Avalon Mall
Encyclopedia
The Avalon Mall is a Canadian shopping mall
located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
. With over 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²), two floors, there are over 140 stores, making it the largest shopping mall
in Newfoundland and Labrador
. The mall opened in 1967 and is owned by Crombie REIT
.
. The mall underwent major extensions in 1977, 1987 and 1999. In the late 1980s and 1990s low retail performance promoted mall management to embark on major renovation programs. In 1991, one of its anchor tenants, a local department store, Ayre and Sons
(a chain with locations across Newfoundland and Labrador
), declared bankruptcy and shut down; its space in the mall is occupied a number of tenants, including The Gap and Scotiabank
. In 1999, Empire Theatres
closed its five-screen cinema in the mall (spanning the first and second floors; most of the Avalon Mall is on the first floor) and relocated to the Studio 12 movie theatre on the other end of the second floor (close to the mall's food court, the largest in Atlantic Canada
). Most recently in 2005, the food court, washrooms, entrances and exterior of the mall went through major renovations.
On January 25, 2005, the Wal-Mart
store in the Avalon Mall (which had originally opened as a Woolco
store until it was taken over by Wal-Mart in 1994) closed and moved to the Kelsey Drive Power Centre, a SmartCentres property. Later in the year, the Sobeys
store shut down and also moved to a larger location at Kelsey Drive. Currently, Sears occupies the space once held by Woolco and Wal-Mart (since fall 2005), and a combined Winners/HomeSense
store occupies the space once held by Sobeys (since spring 2006). Both Sears and Winners moved from their stores nearby at the Village Shopping Centre
.
Until Sunday shopping
was legalized in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1998, retailing at the Avalon Mall was limited to flea markets on Sunday afternoons, and even since then, most retailers have remained closed on Sundays. The only notable tenants in the mall that were open on Sundays included Lawtons Drugs, the cinema, and tenants in the food court. The flea market continued until Dec. 2010, when mall management threatened it with closure.
and is a popular tourist destination, particularly among residents of the numerous small rural communities in eastern Newfoundland. While there are other malls in St. John's
and the surrounding areas, most are much smaller. Moreover, while consolidation and the rise of the power centre have meant that many other St. John's
malls have approached dead mall
status, the Avalon Mall remains fully occupied by retail tenants.
The mall has 2,900 parking spaces which includes underground parking and ground parking. Most parking spaces are located around the perimeter of the mall but there is also a large parking lot on O'Leary Avenue where a pedestrian overpass links the parking lot to the mall. A McDonald's
restaurant with drive-thru is in the mall's parking lot on Kenmount Road; this was built some time after 2000 to compensate for the closing of its previous location further up Kenmount Road, which has been demolished and is now the site of the Capital Hotel, which opened in 2004.
, at the intersection with Thorburn Road
and Columbus Drive/Prince Philip Drive
, and is the focal point of a large strip of retail outlets, which includes the nearby Kelsey Drive Power Centre, which has taken some tenants away from the mall including Walmart and Sobeys
.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
. With over 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²), two floors, there are over 140 stores, making it the largest shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
. The mall opened in 1967 and is owned by Crombie REIT
Crombie REIT
Crombie REIT is a property management company owned by the Empire Company.-History:...
.
History
The mall was built in 1967, and is located on Kenmount RoadKenmount Road
Kenmount Road is a major road in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It begins at the intersection of Freshwater Road and Thorburn Road, just east of the Columbus Drive overpass...
. The mall underwent major extensions in 1977, 1987 and 1999. In the late 1980s and 1990s low retail performance promoted mall management to embark on major renovation programs. In 1991, one of its anchor tenants, a local department store, Ayre and Sons
Ayre and Sons
Ayre and Sons Ltd. was a now-defunct department store chain that once existed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The chain was formed in 1859 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador by Charles Robert Ayre. Ayre opened his flagship store on Water Street in St. John's in 1859...
(a chain with locations across Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
), declared bankruptcy and shut down; its space in the mall is occupied a number of tenants, including The Gap and Scotiabank
Scotiabank
The Bank of Nova Scotia , commonly known as Scotiabank , is the third largest bank in Canada by deposits and market capitalization. It serves some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world and offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial,...
. In 1999, Empire Theatres
Empire Theatres
Empire Theatres Limited is the second-largest movie theatre chain in Canada, and the only major circuit operating in Atlantic Canada. A subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd., the family-owned parent of the Sobeys supermarket chain presently owns and operates 51 locations in 8 of 10 provinces, from...
closed its five-screen cinema in the mall (spanning the first and second floors; most of the Avalon Mall is on the first floor) and relocated to the Studio 12 movie theatre on the other end of the second floor (close to the mall's food court, the largest in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
). Most recently in 2005, the food court, washrooms, entrances and exterior of the mall went through major renovations.
