Easton Town Center grew a little bit bigger today with the grand opening of the new Fenlon Square expansion.

Yesterday’s “soft” opening of Ohio’s first American Girl store was supposed to be a practice run for the staff and a chance for media to get a look before Saturday’s grand opening.

Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties said Wednesday that Cobb Theaters will bring a new concept to help anchor its $300 million, Liberty Center project here.

As generations of frustrated parents have patiently explained to their children who are begging for the latest and greatest toy or whining because they don’t have the cool new gadget, there is a difference between needing something and wanting something.

Easton Town Center is making plans to welcome eight new stores in the coming months in hopes of inspiring repeat visits by kids and other demographic groups. The new stores include one that is a first for Ohio and two that are either new to Columbus or are returning to the market.

The internal forces that have buffeted the regional mall format range from changes in management style, to design and programming philosophy, and the influence of new technologies on retail behavior.

There are few more recognizably familiar structures than that stalwart American retail icon: the mall. With the rise of the automobile and the growth of suburban living in the middle of the 20th Century, malls exploded onto the retail, social and cultural landscape in a big way.

American Girl fans might want to clear their calendar on June 22. Officials of the company announced yesterday that that will be opening day for its first Ohio store, at Easton Town Center.

Ohio’s first American Girl store offering dolls and accessories will officially open its doors on June 22 at Easton Town Center, the doll company announced. The doll company announced in September that it planned to bring an American Girl store to Columbus. That announcement was a linchpin in Easton’s plan to develop a new shopping district, Fenlon Square, that will cater to children and families.

Preppy womenswear brand C. Wonder will open its first store in the Midwest at Easton Town Center in June. The 3,000-square-foot store will carry women’s clothing, footwear, jewelry and accessories, housewares and home décor, and personal electronics.