Montebello Retailers Still 'Very Hopeful' After Freeway Closed Days Before Christmas
MONTEBELLO (CBS) — Nearly one week before Christmas, retailers near the 60 Freeway closure in Montebello struggled Thursday to lure customers into their stores.
KNX 1070's John Brooks reports despite the setback, they still remain optimistic after an eight-mile stretch of the freeway was shut down in the wake of a tanker truck fire.
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"We're just very, very hopeful that folks will still select us as a shopping destination," said marketing manager Sam Carpenter at The Shops At Montebello.
Carpenter and other retailers are hoping foot traffic will rebound when customer figure out alternate routes to reach the shopping center.
Drivers looking to reach the mall can turn south off the 10 Freeway onto either Del Mar, San Gabriel or Rosemead, all of which lead to The Shops At Montebello.
Still, retailers know the clock is ticking on the critical holiday shopping season.
"With Christmas ten days away, it's not the most ideal of situations, but again, it's something that was out of our control," said Carpenter.
"We're open for business, we're hoping folks will take the extra five minutes to come out and see us," he added.