On January 25, 2005, the Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
store in the Avalon Mall (which had originally opened as a Woolco
Woolco
Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in the city of Columbus, Ohio, by the F.W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its peak, Woolco had hundreds of stores in...
store until it was taken over by Wal-Mart in 1994) closed and moved to the Kelsey Drive Power Centre, a SmartCentres property. Later in the year, the Sobeys
Sobeys
Sobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
store shut down and also moved to a larger location at Kelsey Drive. Currently, Sears occupies the space once held by Woolco and Wal-Mart (since fall 2005), and a combined Winners/HomeSense
HomeSense
HomeSense is a chain of off price home furnishing stores operated by TJX Companies with stores in Canada and the United Kingdom.-HomeSense in Canada:At year-end 2010, HomeSense operated 82 stores in Canada...
store occupies the space once held by Sobeys (since spring 2006). Both Sears and Winners moved from their stores nearby at the Village Shopping Centre
Village Shopping Centre
The Village Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is the second largest mall in Newfoundland and Labrador...
.
Until Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sunday, a day that Christian tradition typically recognizes as the Sabbath, a "day of rest". Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the world but some European nations continue to ban Sunday shopping...
was legalized in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1998, retailing at the Avalon Mall was limited to flea markets on Sunday afternoons, and even since then, most retailers have remained closed on Sundays. The only notable tenants in the mall that were open on Sundays included Lawtons Drugs, the cinema, and tenants in the food court. The flea market continued until Dec. 2010, when mall management threatened it with closure.
Today
The Avalon Mall is considered "The Mall" in Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and is a popular tourist destination, particularly among residents of the numerous small rural communities in eastern Newfoundland. While there are other malls in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
and the surrounding areas, most are much smaller. Moreover, while consolidation and the rise of the power centre have meant that many other St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
malls have approached dead mall
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
status, the Avalon Mall remains fully occupied by retail tenants.
The mall has 2,900 parking spaces which includes underground parking and ground parking. Most parking spaces are located around the perimeter of the mall but there is also a large parking lot on O'Leary Avenue where a pedestrian overpass links the parking lot to the mall. A McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant with drive-thru is in the mall's parking lot on Kenmount Road; this was built some time after 2000 to compensate for the closing of its previous location further up Kenmount Road, which has been demolished and is now the site of the Capital Hotel, which opened in 2004.
Location
The Avalon Mall is located at 48 Kenmount RoadKenmount Road
Kenmount Road is a major road in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It begins at the intersection of Freshwater Road and Thorburn Road, just east of the Columbus Drive overpass...
, at the intersection with Thorburn Road
Newfoundland and Labrador Route 50
Thorburn Road, also known as Newfoundland and Labrador Route 50, is a road extends from the city of St. John's north to Portugal Cove-St. Philips. The road begins at an intersection with Freshwater Road/Kenmount Road near the Avalon Mall and ends in St. Philips, where it becomes Tuckers Hill Road...
and Columbus Drive/Prince Philip Drive
Parkway (St. John's)
The Parkway is a major arterial road in the city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It consists of three distinct roads that form a single through route: Columbus Drive, Prince Philip Drive, and Macdonald Drive...
, and is the focal point of a large strip of retail outlets, which includes the nearby Kelsey Drive Power Centre, which has taken some tenants away from the mall including Walmart and Sobeys
Sobeys
Sobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
.
Other Notable Tentants
- AéropostaleAéropostale (clothing)Aéropostale, Inc. is a mall-based, specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories, principally targeting 14-to-17-year-old young women and men through its Aéropostale stores and 7-to-12-year-old kids through its P.S. from Aéropostale stores...
- ALDOAldo GroupeThe ALDO Group is a Canadian corporation that owns and operates a worldwide chain of shoe and accessory stores. The company was founded by Aldo Bensadoun in Montreal, Quebec, in 1972 where its corporate headquarters remain today...
- American ApparelAmerican ApparelAmerican Apparel is a clothing manufacturer in the United States. It is a vertically integrated clothing manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer that also performs its own design, advertising, and marketing...
- American Eagle OutfittersAmerican Eagle OutfittersAmerican Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
- ColesColes (bookstore)Coles is a Canadian bookstore chain owned by Indigo Books and Music. Coles currently serves as Indigo's brand for small-scale bookstores in locations such as shopping malls...
- Eddie BauerEddie BauerEddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates the Eddie Bauer clothing store chain, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States. EBH was formed after Eddie Bauer's former parent company, Spiegel, Inc., went bankrupt in 2003...
- GapGap (clothing retailer)The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
- HMVHMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
- La SenzaLa SenzaLa Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada, which sells lingerie and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Limited Brands.- History :...
- Le Château
- Second CupSecond CupSecond Cup is Canada's largest Canadian-based specialty coffee retailer, operating more than 360 cafés across Canada. Its headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario. Founded in 1975 by Tom Culligan and Frank O'Dea, Culligan eventually purchased O'Dea's shares. After building it to a 150-store chain,...
- Spring ShoesSpring (store)Spring is a retailer of men’s and women’s shoes, with locations primarily found in shopping malls.-History:Aldo Bensadoun, founder of Aldo Groupe, founded Spring in 1991 under the name Transit, with locations primarily in Canada. With the expansion of the chain across the United States, the name of...
- Sunglass Hut
- West 49West 49West 49 Inc., is a Canadian specialty retailer of fashion and apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment related to the youth action sports lifestyle. West 49 was established in 1995 by C.E.O. Sam Baio. The retailer operates more than 130 stores across the country...