If you were planning on social distancing yourself at a local mall, think again. The realty group that owns several major malls in our area shut them down through the end of March.
Simon Property Group will close all of its 320 malls in North America and Asia, including seven in North Georgia and metro Atlanta, over the coronavirus crisis.
The malls include:
- Lenox Square
- Phipps Plaza
- Mall of Georgia
- Town Center Cobb
- North Georgia Premium outlets
- Sugarloaf Mills
- Calhoun Outlet Marketplace
“The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers, and employees is of paramount importance and we are taking this step to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said David Simon, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Simon.
The closure started at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 18 and will end on March 29.
Outlet shopping
Tanger Outlets which owns shopping malls in Commerce and Locust Grove, Georgia, remain open on shortened schedules.
Temporary outlet center hours are from 11 am-7 pm daily, according to the corporate website. The company cautions that individual retailer hours vary and several stores are currently closed. Shoppers should check with retailers before visiting.
Tanger Outlets in four northern states and in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, are all closed.
