KENTWOOD, Mich. — The Woodland Mall in Kentwood, MI. has implemented a new policy that will require all minors (people under the age of 18) visiting the mall to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21 on Saturday nights.
The mall said this new policy is meant to "create a safer and more comfortable shopping experience for all visitors." The policy will go into effect on Saturday, Dec. 7.
They also said the policy is in response to concerns that shoppers and local authorities have raised about unsupervised minors gathering in large groups, which they said can "disrupt the shopping experience for others."
"Woodland Mall is committed to maintaining a welcoming environment for all of our guests," said Tony DeLuccia, general manager of Woodland Mall. "This policy ensures our visitors can enjoy their shopping experience and fosters a secure work environment for mall employees."
A spokesperson for the mall told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that the restriction is part of a larger trend. They said that for several months, malls owned by the company PREIT have been implementing similar policies. They said that they are also seeing other retailers implement these kinds of policies.
The mall said that the policy will be in effect after 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and may extend to additional peak hours in the future. They said they are also taking steps to ensure that employees at the mall who are under the age of 18 are not negatively impacted by the policy.
"Store managers will be responsible for ensuring all juvenile employees have approved access to the mall during their shifts," the mall said.
To learn more about this policy, you can visit the mall's website here.
