For the second time in recent months, a national retailer has announced it is leaving the Meadowbrook Mall. Things Remembered, a business that focuses on personalized gifts, will be closing its kiosk location that has been at the mall for nearly a quarter of a century, a mall official confirmed.

 

“They’ve been facing some challenges for the past couple of years in terms of sales and nationally trying some things to change their product line and make it more appealing,” said Joe Bell, the director of corporate communications for the Ohio-based Cafaro Company that manages the mall property. “I think they’ve been running up against tough economic head winds. They’ve been pulling back all over the country.”

 

An employee at the mall’s location wasn’t sure of their exact closing and attempts to reach corporate staff were unsuccessful. However, there are going out of business signs on the kiosk that has been in place since September of 1991.

 

“We do hate to see them go because they’ve been an integral part of that location,” said Bell. “Some retailers have a special place for different customers. For as many that may say they never go to a certain business, there are usually as many that hold that same place near and dear to their heart.

 

“Unfortunately, this closing is part of the vagaries of the retail industry, especially in a shopping mall environment, and it’s up to us to find a replacement” Bell continued. “There is always an effort to find the mix that makes sense for all the customers most of the time because you never please all of the people all of the time. You try to do what’s best and makes the most sense.”

 

The confirmation of Things Remembered closing comes on the heels of the December announcement that Gap was closing. However, Gap’s closing (their last day open at the mall is Jan. 26) was more of a nationwide trend. Bell said the two departures isn’t a sign of anything going wrong at the 30-plus year-old retail hub in Bridgeport.

 

“We’re in very good shape overall and particularly in comparison of the industry,” said Bell, as the Mall is still well over 90 percent occupancy. “This is the one time of the year when you see retailers folding their tents if they haven’t met expectations that were set from the recently completed holiday season. If they were on the bubble, this is the time you see the closings come. That’s the case for a lot of national chains.”

 

So what’s next for the kiosk space and Gap’s location?

 

“The Things Remembered space becoming open is new and with Gap, I haven’t heard anything solid there recently.  I can tell you there have been discussions with potential retailers off and on for the past few months,” said Bell. “We know it’s a promising space that would work well for a number of retail concepts. The good news is that along with the well-established national groups, there are all kinds of concepts for new businesses in the retail and even restaurant end of things that are always looking for new locations. We aren’t anticipating vacancies at either place for long once they officially close shop.”

 

Bell said Meadowbrook Mall’s recent renovation has actually helped draw more inquiries than in the past. Cafaro put more than $5 million into a recent refurbishing of the building.