The Mall at University Town Center hosts VIP shopping experience
Are you a very important person? You may be if you hit the Mall at University Town Center.
The first 300 people to snag a VIP wristband from customer service at the Mall at UTC are eligible for special discounts, deals and promotions at certain stores in the mall. The wristbands are part of a "store crawl" offered through Wednesday.
"I thought it'd be like the pub crawls I went on in college, where you got to find out about all of the bars and restaurants," said Angela Kienzle, store manager at SEE Eyewear. "So I thought it'd be cool to do a store crawl and make a party of it."
Kienzle said she and a few other store managers collaborated to put the event together and get customers into stores they've never visited before.
The wristbands are free and there are enough left for a group to embark on the store crawl. The event is perfect for locals who are unfamiliar with the Mall at UTC and people getting bored on summer break.
When you pick up the wristband from customer service, you'll get a store crawl "order" as well. In order to be entered for the raffle at the end of the crawl, you must visit every store on the order and make a purchase from at least three of the stores. Each additional purchase more than the three earns you another raffle ticket. Purchases of $100 or more will earn two extra raffle tickets.
Prizes from the raffle include gift cards valued at $10 to $50, at-home party packages and free samples.
So far, about 25 people have participated in the mall crawl, and Kienzle said people are "blown away" after they visit stores they were unfamiliar with. The store crawl will be extended through the weekend if not all 300 wristbands are used by the end of day Wednesday.
Kim Dominguez, communications director for the mall, said the VIP shopping experience was mostly tenant-driven and the mall is doing a lot of "watch and learn" events since its opening in October 2014.
"We're extremely supportive of the UTC community," Dominguez said. "We plan on doing these kinds of events in the future."
The crawl also includes happy hour pricing at KONA Grill on Monday and Tuesday. Appetizers, sushi rolls, flatbreads and drinks are all offered at discounted prices, starting at $4 for appetizers.
Other stores participating in the crawl include:
Aveda -- free gift with purchase, valued at $20 to $50, and all guests receive customized samples
Oil & Vinegar -- free Sicilia Dipper sample and 30 percent off of purchase
Just In Case -- two cases for $30
Evocent -- free Uno De 50 Necklace with any purchase
Tina Stephens -- buy one item, get the second 50 percent off (excludes jewelry, cashmere and handbags)
Jackie Z Style Co. -- 20 percent off entire purchase (excludes clearance) and 50 percent off select merchandise (not to be combined with any other offer)
Footgear Outdoor Lifestyle -- 10 percent off
Art Of Shaving -- see store for details
Moleskine -- see store for details
Ghost Armor -- 15 percent off and a free microfiber nag per device with purchase
Kay Jewelers -- free professional jewelry cleaning
SEE Eyewear -- 20 percent off complete pair of glasses valued at $275 or more
Contact SEE Eyewear at 941-866-6588 with questions or visit the Mall at UTC events page for more information.
This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 3:55 PM with the headline "The Mall at University Town Center hosts VIP shopping experience ."