Shopping centers and malls partially reopen
On the ninth day of the war with Hamas, shopping centers and malls in Israel are gradually reopening in addition to supermarkets and pharmacies, as Israelis seek to buy clothing and equipment, much of it for soldiers and reservists, as well as toys and games for children away from school, and equipment for families evacuated from the south.
BIG Shopping Centers CEO Hay Galis sent a letter to tenants last Thursday proposing that they reopen. He wrote, “These are difficult and special days, we are all fighting and mobilizing, and each one according to his ability, whether in the army or on the civilian front... I think that opening stores and centers at least north of Tel Aviv is the order of the hour, also to prove to these criminals that our lives have not stopped. Sometimes people need for you to be open, and quite a few stores are open in the centers. Think about it and act according to your feelings. Israel will be victorious.”
The Ofer Mall Group (Melisron) operates 18 malls around Israel, according to the instructions of the Home Front Command and the relevant authorities. The group sends out daily messages on social media telling customers which stores are operating in each individual mall.
In the Grand Haifa Mall, Monday, chains such as Tamnon, Delta, Shilav and the Hamashbir department store opened as well as camping and outdoor sports stores such as Ricochet and Columbia alongside food stores, bakeries, supermarkets and pharmacies. In other branches like the Rehovot Mall, Be Pharm, Steimatsky book store, optical stores and cafes are also open. In the Beersheba mall Toys R Us and fashion outlets Urbanica, Bag Select Chain, and Hoody’s are open.
(Globes/TNS)