The Marshalls store in Mahoning Township held its much anticipated grand opening Thursday at the Carbon Plaza Mall.

A mob of anxious shoppers eagerly gathered outside the roughly 25,000-square-foot store at 1241 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive East to celebrate its unveiling.

Suellen Cook of Lehighton was the first customer to take her shopping cart through the store and said she was ecstatic to see such a nice new store in the area.

“I’m thrilled, so excited,” Cook said. “We needed it.”

Vanessa Maddock and her daughter, Haven Reed, of Jim Thorpe, enthusiastically combed through the clothing racks in search of deals.

“It’s great; the selection of clothes is amazing,” Maddock said. “Now we don’t have to drive (as far).”

Holly Lang of Lehighton said she just moved here from Reading and added the store is a welcome addition.

“I’m just glad we have a place to shop for clothing and housewares,” Lang said.

Laura Prutzman and her son, Leo Prutzman, of Lehighton, also gave the store a rave review.

“I’ve never been to a Marshalls before,” Laura Prutzman said. “I was up at 6 (a.m.) and looked on your (Times News) website (to see about the time of the store’s grand opening).”

Leo, 10, was clearly impressed as he picked out several pairs of jeans and a shirt as part of his back to school shopping.

“I like the Halloween and fall (décor),” said Leo, who is about to enter fifth grade at the Lehighton Elementary Center. “And the modern stuff.”

Daniel Devitt of Lehighton said he attended the grand opening with his wife and son.

“I just think it’s good for the area,” Devitt said. “I think it’s going to do well, but I do miss the movie theater.”

Cassidy Kelly, marketing supervisor for Marshalls, said in an email, “We are thrilled to bring our amazing selection of high-quality merchandise to shoppers in Lehighton.”

Kelly added that in addition to providing a new shopping option for local residents, the new store plans to add about 60 full- and part-time jobs to the area.

Additionally, Kelly said Marshalls presented a donation of $10,000 to Victims Resource Center Thursday morning in celebration of its new Longview location.

The Marshalls store features a fresh selection of brand name and designer fashion at discount prices, and a broad range of products, from fashion and beauty to home.

Marshalls has over 1,200 stores spanning 48 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Since opening its first store more than 40 years ago, the Marshalls name has become synonymous with off-price shopping.