WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Wyoming Valley Mall is officially back in business. Mall officials announced Sunday that power has been fully restored, ending a multi-day blackout that began on the eve of one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The mall is scheduled to open its doors to the public this morning, Monday, December 29, at 11:00 a.m.
A recurring struggle for the mall
This latest outage, which began Tuesday night, forced the facility to remain closed through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the following Friday and Saturday. While the specific cause of this week's electrical failure has not been disclosed, the resolution follows the arrival of a high-voltage testing specialist from Philadelphia who worked alongside local utility crews.
This incident marks the second major closure for the mall in 2025 due to power issues:
July Outage: Earlier this summer, the mall was forced to shut down for nearly two weeks starting on June 25. That outage was attributed to damage to underground transmission lines, reportedly sparked by a lightning strike.
December Outage: The most recent failure lasted five days, striking at a critical time for retailers during the post-Christmas return and clearance rush.
Returning to normal operations
With the lights back on, the mall will resume its standard hours starting today. Merchants, particularly those in the food court who faced significant inventory concerns during the blackout, are expected to be operational for the 11:00 a.m. opening.
