Eeny meeny miny mall
Make an informed decision on where to Christmas shop with our retailer guide
Malls used to seem interchangeable, all anchored by the same department stores and with a predictable list of retailers between them.
But after decades of changes and billions of dollars in additions and renovations — in particular over the past five years — GTA malls are no longer clones.
CF Sherway Gardens is newly stunning, emerging from a $550-million expansion that added 50 new stores.
CF Toronto Eaton Centre added 23 new stores this year, part of a 71,000-square-foot expansion as it prepares for the arrival of Saks Fifth Avenue in February and Nordstrom in the fall.
Square One in Mississauga is renovating and expanding to welcome Quebec fashion retailer La Maison Simons and a new flagship Holt Renfrew in 2016, having already updated its interior. The mall snagged Japanese retailer Muji as a tenant in 2015 as well as Bailey Nelson, a new eyewear company that sells glasses for $145.
Scarborough Town Centre has added upscale retailers to its offering, while maintaining a strong selection of stores for the budget-minded, including a Walmart and a Dollarama. The mall’s Planet Santa, with 55,200 mini lights and 2,280 ornaments, has become a regional draw, according to general manager Robert Horst.
The result is that GTA malls now have personality plus and it’s getting easier to match them up with your particular budget, shopping list, location, mode of transportation and even mood. Because sometimes you want that mad holiday mash-up of people and sometimes you need something soothing for your frayed nerves.