Westmoreland Mall loyalists cling to Black Friday tradition, leery of its evolution

Westmoreland Mall isn’t the shopping center Bev Queer and Carol Gowatski remember.

They used to gravitate toward the Bon-Ton department store. But then that closed in 2018. Sears was usually a good option, too, but that retailer closed its doors earlier this year.

“Pretty soon there’s not going to be anything to come back for,” Queer said.

The Mt. Pleasant friends have been waking early for their traditional Black Friday shopping for about 30 years and they recalled the changes they’ve seen during that time over Auntie Anne’s pretzels and coffee at a table in the food court. Even though stores they liked have closed, the pair still visit the mall to shop at JCPenney and other retailers.

“They have a lot of good clothes that we like,” Gowatski said.

In the past, it was pretty typical for them to buy several pairs of shoes at the mall on Black Friday after visiting a home improvement store for cheap poinsettias. They hope the mall — and their favorite stores — sticks around.

“I don’t want to shop online for clothes,” Queer said.

Several stores at the Hempfield mall, opened in 1977, have closed in the last couple years and more are offering discounted merchandise as they prepare to shut their doors. Some storefronts have transformed — the former Charlotte Russe is now Ski Warehouse. Others are under construction — Bon-Ton is turning into a minicasino.

Westmoreland Mall officials have said options to fill empty spaces at the facility include nonretail and dining options, a move that malls across the country are making. The $150 million Live! Casino at the mall is expected to bring in dining and nightlife while adjacent new restaurant IronRock Tap House has a grand opening Dec. 16.

It remains to be seen how the casino opening might affect the mall, said Howard McFadden of North Huntingdon. Any added traffic it brings may only stay inside the casino and not filter out into the mall.

“It’s kind of hard to say what that’ll do,” he said while sitting on a bench waiting for his daughter to check out at Justice. “I guess more men will come to the mall with their wives because they can go to the casino.”

Work on the minicasino has been ongoing for several weeks. Officials expect it to create hundreds of jobs and have slot machines, table games, the possibility of sports betting and millions of dollars in economic impact. The facility is expected to open next year.

But whether that impact trickles into the mall remains to be seen.

Gowatski said the minicasino might bring more people to the mall, but they may keep gambling their dollars, not making purchases.

“I think it’s going to get worse,” Queer said.