There is plenty of activity around the Danbury Fair mall with many “coming soon” signs. More stores are flocking to the mall, as one of the biggest shopping centers in New England continues to grow.
“Danbury Fair has continued to evolve as a premier shopping destination by blending dynamic fashion and beauty with pop culture, entertainment, and diverse dining experiences all in one convenient location,” said Danbury Fair spokesperson Nicole Ruotolo. “Our ability to adapt to trends and meet the changing needs of our community ensures we remain a relevant and engaging destination for visitors of all ages.
Jack & Jones, Pop Mart and gorjana are joining the more than 160 businesses operating at the Danbury Fair mall.
Jack & Jones is a Denmark-based company and Danbury is one of the first markets in the country that will have a store which will include also include JJXX, the retailer’s women apparel line. The other location is planned for Freehold Raceway Mall in New Jersey. Both malls are owned by Macerich, one of the leading owners, operators and developers of major retail real estate in the United States.
“These two locations will be among the first in the U.S. to feature both Jack & Jones and JJXX, marking a major milestone in the brands’ expansion into one of the world’s most dynamic fashion markets,” the company said in a news release.
The company began as a denim-focused menswear label to an international retailer, operating more than 4,000 stores worldwide. The brand offers denim, tailoring, casual wear, urban sportswear and accessories. JJXX, the women’s fashion line, offers “high-quality denim and versatile wardrobe essentials.”
“The U.S. has always been an important and influential market for fashion,” Anders Gam, brand director for Jack & Jones, said in a statement. “Entering this retail market is a milestone for Jack & Jones, and we’re excited to introduce our unique blend of denim expertise and accessible fashion. We can’t wait to meet the U.S. consumers and share what Jack & Jones is all about — great denim, on-trend fashion, and prices that make it easy to keep your style fresh.”
The Danbury location is expected to open next month.
“Jack & Jones and JJXX brings a fresh, exciting energy to our malls,” Eric Bunyan, senior vice president of leasing for Macerich, said in a statement. “Their focus on quality, style and versatile fashion perfectly complements the shopping experience our guests expect, and we’re thrilled to introduce these brands to our communities. These openings reflect our commitment to bringing world-class retailers to our properties, offering shoppers the latest in fashion trends and a vibrant, engaging experience every time they visit.”
Pop Mart, a global designer toy brand, is known for collectible blind figures including original characters like Molly, SKULLPANDA and Labubu and collaborates with Disney and Sanrio. The store celebrated its grand opening on Saturday. The store, founded in 2010, offers an immersive shopping experience to the mall and is located on the second floor next to LUSH.
California-based jewelry brand gorjana, will open in the mall in early 2026 next to Coach. The jewelry store recently opened a location at the Westfarms mall.
A CT mall attracts array of new, trendiest stores. One is a first for the state.
Rowan, an innovative piercing and jewelry company, will also open at Danbury Fair early next year. Ear piercing at Rowan is done by licensed nurses.
In July, the mall announced openings of GOAT USA, The Children’s Place, MINISO and JD Sports. Other stores that have recently opened or will open soon include Think of Kicks, Perfumania, OFFLINE by Aerie and Coach.
Coach opened last month on the second level near Starbucks as the company returned to the mall.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Coach back to Danbury Fair,” Danbury Fair general manager Mackenzie Fontaine said. “The return of this iconic luxury brand demonstrates our commitment to bringing high-quality, in-demand retailers to the center. This is exactly the kind of elevated shopping experience our guests are craving.”
Victoria’s Secret, Foot Locker, Snipes and Verizon have also recently renovated at the mall.
Ruotolo said that a restaurant is expected to be added at the mall next year but can’t release the name yet. She added that American Eagle Outfitters has an expansion in the works for next year as well.
Dr. James Mohs, associate professor of accounting, finance and taxation at the University of New Haven, said Danbury Fair benefits from location and demographics.
“The towns surrounding the mall are very affluent starting with New Fairfield, Redding, Wilton and towns like that,” Mohs said. “There’s no other mall around there. They are also five miles from the New York border.”
