Rochester mall hours to be cut in January

Rochester, N.Y. - Beginning January 2, 2018, hours at all three Rochester-area shopping malls will be cut by 30 minutes.

In a memo to mall employees sent in November, Wilmorite announced it will be open Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

On Sundays, mall hours will remain 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

"I shop online mainly; mostly Amazon," said college student Isabel Stockley.

But for shopper Jacob Ingalsbe, he prefers the in-store experience.

"You get to check out more of the items in the store, rather than just seeing a picture online," Ingalsbe said.

In the memo, Wilmorite wrote:

"After speaking with numerous merchants in recent months, it was felt that hours that stores are allotted for personnel can be utilized more effectively by shortening the Monday-Saturday hours by 1/2 hour."

Wilmorite owns the Eastview Mall, The Mall at Greece Ridge Mall, and The Marketplace Mall in Henrietta.

"You can restrict hours and probably not reduce your sales in any meaningful way," said Brighton Securities Chairman George Conboy.

Reports indicate that online shopping rose 17 percent on Black Friday 2017. Conboy says because of this, merchants are looking to cut loose ends.

"Don't be surprised if you see some companies coming back to closing one day a week, further restricting hours," Conboy said.

"I can't even imagine what the overhead is like in all of those little shops," said online shopper Gary McAnally.

Others say the time change will only be a minor adjustment.

"The times really don't bother me when they are open," Ingalsbe said. "We just go when they are open."

An Eastview Mall representative told 13WHAM on Monday, foot traffic is strong and steady this holiday season. Representatives add that Wilmorite is following what hundreds of malls have already done across the country.