Bangor - About thirty minutes after the Bangor Mall opens its doors for the day, one wouldn't expect these crowds on a Thursday morning.

General Manager James Gerety says the sounds of foot traffic are signs the recession is being put away.

"We draw upon customers as far in the provinces of Canada to Augusta and the coastal region, a very larger trade area we draw upon," he said.

During a time when malls across the country are struggling, the Bangor Mall is expanding.

This year alone, seven new stores were added bringing in about 70 new jobs.

Josh Jackson is the Store Manager of Cadillac Mountain Sports. He says the outdoor specialty shop's move from the backcountry into Bangor was a natural fit.

"It's kind of central to Acadia, Baxter when it comes to our hiking, climbing and running wise, we've got trails, a lot of events that come up this way," he said.

From regional to national brands, the new stores aren't just open for business, they're opening up opportunity for the Bangor mall to tap into different markets.

"We're strategically poised to provide great retail in this market but Bangor is also a destination and we take advantage for services as a destination for hospitality, a destination for entertainment," Gerety said.

With national brands like Pandora and Sephora come a long line of loyal customers.

"The day that they opened, they had 80 people at the door waiting to come in and shop at Sephora so that speaks very well of how important that brand is."

Gerety says this isn't the beginning of growth, it's a continuation.

"Our leasing team is out there, they're looking for new concepts and we'll bring in the top brands that we can," he added.

A win-win for consumers and producers.

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