Imagine a world that only has shopping malls that contain shuttered storefronts, chains you did not even know still existed, and low-level shopping opportunities. Does this sound like a world you want to live in? I didn’t think so. The world I am describing lies dormant in Mansfield, Connecticut at the East Brook Mall. The second I walked through the automatic doors, I noticed the strong aroma of freshly baked bread since a few restaurants are inside the mall, these restaurants were recently introduced to attract students from ECSU and UCONN alike and has become a popular amenity among both. Along the interior, the mall follows a common strip-mall, mirrored with shops, clothing stores, and restaurants all oriented for the demographics of
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I could tell that being interviewed for her was not a common occurrence since she was pleased that I had chosen the business. The questions that I generated were based on what I believed she would have experience with. Sue explained to me that the East Brook Mall opened in 1974 and has had the same owners since opening. After an opening in the manager's position, Sue took the job 11 years ago and has remained there since. Before I had any information on the East Brook Mall, I was under the impression that Sue was a one-woman team, managing the entirety of the mall herself. Soon enough, I learned that she has low-level co-workers and assistants helping her along the way with the day-to-day operation, like cleaning services and making sure the shops open on time. To go along with that, Sue also explained that the day-to-day operation “can be really quiet with no issues whatsoever but there will be a day when an inspector has to work on the alarms and all of them will go off at once. Those days are pretty hectic.” When questioned about the atmosphere, Sue described it as “Quiet during the day, with a light flow of shoppers but picks up more after lunch-time.” Arriving around 11 a.m., there was not a soul in sight besides for the employees. Throughout our interview, Sue seemed pleased and engaged with all of the questions that were being answered and never had a problem with any of …show more content…
That being said, I would not take the East Brook Mall for granted if I lived in the Mansfield, Storrs, and Willimantic area since no strip-malls are around for miles. Even though some of the stores are outdated, they offer excellent customer service which does not go unnoticed. Not only that, but they offer restaurants of different varieties, an extensive gym, hair salons, a bank, a movie plex, and so on. Honestly, I recommend the East Brook Mall to anyone only in the Mansfield, Willimantic, and Storrs area, not anywhere else, though. The mall is not one you want to travel to if you do not live nearby since it's mainly designed to satisfy the needs of the local community. If the owners of the East Brook Mall wanted to expand, they should follow exactly what the Westfield Mall of Meriden, CT accomplished. In 1997, the “Meriden” Mall expanded by adding a second floor and an extra 30 stores, which cost millions of dollars but essentially has kept them in business for another 20 years. In other words, the East Brook Mall should seriously consider expanding if they want to stay in business and attract a larger customer
I could tell that being interviewed for her was not a common occurrence since she was pleased that I had chosen the business. The questions that I generated were based on what I believed she would have experience with. Sue explained to me that the East Brook Mall opened in 1974 and has had the same owners since opening. After an opening in the manager's position, Sue took the job 11 years ago and has remained there since. Before I had any information on the East Brook Mall, I was under the impression that Sue was a one-woman team, managing the entirety of the mall herself. Soon enough, I learned that she has low-level co-workers and assistants helping her along the way with the day-to-day operation, like cleaning services and making sure the shops open on time. To go along with that, Sue also explained that the day-to-day operation “can be really quiet with no issues whatsoever but there will be a day when an inspector has to work on the alarms and all of them will go off at once. Those days are pretty hectic.” When questioned about the atmosphere, Sue described it as “Quiet during the day, with a light flow of shoppers but picks up more after lunch-time.” Arriving around 11 a.m., there was not a soul in sight besides for the employees. Throughout our interview, Sue seemed pleased and engaged with all of the questions that were being answered and never had a problem with any of …show more content…
That being said, I would not take the East Brook Mall for granted if I lived in the Mansfield, Storrs, and Willimantic area since no strip-malls are around for miles. Even though some of the stores are outdated, they offer excellent customer service which does not go unnoticed. Not only that, but they offer restaurants of different varieties, an extensive gym, hair salons, a bank, a movie plex, and so on. Honestly, I recommend the East Brook Mall to anyone only in the Mansfield, Willimantic, and Storrs area, not anywhere else, though. The mall is not one you want to travel to if you do not live nearby since it's mainly designed to satisfy the needs of the local community. If the owners of the East Brook Mall wanted to expand, they should follow exactly what the Westfield Mall of Meriden, CT accomplished. In 1997, the “Meriden” Mall expanded by adding a second floor and an extra 30 stores, which cost millions of dollars but essentially has kept them in business for another 20 years. In other words, the East Brook Mall should seriously consider expanding if they want to stay in business and attract a larger customer