Walt Whitman Shops cuts mall hours

Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station on Monday will begin closing at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 30 minutes earlier than previously, mall owner Simon Properties said.

The new hours align “with the operating hours of our department stores — Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue,” Simon said in a statement. Many restaurants at the mall will continue to remain open later, via their exterior entrances, to serve customers, the company said.

A Simon spokesman declined to comment beyond the statement.

Marshal Cohen, senior retail analyst with the NPD Group, a Port Washington market research company, said the shorter hours are likely a way to reduce operating costs.

“A closing time that’s half an hour earlier multiplied by the number of people they employ — it adds up and makes a big difference,” he said.

“There are all kinds of costs that go into operating a mall, and because of the rise of online shopping, [malls are] just not making as much money as they used to.”

Cohen said the shorter hours at Walt Whitman Shops might be “part of a larger experiment.”

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“And if it’s somewhat successful, you’ll see other malls follow suit,” he said. “Malls are under a lot of pressure; if they’re not busy, they don’t want to be open.”

Walt Whitman Shops’ new hours, starting Monday, will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m Sunday.