Bellevue Square officially reopened on Tuesday to happy shoppers.

Alesha Shemwell, Director of Retail for the Bellevue Collection, said 70% of the stores have reopened and many of those that remain closed are considering reopening earlier than planned due to the crowds of shoppers that have returned. Like many malls, most Bellevue Square stores closed in March when the state issued a Stay Home Stay Healthy order.

“It was a good feeling yesterday,” Shemwell said. “A few stores reported that their sales beat last year’s numbers. The employees and shoppers are happy to be back”

The mall is operating under Phase 2 of the state’s retail reopening plan. That means for the time being, stores are limited to allowing customers to occupy 30% of floor space while the restaurants are allowed seating in 50% of the available space.

Shemwell noted that numerous safety protocols have been put in place including restaurant seating with social distancing. The mall has added ambassadors to hand out masks, hand sanitizer and to answer questions. Cleaning protocols include UV light being used to sanitize handrails and high-touch surfaces.

The mall also is working with a few stores that had been open by offering curbside sales. Shemwell said she’s working to see whether the service can continue on an appointment basis while not disrupting other traffic on the property.

The mall preceded its reopening with a comprehensive multi-media campaign that included a full-page Seattle newspaper ad, commercials and social media coverage.

Washington Retail congratulates Bellevue Square on a successful reopening and welcomes it back as a premium retail location for shoppers throughout the Northwest.