First Arboretum stores open
About 2,500 shoppers proved their love for the smell of commerce in the morning Friday.
That's the number of L.L. Bean customers who lined up for the grand opening of the first store at the new Arboretum of South Barrington mall. About a dozen stores have now opened, with more set for a grand opening weekend next week. Officials say 75 stores could eventually open.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," said Cyndi Voras of Palatine.
She arrived at 9:15 p.m. Thursday - almost a fill 12 hours before the store opened - and spent the night outside on an inflatable mattress she'd brought along. The first 500 customers were given gift cards worth $25 to $500. The store opened at 9 a.m. Friday, and 20 minutes later the gift cards were gone.
Mary Lou Kelley, an L.L. Bean vice president, said store officials estimate 200,000 people will shop the 30,000-square-foot South Barrington shop in its first year. Before Friday's opening at Routes 72 and 59, the closest L.L. Bean store to Chicago was in Albany, NY.
Overcast skies did nothing to deter the crowds, as most of the 2,500 parking space were filled with various makes and models. That's a testament to the diversity in who will shop the Arboretum, said Michael Jaffe, of the Jaffe Cos., the center's developer.
Jaffe poured $200 million into the 600,000-square-foot open-air shopping center. He sees it as a community gathering place for the Northwest suburbs, saying shoppers will enjoy details like cobblestone sidewalks, bronze statues and Tudor-style architecture.
"The Northwest suburbs are really clamoring for this," he said.
Arboretum officials project the center will created about 1,000 full- and part-time jobs. Jaffe labels the complex a lifestyle center, different from malls like Schaumburg's Woodfield, which he called a "behemoth." For example, there's no traditional food court for mid-mall snacking at the Arboretum, but there are restaurants like Panera Bread, Potbelly and eventually places for steak and sushi. Free Wi-Fi Internet access could also be offered.
"Whatever to keep the customers spending time here," Jaffe said.
He also believes Arboretum's shoppers will have more disposable income and be more into outdoor activities.
Voras said she'll shun other malls and shop South Barrington, even in the winter.
Sur la Table and DSW were other stores that opened, with one DSW employee saying that they weren't prepared for the number of customers crowding the store. Many parents were also crowding sidewalks with children in strollers. That's a good sign, Jaffe said.
But not all customers were happy. Stephen Lopez drove 90 miles from Highland, Ind., and said he was unimpressed. He's been an L.L. Bean shopper since 1983 but said customer service at the store was poor, and that no one did anything when customers cut in front of those patiently waiting.
Other businesses, like the Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas, remain under construction. The movie theater plans to charge $35 per ticket, and crews were working on the screening rooms, which include plush orange recliners using switches similar to power seats in a car. Each room seats 20, and it's due open later this month.