Pam Moore said.
Namdar Realty Group of Great Neck, N.Y., finalized a $23 million purchase of the mall last year from Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which had owned the South Union Township mall since 2003.
While the mall and most of its 70 tenants will take Thanksgiving off, Moore said the department stores will announce their own hours.
“The tenants that have their own entrances have the option to open on Thanksgiving,” the Uniontown Mall manager said. “That would be the theater, that would be the restaurants, as long as they have their own entrances.”
That also includes Sears, Bon-Ton and J.C. Penney, as well as Burlington Coat Factory. Sears and J.C. Penney have not announced plans, while Burlington Coat Factory will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
“Bon-Ton will be opening at 5 p.m.,” said Christine M. Hojnacki, vice president for public relations at the Milwaukee-based Bon-Ton Stores Inc.
That’s 12 hours before the mall reopens for Black Friday.
“We will be opening at 5 a.m. on Black Friday with free refreshments and special activities,” Moore said.
Officials at the Carmike Cinemas headquarters in Columbus, Ga., said traditionally that chain of theaters, including Carmike 6 at Uniontown Mall, would be open for Thanksgiving, but the chain is in the process of being acquired by AMC Theatres.
AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan said that $1.2 billion deal “is still under review by the Department of Justice.”
He could not comment on plans for Carmike theaters but said AMC Theatres, such as that in the West Homestead portion of the Waterfront, will be open for regular hours on Thanksgiving Day.
“It is one of the more popular movie-going days of the year,” Noonan said.
Uniontown Mall’s plans are similar to those of some malls in nearby areas, including Monroeville Mall and Westmoreland Mall outside Greensburg, both owned by CBL & Associates Properties Inc.
CBL’s plan is to “bring back the magic of Black Friday” by allowing employees and customers to “enjoy that extra plate of pie at dinner” and take a long Thanksgiving afternoon nap.
“Over the last few years, we’ve watched as the magic of Black Friday has been diminished by an earlier start to the holiday shopping season,” CBL’s CEO Stephen Lebovitz wrote in a letter posted on the Monroeville and Westmoreland mall websites.
“Gone are the days of waking before dawn to hunt for deals and doorbusters,” Lebovitz continued. “Well, not this year. We’re happy to announce that our malls will be closed this year on Thanksgiving and will open for Black Friday at 6 a.m.”
Former Uniontown Mall owner PREIT also sold Washington Crown Center this summer to Kohan Retail Investment Group, also based in Great Neck, N.Y., two miles from Namdar’s offices.
Washington Crown Center also will close on Thanksgiving though some major stores may open, including Bon-Ton and Macy’s, which recently confirmed to various national news media that it would be open Thanksgiving Day at 5 p.m.
Macy’s does not have a Uniontown outlet, but has stores in Monroeville Mall, South Hills Village and in the Homestead portion of the Waterfront.
The entire Washington mall will open for Black Friday at 6 a.m.
Elsewhere, Morgantown Mall officials still are trying to get hours from its department stores. They said hours could be the same as last year, when the Monongalia County mall opened at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, closed at 1 a.m. and reopened from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for Black Friday.
South Hills Village in Bethel Park will open Thanksgiving Day at 6 p.m., remain open until 1 a.m., then reopen from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Black Friday.
Century III Mall officials in West Mifflin could not be reached for comment.