While shopping centres are not at all new in Lagos, shopping malls have become quite a fad in Big City. Lagos has moved on from the old days of Kingsway in Lagos Island, Leventis Stores, Dominoes in Yaba, and places like the Falomo Shopping Complex in Ikoyi. Today instead, we have shopping malls, and this is largely due to the spread of the South African giants, Shoprite. From the first mall built in Oniru, Shoprite has grown to 4 locations in the city, and is likely still growing.
Spar, which boasts of being the largest ‘hypermarket’ (not supermarket) on the continent, is also slowly starting to spread across the state. Exactly how does a hypermarket differs from a supermarket?
1. THE PALMS SHOPPING MALL
There are more than 60 shops at the Palms, which include electronics shops, boutiques, cosmetics shops, restaurants, gift shops and several automatic teller machines (ATMs).The main stores in the Palms Mall are South African brands Game and Shoprite. Recently, The Palms introduced paid parking, and while this has discouraged a few visitors from the mall, the traffic clearly justifies the policy. Parking receipts alone at the Palms must be in the millions per month.
2. CHAMPS PLC
3. IKEJA CITY MALL
The Ikeja City Mall is located at Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos; it is the first of its kind on the Mainland. There is a 5-screen silverbird cinema in the mall, a Shoprite Supermarket and specialist facilities for department stores, banks, cafés, bars, restaurants, hairdressing/beauty salon, ice-skating arena, and more.
4. ADENIRAN OGUNSANYA SHOPPING MALL
The Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall boasts of over one hundred and fifty shops under one roof with a multi level car park, accommodating over three hundred vehicles . It provides a world class shopping experience due to the quality and variety of stores. There are very attractive options of boutiques, electronics stores, supermarkets, cosmetics and fragrance stores, a food court, Laundromat, travel agency, clothing and fabrics stores, gifts and toy stores, banks, photography, eye clinic, game places, exhibitions and lots more.
5. MEGA PLAZA
Mega Plaza is now one of the ‘older’ shopping centres in Lagos. For those old enough to remember, Mega, as it is fondly called, started life as a movie rental shop not far from the present location. The rebirth of Mega into the monster it is today also introduced the first multi level car park for a shopping complex in Lagos. There are now several complexes around Victoria Island, which don’t quite rival Mega in size, but certainly reduce custom and traffic at the iconic centre.
6. SILVERBIRD GALLERIA
Cash & Carry Shopping Complex is located at Lagos Island and was arguably the biggest shopping complex in Lagos before The Palms Shopping Mall was built. However, that is only one of several Cash & Carry stores in Lagos as the brand grew into a string of stores around Lagos. While not the force it was several years ago, Cash & Carry still commands a fair amount of respect for shoppers of electronics.
8. CITY MALL LAGOS
This is the poor man’s version of the Palms, especially as it came up around the same period. While City Mall initially attracted a significant crowd because of Goodies, and the cinema, traffic has reduced significantly at the mall. The influx of banks and newer companies and brands like KFC, is slowly re-energising the mall, while long time favourites like Swe Bar & Lounge have kept the place alive. There is also a very well done up events centre and ample safe parking at the City Mall.
The Arena Shopping Complex is strategically located at the Oshodi boundary of the Ikeja military cantonment with direct access to the dual carriage Agege motor road and out flowing to the present Bolade Oshodi market. It houses over 3,000 stores and a huge variety of market services all in one location.
This complex provides the ideal shopper’s market and in truth, it is a very useful market for the less-privileged in society.
This super luxury store is located on Isaac John street in GRA Ikeja and exudes class and quality through and through. Shoppers in search of quality gift items and household furniture need look no further than Adam & Eve for a wide array of choices. Adam & Eve sits very comfortably in the increasingly upmarket Isaac John street which may have started life as a cosy residential area, but is now one of the most commercial streets in Lagos.
ODIRA ONYENSO
