Now a days, people don’t go to shopping mall for only shopping purpose. Because, shopping malls are not remained as the bunches of shops or outlets anymore. Now, a shopping mall is a combination of many things. People go to the mall for a whole day, now a days. They do their shopping in the morning, having lunch in the noon, enjoying the entertainment facilities in the afternoon, watching movies at the evening and having dinner at late evening. This is the scenario of the big shopping malls all over the world right now. In this dynamic world, people have no time for themselves and they utilize their free time for doing basic household activities. Shopping is one of them. But shopping malls around the world change the whole definition of shopping by adding more and more facilities. They are doing their business and people are enjoying their time as well as shopping.
Across the world, there are many shopping mall which are managed to grab the attraction of the people around the globe. The Dubai Mall, which is the biggest mall of the world till now. But I’m not gonna talk about that today. Today, I’m gonna talk about West Edmonton Mall in Canada which was the biggest shopping mall of the world about more than an era ago.
Located in the northwest of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, Canada, the West Edmonton Mall covers about 5 million square feet of space. Which is roughly equivalent to 90 football fields. It was started in 1959 through two Iranian businessmen. Later it came under different business organizations and gradually its size increased. It was known as the largest shopping mall in the world till 2004. What’s not there, from grocery shopping to computers and mobile phones and accessories, clothes to shoes and cosmetics, jewelry to home appliances and more. There is also a luxurious hotel inside the mall, a huge food court, a playground, a theme park, a movie theater and many more. All the amenities are available inside the same place, so people have to move around a lot from here and there to choose the right product.
Inside & Outside views of West Edmonton Mall(WEM).
There are more than 800 shops and outlets of different brands. Famous brands include Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, North Face, Canada Goose, Columbia, etc. Official outlets of these brands are located here. Besides, there are various convenience stores where you can do regular shopping. Among them are Dollarama, Dollar Store, West Way, Safeway, and others. Besides, there are also outlets of Japanese brands like Uniqlo and Minoso located here. There is a huge food-court with food chain shops from KFC, McDonald’s, A&W and many other brands. There are several Indian and Chinese restaurants. There are also some halal restaurants located in the food-court. For the native and foreigners, there are many bars those are located in a separate zone. It’s called Bourbon Street.
Some of The Important Outlets inside WEM.
Food-court inside.
The Bourbon Street.
There is no shortage of fun and entertainment here. There is a theme park called Galaxyland, a movie theater, an ice skating ground, a water park known as Indoor Beach. There are some thrilling rides in Galaxyland that you may have never enjoyed before. Kids are enjoying and learning ice skating at Ice Skating Ground. Children’s Ice Hockey League matches are also held here. Besides that, I saw various senior teams practice ice hockey at this skating ground. At the indoor beach, people enjoy the feeling of sea beaches inside because there is no natural beach located here in Edmonton. There are also indoor trains and fun rides available for kids to entertain them. Indoor train provides full circulation tour of the shopping mall. There is also a separate golf course for kids.
Some Views of Galaxyland.
Indoor Beach.
Ice Hockey Ground.
Some arrangements for the kids.
One of the good aspects of this shopping mall is that you don’t have to ask anyone to find a store or outlet even though it’s a huge area. Asking though is not something to blame and Canadians are always helpful. There are large touch screen monitors at various points from which you can easily navigate. You can also get the official app of the mall on your phone and get information and instructions from there. If you are tired of walking around the mall, there are many lounges specially arranged for the guests where you can rest for a while. There are many points of mobile and laptop charging. Inside the entire shopping mall you will have access to free Wi-Fi.
One of the navigation screen inside WEM. There are many of them @ different points.
Sitting arrangements for the guests inside the mall. Just Relax.
The most interesting aspect here is its interior decoration. The interior decoration of the entire mall is excellent. There are many water fountains have installed at different points of the entire mall to define its beauty. There is also a large open stage where different cultural programs are held. There is also an indoor pool where sea-lion shows are regularly exhibited. You have to spend money to watch the show in the front row of the pool. But you can still enjoy the show by standing bedside the railing of the upper floor. This indoor pool has been decorated in various ways. There is a big pirate ship on the pool and a jetty where several cafes are serving their customers. In this mall, you will find out various sculptures at different points. Some of them are meaningful and some of them are not. Regular lottery raffle draws are held here once in a year. If you are lucky, you can get one of the latest model cars from Ferrari. You will need to purchase lottery tickets for this. The cost will be around $40 per ticket.
Interior decoration of the mall.
Some Views of Sea-lion Show.
If you are lucky then you can win this peace of beauty through lottery.
Outside the mall, there are many convenience stores, car showrooms, liquor stores, pawn shops and some fuel stations located around. Which makes the entire 170th Street area a shopping zone. Around 80000 cars can be parked in the parking lot . WEM is located within a short distance from Edmonton International Airport. No matter where you live in Edmonton, get on the bus number 2 or bus number 111 from the bus stoppage. And the bus will get you to the right destination. This shopping mall is the main center of attraction and entertainment for the people. Because in Canada, there is no way to travel outside at all times other than Summer. And summer in Edmonton is staying just about 3 months. The rest of the time is extremely cold, the temperature in Celsius is mostly below zero. That’s why, people are more interested in indoor activities.
That’s all about today. There will be talk about any other structures, travel destinations, travel stories or anything else related to travel.
So, travel more & be happy. Always remember that your mobility is your freedom.
Picture Source- Self Captured Pictures.
Roaming with Wally 