By CARRI GRAHAM

Times Leader Staff Writer

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Ohio Valley Mall announced a new service is now up and running for customers who prefer shopping from the comfort of their vehicle to entering the establishment.

The mall’s newest program, “Mall to Go,” is a curbside pickup service that select stores are now offering. The service allows customers to shop for products without having to leave their vehicle.

Joe Bell, spokesman for the mall’s parent company Cafaro Co., said the service is now available for those who would prefer the option of curbside pickup.

Participating shops include American Eagle Outfitters, Buckle and Garfield’s Restaurant and Pub. Bell said he expects additional retailers will be added to the list as stores continue the reopening process.

“So far only three stores are doing it right now. … We may see that number grow in a few days,” he said. “A lot of the stores are just getting back into the swing of things right now.”

The mall reopened May 12 after being closed for more than two months due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Many of the mall’s restaurants have been providing similar services and continue to do so.

Bell said there are designated parking spaces located on all sides of the mall for those who choose to use the new service.

“There are about 20 parking spaces on each side (of the mall) with signage that says ‘Mall to Go,'” he said.

Customers can place their orders online or by phone. Once the order is placed, customers can then park in one of the designated parking areas and contact the retailer to alert them of their arrival.

“They’ll (customers) call into the store and one of the store’s employees will bring out the merchandise,” he said.

Customers using the service are asked to turn on their hazard lights while waiting for their merchandise in order to direct employees to their vehicle. The employee will place the order in the customer’s back seat or trunk to minimize physical contact.

Bell said the new service will help those who still have reservations about going places amid the pandemic.

“It’s really suited and was designed for those people who are still sort of feeling a little tentative about going anywhere in public right now,” he said.

The curbside service is also meant to help those most susceptible to the virus by limiting their contacts, he said.