Giant food and entertainment emporium will open at Ontario mall

A space vacated by Hudson’s Bay at an upscale GTA mall is being turned into a giant grocery store that will include a playground, party rooms and areas for gaming.

Nations Experience will occupy 120,000 sq-ft in the western portion of Oakville Place, with the conversion beginning late next year and an opening expected in 2027.

The plan is to build on the growing Nations Fresh Food grocery chain, which has added the entertainment concept at two Toronto locations. Nations also owns grocery stores in Mississauga and Brampton.

At Oakville Place, Nations Experience will operate on two floors and serve as the flagship location for the “foodertainment” concept. It will also serve as an important anchor tenant for the RioCan-owned mall that opened in 1981. The indoor mall has seen stores such as Hudson’s Bay and Sears depart in recent years.

Known for its large selection of food items that appeal to the diverse cultural makeup of the Greater Toronto Area, the foray into entertainment comes as the brand looks to broaden its business model.

The concept builds on a successful pilot location launched eight years ago at RioCan’s Stockyards Village in Toronto, which featured a smaller children’s entertainment zone called “Happy Kingdom.”

That vision expanded earlier this year into a full-scale, all-ages concept called “Forever Young” at Centrepoint Mall in Toronto, an entertainment hub designed to engage children, teens, parents, and grandparents with virtual reality and arcade games, sports and play areas, and rooms for parties.

As for Oakville Place, located in the heart of Oakville at Trafalgar Road and the QEW, the goal is to help the mall become a community gathering spot that appeals to both shoppers and those looking for fun.

“This is much more than retail. It’s a destination designed for families who want to shop, play, dine, and connect, all under one roof”, said Frank Ho, Vice President of Real Estate Development for Nations Fresh Foods.