Another tenant of the Orillia Square mall is set to close its doors this month.
After more than 10 years in business, Showcase sent emails to its customers alerting them about its imminent closure.
An official with the company said the mall is "in decline," and noted the company is putting its focus on larger malls.
Showcase is the second store to close at the mall within three months. In July, GameStop pulled the plug on its location at the mall on Orillia's northern border.
“Nobody knows what’s going on” with the mall, lamented one long-time mall store manager, who declined to provide a name.
The Orillia Square mall currently has six empty stores. On a quiet weekday afternoon, it appeared many shoppers were frequenting the premises for appointments, not looking to browse shelves of stores.
Businesses such as Pearl Vision and Cali Nails were handling appointments, while the tax centre maintains its storefront as a meeting space.
“It’s sad to see all of the stores closed,” said one shopper who did not provide their name. She found a sale item at Northern Reflections, stating that if it weren’t for that store she wouldn’t frequent the mall.
“Nobody is ever here,” she said. “I thought with Christmas that might change, though.”
One shopper said he was disappointed by the number of empty stores at the mall.
“I’m a dude, so I shop wherever,” said Kane St. Germain. He visited the mall this week for multiple reasons only to find one was cut short when he discovered GameStop no longer there.
He wondered if the current number of open storefronts is linked to the popularity of the business, noting how Griffin’s, Joseph’s, and Imperial Alterations and Tailoring have been mainstays at the mall.
St. Germain travelled from Rama to stop at Bell, but he often brings video games to trade in and enjoys a number of other shops at the Brodie Drive mall, including Showcase. There, he found the perfect birthday gift among its items.
Thinking to return for holiday season shopping, St. Germain was frustrated to learn of the store’s impending closure this month.
One store manager noted that they do not hear about goings-on before a store shuts down or a new one opens.
“It seems to be hush-hush,” the person noted. “You never know what tomorrow brings."
Management and staff at the Orillia Showcase declined to comment for this article and OrilliaMatters was directed to head office for any details.
“Orillia Square mall is in decline and many retailers have left,” said Divya Kulkarni, a Showcase representative, in an email.
“The mall is prepping for changes, so accordingly, many retailers have left…. Our focus is on major destination malls so we look forward to serving our customers from our Georgian Mall location,” Kulkarni continued.
The Showcase representative explained that staff have been “looked after” in accordance with the closure.
They also explained that Showcase continues to expand with opportunities across Canada and the U.S.
Further adapting to the changing retail scene, Showcase continues to offer its customers online options through it’s e-commerce site.
The mall’s office staff also declined to comment.
