The distinctly chilly temperatures that snuck into the Ark-La-Tex in recent weeks are a sure harbinger of the coming of the holiday season. With that comes the frantic scramble to find the perfect gift for all the certain someones on every shopper’s list.

Local merchants are gearing up for the expected rush of desperate shoppers, and a couple of local malls have added new stores and some cosmetic upgrades to make the season merrier.

Ashley Davis, marketing manager of the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets in Bossier City, said the changes at her center began back in the summer. 

“Coach Factory opened in August. We had a Levi’s Outlet store open in October. And then J. Crew Factory opened [in early November].”

Davis said the addition of so many stores is very welcome, if somewhat unusual. She attributed the influx of merchants to some aggressive work by local cheerleaders and the mall’s leasing team. She said the Boardwalk team began touting the center in April, and the results have been encouraging. The Coach outlet is a “pop-up,” she said similar to Shreveport’s PopUps.

“National retailers are doing a lot more pop-up locations these days just to get a feel for the market and to see how well they would do here. And then if they do well, they’ll open a permanent space in the center,” Davis said. 

She said certain retailers “pop-up” ahead of the back-to-school season and remain through the holiday season. 

“Then they’ll reevaluate in the first quarter of [2015],” Davis said.

On the Shreveport side, Mall St. Vincent has been doing some renovation work in anticipation of the arrival of its latest tenant, H&M.

The new kid on the mall held its grand opening earlier this month and drew a large crowd of shoppers, said Mall St. Vincent and Pierre Bossier Mall General Manager Steven Niles.

According to Rouse Properties, the opening at the Mall St. Vincent location is H&M’s second in Louisiana and the first in Shreveport-Bossier City. 

“H&M is one of the premier brands in the fashion industry, and we believe its opening, coupled with the completion of the cosmetic renovation and the anticipated openings of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria and Aveda by Boeau Belle scheduled for the end of this year, will lead to an increase in foot traffic at the mall this holiday season and beyond,” the press release stated.

“Mall St. Vincent has long served as one of Northwest Louisiana’s leading retail destinations and central gathering places for the Shreveport community, and we look forward to ringing in the holidays this year with a variety of holiday themed events, including deals and promotions for Black Friday and visits with Santa in Sears Court.”

Davis said the arrival of these national retailers is a good sign for the community. She said attracting those retailers has been very tough for several years. She said even smaller cities in East Texas have managed to attract major retailers before Shreveport–Bossier City in the past.

“I think our leasing teams here and at the local shopping centers have gotten aggressive. We’ve proven ourselves. Our customers have proven themselves. The locals have proven themselves; this is where we want to shop,” Davis said.

She also credits the chambers of commerce in Shreveport and Bossier City, as well as the Convention & Tourist Bureau for creating excitement about this area and attracting tourists, shoppers and those retailers. 

“They’re doing some really creative things, like bringing in group tours and travel writers just to get people aware of our cities. I think there’s a lot more attention our way, not just retail, but attractions, as well,” Davis said.

Adding the new stores will be a plus for the Boardwalk, she said, which gets about 40 percent of its traffic from visitors to the local casinos. The new stores will keep attracting that demographic and bring in the local shoppers as well, she said.

“We’re pretty excited to having the dollars stay here as opposed to having everyone have to leave and go shopping elsewhere on holidays.”