<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=33Xz5H_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=33Xz5H_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="747" ><figcaption>The SoNo Collection mall is located at 100 N. Water St., in Norwalk,&nbsp;Conn. The mall has become a regional draw since opening in October 2019. Photographed on Oct. 15, 2024.&nbsp; Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3aUJhX_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3aUJhX_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="650" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0ryUo1_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0ryUo1_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="639" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=26HVbf_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=26HVbf_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="663" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0mIgre_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0mIgre_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="639" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1ENk3r_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1ENk3r_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="658" ></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1b7yHR_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1b7yHR_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="652" ></figure>NORWALK — In the past few years, Jocelyn Casasola and her boyfriend, Gabriel Reyes, have gotten to know not only the city where they attend college, but also the one about 25 miles south. In Norwalk, the main attraction for the Western Connecticut State University seniors is the approximately 700,000-square-foot complex that stands at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 7: The SoNo Collection mall. Casasola and Reyes, who live, respectively, in the Westchester County, New York communities of Brewster and North Salem, visit the mall about every two months. “We both have a pleasant experience here,” Casasola said on Tuesday afternoon, while she and Reyes were having a meal at La Picante, one of the establishments in the mall’s third-floor dining row. “We just enjoy it every time we come here.” Article continues below this adWhile The SoNo Collection feels like a longstanding institution for shoppers like Casasola and Reyes, it is actually the newest mall in New England. But since its opening in October 2019, the mall has made an indelible impact on Norwalk and Connecticut’s retail industry. It has brought in scores of tenants — including several that previously operated at other malls in the state — and attracted shoppers from across the tri-state region and other parts of the country. And having weathered the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, The SoNo Collection has shown its ability to keep growing during tough times.“Our mission is to create a place for communities to thrive,” Matt Seebeck, The SoNo Collection’s senior general manager, said in an interview. “The great part about being The SoNo Collection is we have endeavored with all that we do to really create an emotional connection with this community.”<h2>A new retail destination in Connecticut</h2>The SoNo Collection in Norwalk opened in October 2019, and it remains the newest mall in Connecticut. Location: 100 N. Water St., Norwalk (at intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 7)Operator and co-owner: Brookfield PropertiesFootprint: Approximately 700,000 square feetFoot traffic: Approximately 140,000 visitors in September 2024Number of tenants: 78 (including anchor tenants Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom)Openings in 2024: Charlotte Russe, GameStop, Häagen-Dazs, Hot Topic and Vibez FragrancesUpcoming openings: Carter's, Chiwa Bistro and Sally's ApizzaJobs based at mall: More than 1,900Source: The SoNo Collection, Placer.AIDevelopment of The SoNo Collection transformed a long-empty lot at 100 N. Water St. On a plot of land that passersby once ignored, now stands a three-level hub that is visible from several blocks away. Its exterior is embellished with floor-to-ceiling windows, the logos of the mall and its anchor tenants, as well as an electronic billboard. Article continues below this adThe SoNo Collection also stands out because it was built at a time when mall construction had become rare in the U.S. It was the first enclosed mall to open in Connecticut since the late 1990s.But the mall's opening also raised questions. Some people wondered whether it could draw shoppers amid the ongoing ascendancy of e-commerce. Others worried about its impact on traffic in the state's sixth-most-populous city, which has grappled for many years with congestion on I-95, Route 7 and surrounding roads. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1RNGSr_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1RNGSr_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="720" ><figcaption>Shoppers browse the SoNo Collection mall in Norwalk, Conn. Oct. 15, 2024. The mall has become a regional retail draw since opening five years ago. