Cathy Dobson
Lambton Mall is undergoing a $5.1-million redevelopment to accommodate new tenants, and more good news is coming, says Property Manager Laura Beecroft.
Two-thirds of the main floor in the former Sears store (40,000-square-feet) on the mall’s south end is being reconstructed for a new HomeSense and Marshalls.
Beecroft said demolition to remake the space for the two fashion and home retailers has started inside and outside.
Emily Lamb, a spokesperson for TJX Canada, confirmed a lease has been signed for a Marshalls and HomeSense “combo” store scheduled to open next spring.
The other third of the old Sears’ main floor remains available for lease, possibly for an entertainment use. The second floor is stripped down to a shell and also available.
Meanwhile, a building permit valued at $3.5 million has been issued for work at the mall’s north end, where Tepperman’s furniture was located until spring 2018.
Sarnia Police Services has leased 9,000 of the 32,000 square feet in that building for use as a training facility. Officers have been training at the mall since 2017 in space next to H&M and are moving.
At the “T” inside the mall, work begins Aug. 1 to prepare another 16,000 square feet for a new fashion retailer. The new tenant can’t be named yet, said Beecroft.
“But a lease is in place and the space is combining six retail units that were formerly leased to Suzy Shier, Pet Valu, Northern Reflections, Stitches, and two units occupied by Sarnia Police,” she said. “It is a very large project and there are a lot of moving parts.”
Several stores are relocating within the mall. Northern Reflections, for one, reopened last week.
Beecroft said it’s up to the new fashion retailer to announce its name to the community.
Retail is increasingly challenging and traditional stores have to work hard to compete with online businesses, she said. But many customers still prefer going to a physical store and many of those stores are success stories, she added.
“A lot of people think this mall is dying. Retail is very tough right now and, to be successful, a very strong business model is necessary. You have to think outside the box or you won’t make it,” she said.
Lambton Mall is bucking the trend with sales per square foot the highest they’ve ever been, according to Beecroft.
Her figures strictly take into account the smaller retail units in the mall, not the space previously occupied by anchors like Sears and Tepperman’s.
Total volume of sales is also the highest it’s ever been, Beecroft said. “It shows that Lambton Mall is very well supported by the community.
“I think the dollar helps too. People are shopping at home (rather than in the United States).”
The fact most franchises and national corporations prefer cities with populations of 150,000 plus means the leasing team has its work cut out.
There are also painful closures when corporations shut down nationwide, as happened this year with Payless Shoes. The mall has since brought in a new shoe retailer, called SoftMoc.
“Bricks and mortar are still necessary because people still want an experience they can’t get online,” Beecroft said. “Our businesses thrive because they know they have to provide fantastic service.”
A recent survey conducted by the mall found Sarnians want more entertainment-oriented services. To that end, Cineplex is opening a new Playscape this week inside the mall with interactive video games.
Lambton Mall is Sarnia’s only indoor shopping centre. It was built in 1970 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.