Connecting with the Community – Times Square Center Embraces What Really Matters

“With a thorough analysis of demographics, and bringing out important factors like healthy lifestyle, education, sustainability, and community – we were able to transform the venue completely, making it a central family destination. All these elements remain at the centre of every campaign, initiative, and concept we launch. We have even grander plans for next year, and we hope to further enhance the lives of our community,”

Nancy Ozbek

Times Square Center General Manager Times Square Center prides itself on seeing beyond traditional mall ‘trends’ and more toward what customers and the surrounding community really want. The Times Square Center team put their focus and energy into creating a space that empowers, connects, and excites those that visit. From the moment you enter you get the feeling that you are part of something different, especially when you see the carefully curated stores, restaurants, and on-ground activations.

Over the past couple of years, the mall has strategically executed its evolution into a community destination, and with the recent addition of Picnic Square, Times Square Center is ready to tackle 2023 and beyond. Picnic Square is a LEED Certified experiential hub catering to those who expect more than just a traditional ‘mall-food-court’ experience. With a mindful sustainability approach, Picnic Square offers a variety of healthy dining options and seating areas, set within a distinct interior, that embraces a warm and engaging ambience.

Set as the heart of Times Square Center, it incorporates stylish, new functional

dining areas, greenery-filled open spaces, and a children’s play area. Its artisanal, deli-style restaurants and cafes blend perfectly with the contrasting accents of the interior design.

Edutainment concepts are also a big focus for this community mall, including Studiyo Lab, Picasso Artists, Adventure HQ, and RoboThink, the 21,000sqft STEM concept that is set to open end of 2022 (to name a few). There is also a great selection of family-friendly concepts such as Baby Eats, Eggs & Soldiers and Mums and Bumps and the chance to support those in need at the Thrift for Good store which also has a positive influence on the ecosystem that Times Square Center operates in.

Not only does Times Square Center have this communityfocused collection of stores and offering but they are always coming up with new on-ground activations to engage with their regular customers along with driving new faces to the mall. From fun family celebrations like Halloween and Festive markets to local artist gallery displays and more – Times Square Center always welcomes visitors with engaging events to enjoy precious moments beyond retail only. These exciting events include the TishTash Mums Club which gathers lots of different brands from around the region in one easy ‘shoppable’ space, along with the chance to meet and mingle with other mums. Another hit with the community is the pop-culture events, creating a space for teens to connect over characters they love.

The mall has always been a strong supporter of female-led businesses with many concepts beginning their journey selling products from a small stand or table to then taking a larger permeant space. Time Square Center surely put the community at its heart by supporting local and homegrown concepts, giving them a platform to showcase their brand with the potential to become and permanent fixture at the mall. This approach and support were particularly visible during the pandemic when 10 businesses opened a shop having been supported to begin their journey let alone what an extremely difficult time this was for all those in the retail market. Led by General Manager, Nancy Ozbek, the initiatives the centre provides for small businesses are unmatched, from rent-free trials for a period of three months, to selecting concepts that truly bring value to visitors, rather than major commercial-only features. This experiential approach has proved a grand success and has been redefining the retail industry in many ways.

“With a thorough analysis of demographics, and bringing out important factors like healthy lifestyle, education, sustainability, and community – we were able to transform the venue completely, making it a central family destination. All these elements remain at the centre of every campaign, initiative, and concept we launch. We have even grander plans for next year, and we hope to further enhance the lives of our community,” said Nancy Ozbek.

Times Square Center prides itself on keeping the community at the heart of everything it does. Making sure that it is always on the lookout for exciting new brands and concepts that not only create a connection but support the vision for the future, encourage people to spend money differently, support new initiatives and look at Times Square Center as a space to truly feel heard.