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media</figcaption></figure>“I think a lot of people doubted that they would survive,” Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said in an interview. “A lot of people had questions, as did I, when we first started.” In the past five years, The SoNo Collection has answered those initial questions about its viability and also withstood the upheaval unleashed by the spread of COVID-19 in 2020. Under operator and co-owner Brookfield Properties, the mall has expanded from an initial line-up of 16 tenants to 78 tenants today. It is anchored by two department stores: the only Bloomingdale's in Connecticut and one of two Nordstroms in the state. Last month, the mall attracted about 140,000 visitors, according to location-analytics provider Placer.ai. Several other malls in Connecticut recorded much higher foot-traffic levels, but their numbers reflect significantly larger footprints and tenant rosters. Danbury Fair, which led malls in the state last month with about 347,000 visitors, covers about 1.3 million square feet. “We have guests from all across the state, and we have guests from all across the region who choose to stop in at The SoNo Collection, as part of their greater southwestern Connecticut experience,” Seebeck said. “We are thrilled to say that someone from all 50 states visits the shopping center at least once a month.”Most of The SoNo Collection's visitors drive, but their impact on Norwalk's traffic levels is mitigated by a few factors. For one, relatively few of them head to the mall during morning rush hours on weekdays. Instead, mall attendance usually peaks on the weekends. Article continues below this ad“I think, overall, they’ve been a really good addition to Norwalk,” Rilling said.The mall has also built trust with many in the Norwalk community through its hiring. More than 1,900 people work at the mall, according to Brookfield data — a total that makes it one of the largest private-sector employers in southwestern Connecticut. Men’s-clothing retailer UNTUCKit, which has a store on the mall’s second level, exemplifies the impact on the local workforce. Store manager Steve Zimmerman and most of his colleagues live in Norwalk.“It’s nice because it brings jobs closer,” Zimmerman said at the store on Tuesday afternoon. “Before this, I was running stores down in Westchester (County). It’s nice to go a mile and a quarter, as opposed to 35 miles to work every day.” Article continues below this adZimmerman also noted that a spirit of solidarity has developed among those who work at the mall. “Clarks and ourselves have a great relationship, and we send people back and forth,” he said. “With Talbots, we also have a good relationship. You have women coming in with their husbands, their husbands are bored, and they send them over to us. And with Zwilling, the knife shop, I have a very strong relationship because I actually opened that shop before I was here. It’s nice to make acquaintances within the mall because you help each other.” <h2>Competing with other retail hubs</h2>The SoNo Collection’s opening inevitably created more competition for the other malls in Connecticut — particularly Stamford Town Center, which stands about eight miles west. Article continues below this adRetailers started migrating from Stamford Town Center to The SoNo Collection soon after the opening of the latter. In January 2020, H&amp;M closed its store at Stamford Town Center, following the fast-fashion specialist’s opening of a store in November 2019 at The SoNo Collection. In February 2020, Apple shuttered its store at Stamford Town Center. A few days later, the technology giant opened its showroom at the Norwalk mall. Since 2019, Abercrombie &amp; Fitch, Aldo, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath &amp; Body Works, Chico’s, Clarks, Journeys, Pandora, Sephora, Swarovski, Talbots, Verizon and Zumiez have also shuttered establishments at Stamford Town Center while opening stores at The SoNo Collection.“When establishing a regional presence in Norwalk, it is standard to reach out to national brands,” Brookfield officials said in a written statement provided to CT Insider. “However, many brands reached out to us, as there was interest to establishing a presence at The SoNo Collection.” Article continues below this adBrookfield officials added that they had not offered financial incentives to recruit retailers from Stamford Town Center. A few retailers still operate stores at both malls — including Cohen’s Fashion Optical, Lids, Kay Jewelers, Sunglass Hut, as well as Victoria’s Secret and PINK. The latter two brands are part of the same company. During the past few years, Stamford Town Center has reduced the disruption of the retail departures by opening a number of non-retail establishments, including Pickleball America, the country’s largest indoor pickleball facility; a comedy club; an indoor soccer center; a dance studio; a pilates studio; and a couple of children’s play centers. In addition, Stamford Town Center has refreshed its dining lineup in the past couple of years by bringing in several eateries to its food court and recruiting a couple of restaurants to its street-level plaza. Other food and beverage options at Stamford Town Center include La Picante and Black Pearl Bubble Tea. Like La Picante, Black Pearl Bubble Tea also operates at The SoNo Collection. But the diminished retail selection at Stamford Town Center is one of the reasons why Stamford resident Joseph Romero said that he does not enjoy going to the mall in his home city. “It doesn’t have stores that I like,” Romero said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon at The SoNo Collection. Romero, an HVAC technician, visited the Norwalk mall with his fiancée, Manuela, and four-month-old son, Maximiliano. They stopped for some gelato and checked out stores such as Nordstrom and Abercrombie &amp; Fitch.Article continues below this ad“It’s clean. The layout is nice. You can’t get lost,” Romero said. “It’s a good local mall.” Messages left for Stamford Town Center General Manager Dan Stolzenbach were not returned. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2PUZte_0wC6J15P00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2PUZte_0wC6J15P00" width="960" height="640" ><figcaption>The SoNo Collection in Norwalk, Conn., includes several restaurants on its third level. Photographed on Oct. 15, 2024.