By Jenna Babyak CLAY, N.Y. — The Great Northern Mall in Clay has not been doing so great the past few years. Many stores have gone out of business–and the few that are left are fighting to stick around. Store owners are trying to make the mall great–again.
Sherry Villnave owns Fantabulous Finds Wear It Again at the Great Northern Mall. She’s been in business with her son Jonny for over a year. And she runs huge sales every single day.
“We’re still here,” Villnave said. “We need your business, we want to keep this mall open, we want to make it great again.”
Many of the storefronts are now vacant. But business owners like Villnave don’t want to give up if they can help it.
“I love this mall,” Villnave said. “I’ve been shopping here since I was, like, a real young kid. And I remember Friendly’s was still here. They just closed up last week, and that’s sad.”
Some of the business owners got together and created the Facebook page “Make the Great Northern Mall Great Again.” Here shoppers can comment about their experiences and how they think the mall could attract more people.
This weekend’s Easter Craft Fair is an effort to bring more people to the mall. Vendors of all ages came out–some as young as seven years old, like Michael.
“I always wanted to sell stuff so I can go places like Disney,” said Michael. “All over the country.”
The mall has always been a special place for him to visit his father at work.
“I love the mall because there’s a T-Mobile, because my dad works at T-Mobile,” Michael said.
It’s hard for business owners to not get nervous when they see other stores moving out.
“My greatest fear is we’re going to have to pack it all up and it’s all going to be over for the Great Northern Mall,” Villnave said.
But it’s not over for the mall just yet–as long as people keep coming out to shop.
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The Great Northern Mall in Clay has not been doing so great the past few years. Many stores have gone out of business–and the few that are left are fighting to stick around. N-C-C News Reporter Jenna Babyak spoke with some store owners about how they’re trying to make the mall great–again.
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(CG: Clay, NY)
Sherry Villnave (vill-nuh-VAY) owns Fantabulous Finds Wear It Again at the Great Northern Mall. She’s been in business with her son for over a year. And she runs huge sales every single day.
(CG: Sherry Villnave, Fantabulous Finds Owner)
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(“We’re still here, and we need your business, we want to keep this mall open, we want to make it great again.”)
Many of the storefronts are now vacant.
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(“I love this mall. I’ve been shopping here since I was, like, a real young kid. And I remember Friendly’s was still here. They just closed up last week, and that’s sad.”
Some of the business owners got together and created the Facebook page “Make the Great Northern Mall Great Again.” Here shoppers can comment about their experiences and how they think the mall could attract more people.
(CG: Jenna Babyak NCC News)
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(“What does making Great Northern Mall great again looks like? Well, it would probably start with a full parking lot and lots of customers coming in to check out the stores.”)
This weekend’s Easter Craft Fair is an effort to bring more people to the mall. Vendors of all ages came out–some as young as seven years old, like Michael.
(CG: Michael, Aspiring Young Business Owner)
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(“I always wanted to sell stuff so I can go places like Disney…all over the country.”)
The mall has always been a special place for him.
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(“I love the mall because there’s a T-Mobile, ’cause my dad works at T-Mobile. He’s the best one yet.”)
It’s hard for business owners to not get nervous when they see other stores moving out.
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DURATION:0’07”]
(“My greatest fear is we’re going to have to pack it all up and it’s all going to be over for the Great Northern Mall.”)
But it’s not over for the mall just yet–as long as people keep coming out to shop. Jenna Babyak, N-C-C News.
