LAYTON -- The Layton Hills Mall is about to get another new tenant just in time for fall.
Halloween Bootique has made plans to occupy 12,000 square feet of space on the lower level of the vacated Mervyn's store, said Layton Hills Mall General Manager Barry Smith.
"They have been here the last few years and they draw a big crowd of shoppers," said Smith, who is confident the specialty boutique will have a good run while in the mall. "We're filling it with a good draw. The customers love this store."
The boutique, offering Halloween-themed accessories, makeup, costumes and decorations, is scheduled to open around Aug. 1 on a temporary lease agreement, Smith said.
Halloween Bootigue is part of the Coach House Gifts chain, established in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1969.
Mervyn's, a national clothing store chain out of California, closed its stores in 2008 after filing for bankruptcy.
About 6,000 square feet of space on the upper level of the Mervyn's store is currently occupied by Head Over Heels, a junior's clothing and shoe store.
In the meantime, mall officials and Layton city staff continue to work toward finding a permanent tenant to fill the former Mervyn's, which offers about 90,000 square feet of total building space when taking into account the upper and lower level.
Kiddie Kandids is also reopening in the mall in August under new management in the same store space it occupied prior to closing, Smith said.
Kiddie Kandids closed in December following a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Excluding the unused floor space in the former Mervyn's, Smith said, the mall has maintained a 95 percent occupancy rate or better for the past few years.
And this year could prove to be busier.
"I think we have seen the worst of it," Smith said of the struggling economy.
"I really feel that there is some good consumer attitudes out there now. I think it is going to be a good year for us," Smith said. "It will take awhile to get to the frenzy days of 2007, but we'll get back up there."
"We're definitely seeing a turn around amongst retailers in the community," Layton economic specialist Ben Hart said.
And when the Layton mall is experiencing strong retail sales, Hart said, Davis County is enjoying the same success, since the mall is the county's "anchor tenant of retail."
"When the mall is healthy, that means everyone else is doing well," he said.
Having worked with the ownership group of the Layton mall, Hart said, he recognizes mall operators are doing everything they can to keep things moving.
"(Barry) Smith is the best in the business when it comes to retail recruitment and filling vacancies," Hart said.
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