The End of a Shopping Era

Once upon a time, going to the mall in December was magical. Festive decorations everywhere, stores overflowing with toys, books, clothing, housewares, furniture, everything you could ever want. Holiday shoppers left with armloads of presents, some already gift wrapped by the store where they were purchased. Shopping malls were glamorous destinations from the 1960s through the early 2000s.

When the Brass Mill mall opened in 1997, it was supposed to revitalize Waterbury. Nearly 3,000 jobs were created at a time when there were more retail jobs than workers in Connecticut. The mall’s developers expected to see more than 2 million shoppers in its first year. Seasonal workers were hired every year to help with the large influx of shoppers during the holidays.