&nbsp; Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media</figcaption></figure>The other malls in Connecticut, which are all at least 15 miles away, have been more insulated from The SoNo Collection’s influence. Many of the Norwalk mall's tenants have stores at some of those other malls. Apple, for instance, also has showrooms at Danbury Fair, Trumbull Mall, The Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor and Westfarms on the Farmington-West Hartford line. Westfarms is also where Nordstrom's other store in the state is located. Article continues below this adDanbury Fair did lose, however, a tenant to The SoNo Collection when home-furnishings retailer Arhaus closed its store there at the end of the 2021 holiday season. Arhaus’ showroom at The SoNo Collection opened in June 2020. Casasola and Reyes also shop at Danbury Fair, which is a few miles from the Western Connecticut campus. But they said that they generally prefer The SoNo Collection. Abercrombie &amp; Fitch, Nordstrom, H&amp;M and Zara are some of their favorite stores at the Norwalk mall. “I’d say it’s nicer,” Reyes said. “I like the stores here a bit better.”At the same time, The SoNo Collection co-exists with many independent street-level retailers in the area. Washington Street in the SoNo neighborhood, for instance, is home to a number of independent merchants such as Jean Smith, owner of Jean’s Closet, which sells yarn, handmade clothing and accessories, and hosts crochet, knitting and sewing workshops. After opening her original store on the street in 2018, Smith relocated last May to a larger, more visible storefront at 139 Washington St. Article continues below this ad“I don’t think the mall has really affected my business,” Smith said in an interview. “My store is totally different. It’s all handmade.”A few miles east, Westport’s Main Street and neighboring streets continue to draw many shoppers. Downtown Westport has lost some national chains such as Banana Republic, Loft, Patagonia and Peloton in the past five years, but none of them has opened a store at The SoNo Collection. During the same period, Main Street has continued to recruit retailers, with arrivals since the beginning of last year including Birddogs, Chanel, Gorjana and Rhone. “There is definitely a curb appeal that Westport has and a cachet that it has,” Charles Cristella, executive vice president of mall leasing and retail at commercial real estate firm JLL, said in an interview. “There are tenants that look at streets before they look at malls, and there are tenants that look at malls before they look at streets.” <h2>‘Bullish’ outlook</h2>Recent and upcoming openings suggest that The SoNo Collection will likely continue to fare well in the foreseeable future. Last month, video-game seller GameStop and fashion retailer Hot Topic opened stores at the mall. Stores for another fashion chain, Charlotte Russe, and Vibez Fragrances, as well as a Häagen-Dazs ice cream shop, opened earlier this year. Carter’s, which sells apparel for children and babies, and Chiwa Bistro are expected to open by the end of this year, while a Sally’s Apizza’s establishment is anticipated to open in the first quarter of next year, according to Brookfield officials. “I’m waiting for Sally’s Apizza,” Reyes said with a smile. Casasola nodded in agreement. Article continues below this ad“It’s easy. Right after shopping, you go eat there,” she said. Chiwa and Sally's will join two other street-level restaurants at the mall: Jacob's Pickles and Yard House. “Since its opening in November at The SoNo Collection, Jacob's Pickles has enjoyed considerable success,” Jacob Hadjigeorgis, founder and owner of Jacob's Pickles, whose three other locations are in New York City, said in a written statement. “It quickly became a premier dining destination and a main attraction. The space available in Connecticut also allowed it to become an event space for south Norwalk and neighboring towns, enhancing its role in the community. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, with many local residents becoming regular visitors.”Article continues below this adAt the same time, competition from e-commerce and the unpredictability of the retail industry have contributed to some recent setbacks at The SoNo Collection. This year, play-products retailer Camp, Michaels Jewelers and beauty retailer The Body Shop have closed their stores at the mall.But the resounding majority of the mall’s storefronts are occupied. Brookfield officials declined to disclose the mall’s leasing or occupancy rates. The mostly full house reflects the resilience of The SoNo Collection’s customer base. The mall draws many well-off shoppers, whose discretionary spending has been less affected by post-pandemic headwinds such as high inflation and rising interest rates. In Norwalk, the median annual household income was approximately $98,000 in the past few years, compared with a statewide median of about $90,000, according to Census Bureau data. Among the towns that border Norwalk, the median annual household income totaled around $168,000 in New Canaan, about $243,000 in Westport, around $231,000 in Wilton and more than $250,000 in Darien. “I’m bullish on the outlook in the next five years,” Cristella said. “You have a strong developer, you have unique anchors, and you have an affluent population.”Article continues below this adDuring the next few years, The SoNo Collection will probably need to further diversify its offerings to attract more newcomers and keep shoppers coming back. Romero, the Stamford resident, suggested laser tag as a potential addition. The mall's current entertainment options include Galaxy VR, a hub for arcade games and virtual-reality games and simulators, and the Pinstripes bistro, which also features bowling lanes and bocce courts. “I think in the next five years you’re going to see a little bit more entertainment and a little bit more soft goods come to The SoNo Collection,” Seebeck said. “We’re just going to keep trying to do things that will surprise people and make them go out to a mall.”Article continues below this ad</div></body>

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The SoNo Collection turns five: How Norwalk's mall changed Connecticut's retail industry

NORWALK — In the past few years, Jocelyn Casasola and her boyfriend, Gabriel Reyes, have gotten to know not only the city where they attend college, but also the one about 25 miles south. In Norwalk, the main attraction for the Western Connecticut State University seniors is the approximately...