Mohs said New Yorkers will save at least 2% in sales tax shopping in Connecticut.
“The mall also has great stores and some upscale stores as well as some niche stores,” Mohs added.
Mohs said struggling malls should take a survey of the neighborhood and have a marketing company come in and survey the demographics and what their interests are and attract stores based on that information.
“Another thing hurting these malls there is so much traffic and it’s so easy to buy from Amazon online and have something delivered to your door overnight,” Mohs said. “To get foot traffic, you’re going to have to appeal to your customers and what stores they would be interested in.”
Mohs said he expects malls like Danbury Fair to hold steady.
“I don’t think they’re going to take off and be a super mall or anything, but I think they’re going to hold their own,” Mohs said. “Danbury also has a lot of great restaurants. You can get a great meal and upscale stores.”
Kenneth A. Goroshko, the executive-in-residence at the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business, also said the level of affluence and the type of stores that are going to attract customers are two critical parts of successful malls.
“You look at the demographics, and you look at who’s buying what and what’s evolving,” Goroshko said.
He said the location is drawing customers from Westchester County in New York as well as lower Fairfield County. He said the lower taxes in Connecticut compared to New York is a draw for out-of-state buyers and added that boutique stores are big attractions to many in mall like Danbury.
Goroshko said the competition is growing from online sales. In the United States alone in 2024, Goroshko noted that there were 1.337 trillion online orders as compared to 20.8 billion in 1997.
“It’s grown 1000-fold, and it grows 10% each year,” Goroshko said of online sales. “All these stores have rent, right? Their revenues are dropping, the owners, I think, are looking at these pieces of property can we convert them to a different type of setting like health care No. 1, right? Retirement, setting that No. 2, could also form housing No. 3. I mean, the biggest challenge today is affordable housing. I think these malls could be viewed in a different footprint upon the basic needs of people.
“The fact of the matter is dealing with the marketplace with trillion sales globally, right? That’s not going to stop. Businesses have to adapt. Even restaurants have to adapt. They have to adapt to the digital world we live in,” Goroshko added.
Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said the mall has been successful for many years and it’s a source of pride in Danbury.
“Danbury’s a great place to do business and we are geographically blessed being within 45 minutes of many major markets including Westchester, Stamford, New Haven and Waterbury,” Alves said. “We get a ton of people from neighboring New York, Putnam County, Dutchess County, who come and use our mall because we’re, you know, there’s so many stores open and successful.”
Alves also praised mall management for leadership and changing with the times and recognizing malls aren’t what they used to be. Alves said Danbury not only has desirable stores but also “great restaurants and entertainment.” He said Round1 Bowling & Arcade as well as Golf Lounge 18 both have had success in the mall.
“The mall is finding things for people to do outside and other reasons to come to the mall,” Alves said.
Alves praised the number of stores that have moved into the mall within the last six months and is excited about new businesses moving in. He also alluded to the restaurant moving into the space previously occupied by Brio Tuscan Grille.
“There’s a lease that is fully executed with a big-name restaurant that we know is going to be a big attraction,” Alves said. “I know people are going to be very excited in this whole area. It’s just going to be a bigger draw to this entertainment center because that’s what it’s become.”
When asked his advice to other malls in the state that may be not having the same success, Alves said a successful mall takes everyone believing in it and thinking outside of the box.
“Let’s stop thinking about that tradition where the malls were in the ’90s,” Alves said. “Maybe we need to think back to what they were in the ’80s with arcades and a little bit more of a meeting center almost like a third space. It’s events. How can you draw people? It’s community walks for nonprofits. It’s the mall being more than just a shopping center of an entertainment center and that’s what this mall has done. … It’s a place where people want to go and gather and the shopping happens naturally because they are there.
“We like the convenience of ordering online and we also have lives, and we want to go bowling and kids want to go to an arcade. You want to go to a restaurant,” Alves added. “You can think outside of the box from the traditional mall to get things that draw people and this is how we can save these shopping centers and malls across our state.”