‘Revitalization’ at St. Laurent mall will include new concept Sephora, H&M, Bikini Village

July 24, 2025

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Several big-name retailers will be involved in “a series of revitalization efforts, new store openings, and digital enhancements” being introduced at St. Laurent Shopping Centre starting next month. In early August, Sephora will launch a “new build” at the mall, according to a news release Thursday from property manager Morguard Corp. St. Laurent will also introduce a “first-to-Ottawa flagship concept” combining Bikini Village and La Vie en Rose into a renovated and integrated dual-storefront space. The opening of this concept is slated for August, according to the release. This fall, H&M will open a new large-format store offering both home and fashion collections, the release added. "As brands continue to invest in physical retail, we are proud to bring new concepts and elevated experiences to the community," said Amy Rozario, general manager of St. Laurent Shopping Centre, in the release. "This transformation goes beyond retail and reflects our broader strategy to create an energetic destination for the Ottawa community while offering a variety of experiences." To enhance the shopping experience, St. Laurent is expanding its digital presence with web features such as The ShopList, an AI-driven guided product discovery tool that enhances the way shoppers search for local products, along with the installation of large-format media screens throughout the property, the release said. A new screen at Entrance 1 will anchor the upgrades, offering promotional displays and community-focused content. "St. Laurent Centre has long played an important role in our portfolio, and we are pleased to see its ongoing growth and innovation," said John Ginis, Morguard’s vice-president, asset management, in the release. "As we continue to develop, own and manage a wide range of properties in Ottawa and across the country, these investments into enhancing the Centre will elevate it as a vibrant community hub and priority destination." St. Laurent was home to one of Ottawa’s handful of Hudson’s Bay stores, which closed earlier this year, leaving large holes in many malls across the country. Retail analyst Bruce Winder told OBJ Thursday that shopping malls are in an “innovate or die” mentality, trying to fight against online retail giants like Amazon and Shein. “They have to bring in some brand names that customers are looking for. You can’t just have legacy storefronts,” Winder said. While sought-after brands might bring in more customers, shopping malls should look toward more experience-based businesses to draw in the online shopping crowd, he added. “A lot of malls these days are adding more experiences, whether it’s entertainment, music, food, festivals or fashion shows. It’s not enough to just add storefronts. They need to add something to get people off their chair, because a lot of these stores, you can still buy online,” he said, adding there needs to be a stronger reason for shoppers to make the trip out to St. Laurent. The release stated that St. Laurent is investing in partnerships with Atlético Ottawa soccer team, Ottawa Festivals and other community organizations to “bring engaging programs and events to the Centre throughout the year.” Winder said the demographics most likely to continue to shop online include younger millennials and generation Z and that ways to interact with spaces on social media will help attract these consumers to shopping malls. “If you’re a small store, you have to offer either a service or a product you can’t get online. Young people like millennials and gen Z, they think online first. What makes them want to go into a store? (If) there’s Instagram or TikTok opportunities … You have to have some sort of unique items that they can take a picture of and post it to their friends,” he said. Winder said today’s shopping malls are not what they used to be. “A lot of big legacy malls are having mixed-use … a lot of malls with these massive parking lots are saying, ‘Hey, maybe we can utilize some of this space and put in condos.’ Some are putting pickleball courts or car dealerships to bring people in. Malls have morphed into something unrecognizable from what they were 30 years ago.”