Nations Experience, a grocery and family entertainment concept from Nations Fresh Foods, is getting ready to open in Oakville at Oakville Place at 240 Leighland Avenue.
The company’s newest location is set to move into the former Hudson’s Bay space on the west side of the mall, according to Retail Insider. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026, with an opening planned for 2027. The two-level project will include a grocery store, entertainment areas, a playground, party rooms, and gaming zones. It will also serve as an anchor tenant for the RioCan-owned property.
Nations Fresh Foods currently operates two Toronto locations that use the grocery-entertainment model and also runs grocery stores in Mississauga and Brampton. The company first tested a smaller version of the concept eight years ago at Stockyards Village, which featured a kids’ area called Happy Kingdom. A full-ages format called Forever Young opened earlier this year at Centrepoint Mall in Toronto, marking the next phase of the brand’s development.
The Oakville location will span about 120,000 square feet and will be designed to accommodate both grocery shoppers and families visiting the entertainment areas. The company’s goal is to create a place where guests can shop, dine, and spend time in one setting. The format is meant to appeal to a wide range of customers who want more than a traditional grocery trip.
The expansion into Oakville continues Nations Fresh Foods’ broader strategy of building destination-style retail environments in the Greater Toronto Area. As the flagship for the company’s foodertainment model, the new location will introduce a larger version of the concept to a suburban market.
Oakville Place opened in 1981 and has been looking to fill major vacancies following the closures of retailers such as Hudson’s Bay and Sears. The centre sits at the intersection of Trafalgar Road and the QEW, giving the new Nations Experience location high visibility and steady traffic from nearby neighborhoods and commuters. The addition of a large-scale tenant is expected to support the mall’s broader repositioning.
