The space that until recently housed a Wells Fargo bank branch in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is available for lease. What would you like to see open there? Nearby businesses include a supermarket (The Fresh Market), a hair salon (Hair Cuttery) and a wine & spirits shop. The Promenade Shops is a lifestyle center located in Upper Saucon Township.
You can’t go shopping without money, so putting a bank in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley probably seemed like a logical decision when the Upper Saucon Township lifestyle center opened in 2006.
Times have changed, however, and fewer Americans rely on cash when shopping if they shop in brick-and-mortar stores at all. Many people today do all of their banking online.
Lower demand for in-person banking services has resulted in a number of financial service providers closing branches, and while it is unclear if that was a factor in Wells Fargo’s recent decision to close its Promenade Shops branch, it may have played a role.
The bank located near The Fresh Market and Old Navy was temporarily closed during the coronavirus pandemic, which frustrated some of its clients, according to online reviews.
It apparently closed for good sometime late last year or early this year, as evidenced by the removal of the Wells Fargo sign and the placement of a sign containing leasing information in one of the unit’s windows.
Also gone is the ATM that was located outside the branch, although two nearby Wells Fargo branches–in Hellertown and Coopersburg–both have outdoor ATMs.
What do you think would be a good fit for this location, which is also near the state-run Fine Wine & Good Spirits store and a hair salon?
Approximately two dozen units in the Promenade Shops are currently vacant, including the spaces that formerly housed Plow & Hearth and New Balance. Both retailers pulled out of the shopping center at the end of 2021.
One recent bright spot for the Promenade Shops has been the opening of Lashes by Gab, which was celebrated with a grand opening event last weekend. Another new business, ELITE Salons & Suites, is expected to open sometime later this year.
For more information about leasing opportunities in the Promenade Shops as well as a store directory and map, visit ThePromenadeShopsatSauconValley.com.
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Other retail centers in the area have also seen several well-known names decide to call it quits in recent weeks. At the Outlets at Wind Creek in Bethlehem, both the Under Armour and Corningware stores recently closed their doors.
