Scottsdale Fashion Square is rounding out its holiday season with increased foot traffic and by providing a whimsical holiday experience for shoppers.
After scaling back much of last year’s holiday activity and witnessing the bulk of retail shift to online shopping, this year has seen busier stores and high spirits than even before the pandemic.
“It’s definitely more festive and busier this year than last year,” said Scottsdale Fashion Square’s marketing manager Melanie Sutton. “In comparison to 2019, we are even exceeding those numbers foot traffic wise.”
Sutton believes that this is because families are celebrating being able to safely congregate in addition to celebrating the holidays
“I think that people are realizing that life is valuable and that it is important to spend as much time as you can with your family and friends,” she said. “People are definitely making the extra step to bring in the holiday spirit.”
While shoppers have been spreading holiday cheer, Scottsdale Fashion Square has tried to match the spirit by decorating the mall with poinsettias, offering a Santa experience with fewer guidelines than last year, providing live music and story time Fridays and bringing back the Salvation Army for its annual “Angel Tree” toy drive.
“We were able to roll with the punches and spread holiday cheer last year while limiting a lot of our activities,” said Sutton. “This year we are very excited to have the chance to add more festivities.”
In addition to shoppers enjoying the increase in activities, Sutton has seen shoppers make the most out of the mall’s decorations.
“Our customers are appreciating the environment and the holiday decor,” she said. “We have seen several family photos taken in front of the Christmas trees and we have seen families walking around with their lists out.”
However, the thing that has warmed Sutton’s heart the most has been seeing shoppers taking a tag off the Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” and shopping for the child whose name is on it.
“It’s great to see that families are generous enough to come by and pick up angel tags while doing holiday shopping for themselves,” Sutton said. “There is a sense of generosity still happening here.”
With all the generosity and high spirits throughout the Scottsdale Fashion Square, Sutton admits there have been some trials and tribulations this holiday season.
“It’s been a challenge not only here but at our sister centers – finding staffing. But what is nice is that people are putting in the extra time to help each other out,” she said.
Because of this, Sutton has made sure to extend her appreciation to the staffers who have shown up to work this holiday season.
“We want to extend our great appreciation and thanks to the dedication of those who have worked through this holiday season to create the best experience for all of our shoppers,” she said. “We are grateful for our team members, retail associates, managers and everyone as a whole.”
To accommodate the influx of shoppers, Scottsdale Fashion Square has extended its closing hours until 10 p.m. until Dec. 23 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Sutton is also proud to report that amid supply chain disruptions, most stores in the Scottsdale Fashion Square were able to secure items ahead of time.
“As for inventory, some of our retailers prepared for inventory concerns and have had the ability to adapt inventory to fulfill customers’ wish lists,” she said.
However, as the calendar grows closer to Christmas Day, Sutton expects there will be longer lines at the checkout and more items flying off the shelves, especially at toy stores.
“Toys have been one of the top items this season, which is why Macy’s partnered with Toys R Us to have a toy department,” she said. “Go! Calendars Go! Games Go! Toys also has a great selection of various toys, Legos and playsets.”
Because of this, Sutton has one tip for shoppers looking to get a last-minute gift.
“I recommend that shoppers make a list of who they need to shop for and of the stores that they need to hit,” she said.
Overall, Sutton has been pleased with how the season has gone at Scottsdale Fashion Square and hopes that shoppers are staying safe while shopping.
“I believe that shoppers are ready to venture out,” she said. “We also have seen a lot of shoppers that have masks on and are taking their precautionary steps. We also have the plethora of health and wellness with our sanitization stations around the shopping center, which creates a safe environment that makes our shoppers feel positive.”
Info: Fashionsquare.com
