- Story by David Wylie Photography by Don Denton
has been growing alongside Kelowna for five decades.
91裸聊视频淵our shopping centre is the historic timeline for not only fashion, but the viability of the retail community in the city,91裸聊视频� said Donna Markin, general manager for Orchard Park.
The iconic shopping centre opened September 28, 1971. When Orchard Park was developed on a former orchard, nothing else existed between its location and the Capri area91裸聊视频攊n fact, it was so far out of town, there was some skepticism in the community that people would actually go out of their way to shop there.
The shopping centre has been central to the City of Kelowna and the area91裸聊视频檚 growth. Economically, it91裸聊视频檚 the highest taxpayer in the community and a major employer with 1,000 people working at any time. Millions are spent there each year.
There is also a social side to the mall. For many young people, working there was their first job. It91裸聊视频檚 a popular meeting place and a focus of culture and couture.
Malls also serve as a gauge for the economic health of the community, said Donna.
91裸聊视频淭his is a 50-plus-acre piece of property and a 700,000-square-foot building91裸聊视频攊t doesn91裸聊视频檛 disappear very easily,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淲e have endured through the good and the bad years. It speaks to the resiliency of the mall business, its needs and its responsiveness to the community at large and what is happening.91裸聊视频�
Steady growth
When it first opened in 1971, Orchard Park had two main anchors: Simpsons-Sears and The Bay (which was completed the following year). Inside, shoppers could visit 35 smaller stores.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got a floor plan from the 91裸聊视频�70s and some of those stores are still around,91裸聊视频� said Donna. They include The Bay, Bootlegger, Tip Top, Purdy91裸聊视频檚, Reitman91裸聊视频檚, and The Source (which originally opened as Radio Shack).
And it91裸聊视频檚 not just stores that have weathered the passage of time. Holiday traditions also remain. Santa Claus has stayed consistent. Kids who had their picture taken with the Orchard Park Santa have returned as adults with their own kids in tow to get a picture with the same St. Nick91裸聊视频攖hough perhaps a little bit older and greyer.
In 1980, the shopping centre expanded with the addition of Woolco. It also added a food court, a part of the overarching evolution of malls over time. The mall again grew its footprint when Eaton91裸聊视频檚 opened in 1992. Twenty years later, in 2011, the mall reached its current size of 707,000 square feet when Best Buy opened.
Run by Primaris Management Inc., there are more than 160 shops and services in the shopping centre, and it91裸聊视频檚 the largest mall between Greater Vancouver and the Calgary area.
Evolution
Historically, a shopping centre couldn91裸聊视频檛 be built without first securing a lease from a department store. But that91裸聊视频檚 changed, said Donna. Top department stores have been going bankrupt, leaving large spaces to suddenly fill.
91裸聊视频淚f I look at the evolution of shopping centres, I would say that the traditional mix of a shopping centre will change in the future. All of that is a response to the consumer and what they91裸聊视频檙e buying at what time.91裸聊视频�
Shopping centres are no longer simply a collection of clothing and shoe stores (although these are still an important part). Rather, there are numerous services too, including salons, dentists, travel agencies, financial assistance companies and insurance brokers.
Death of the shopping centre exaggerated
Malls have been changing with the times.
91裸聊视频淚 think a lot of people get their information about the death of shopping centres out of the US,91裸聊视频� Donna said.
Across the border, malls are built much closer to each other than in Canada, with some located just blocks away. As the population ages and consumer habits change, some centres have been forced to close due to an overabundance of them.
91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e going to see more of what we91裸聊视频檝e always done. We adapt and we change to what the consumer is needing and looking for; that is the hallmark of shopping centres,91裸聊视频� said Donna.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 very excited about what the future looks like.91裸聊视频�
She said successful stores of the future will have a combination of brick-and-mortar stores and a digital platform. Some stores are doing showcasing91裸聊视频攚here they don91裸聊视频檛 actually sell anything in the store, but rather customers view merchandise in-store and order online. Other stores take the opposite approach, where customers can only buy in-store, but will be able to compare prices and do research online, or order online and pick up in store.
91裸聊视频淭here will be innumerable variations, and I believe that Orchard Park will be part of that. It91裸聊视频檚 not going to happen overnight, but that will be ultimately where we end up.91裸聊视频�
Generous spirit
Operations manager Ron Stevenson said being charitable has always been a big part of Orchard Park91裸聊视频檚 culture.
91裸聊视频淏ecause we91裸聊视频檙e so well supported by the community, we really find it necessary to give back as much as we can,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淥ne of the initiatives that we are most proud of is raising $500,000 for Canadian Mental Health Kelowna through our Annual Charity Golf Tournament.91裸聊视频�
The company also supports many local charities and various school groups91裸聊视频� fundraising initiatives through gift card donations and a dedicated space in the shopping centre for non-profit organizations to promote themselves at no cost.
Orchard Park is also preserving history with two time capsules on the property, as part of a project done in conjunction with the City of Kelowna and the Kelowna Museum. They91裸聊视频檙e marked by a bronze and stainless steel apple sculpture created by Geert Maas. One is to be opened in 2030 and another in 210591裸聊视频�100 years after it was sealed up in 2005.
Extra fact:
It91裸聊视频檚 hard to miss the massive 800-square-foot Canada flag that waves at the mall91裸聊视频檚 northwest corner. The flagpole on the corner of Harvey and Cooper was part of a former Husky Station.
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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