By Brad Groznik
Do you hear that music piping through the subliminal
sound system at the malls? Is it? Yup, it’s
holiday music and the malls around the borough
can’t wait for the spending spree.
Queens Center, Bay Terrace and The Shops at Atlas
Park are all remaining optimistic that despite
the slow economy, people will still spend time
and money at the mall.
Queens Center, 90-15 Queens Blvd., hosted its
fifth annual Tree Lighting Ceremony Saturday,
which kicked off its holiday shopping season.
Dawn Simon, spokeswoman for the mall, said retailers
are excited for the holiday shopping season to
begin.
“It’s business as usual,” she
said.
The mall was packed Saturday with shoppers, crushing
any notion that the slowing economy would have
a disastrous impact on retailers.
For the third straight year, Queens Center will
be open 24 hours a day for the week leading up
to Christmas Day, Dec. 25. That means, beginning
Dec. 19, you can rush to the mall at any point
in the night after realizing you forgot to buy
a gift for your new nephew.
The Shops at Atlas Park, 80-00 Cooper Ave., are
also hosting a range of services and events like
free personal gift shopping, free gift wrapping
and charitable shopping nights.
Personal Shopping
Atlas Park is offering a concierge-like service
this holiday season, giving customers uninterrupted
time with a knowledgeable shopping specialist
who will give customers a personalized tour
of Atlas Park’s retailers, offer custom
advice and answer any questions. The service
is free and enables customers to pick a time
that is most convenient for them, and whichever
store or stores they like to visit.
During the appointment, the customer can take
as much time as they need to try on items or
determine if the item is something that will
work for them. If not, the specialist will offer
advice and help the shopper find the perfect
holiday gift. The specialist will then take
care of all of the arrangements for you –
preparing the order and even arranging for gift
wrapping and shipping-should the customer request
it.
Customers can call (718) 326-3300, Ext. 113
for more information about the Personal Gift
Shopping service.
Gift Wrapping
Continuing until Sunday, Dec. 28, various local
charities around Queens will wrap gifts for
customers for a small donation – all proceeds
will go to whichever nonprofit charity is providing
the service that day. The charities volunteering
their time include NY Families for Autistic
Children, South Queens Boys & Girls Club,
Queens Historical Society and more.
Charitable Shopping Nights
Offered 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2, Tuesday,
Dec. 9 and Tuesday, Dec. 16., Atlas Park invites
shoppers to do their holiday shopping on these
three evenings where they can receive gifts,
including special offers and discounts from
Atlas Park’s restaurants, while also giving
back to the community. On each night, the Hospitality
Center will be taking donations of $50 which
will benefit the Queens Library Foundation –
these shoppers will also be treated to a special
gift (on Dec. 2, the gift consists of a calendar
and key chain; on Dec. 9, Atlas Park celebrates
“Couple’s Shopping Night”
by giving shoppers a Hot stone massage kit;
on Dec. 16, the gift for men is a sports book).
And don’t forget to get your picture with
Santa Claus. He is available at both Atlas Park
and Queens Center.
Happy shopping!
