Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga is entering another year of active growth as a slate of new retailers, restaurants, and services join the 2.2-million-square-foot, open-air complex at Highway 401 and Mavis Road. Orlando Corporation, which owns and manages the property, has advanced a program of targeted leasing that builds on already strong sales performance across the site, while shaping a fuller mix that serves everyday needs and destination-driven visits.
Matthew Kaplan, Senior Leasing Manager at Orlando Corporation, described 2025 as a busy year of deal-making, with a mix of national brands, category leaders and experience-oriented uses either now open or underway. “It’s fun, it’s busy, there’s a lot of growth and changes,” he said from onsite at the centre. “We’ve been quite active and the goal is to deliver a well-rounded experience that keeps Heartland top of mind for shoppers across the region.”
The Heartland Town Centre leasing program is anchored by tenants that increase frequency, broaden the dining offer, and add family-friendly entertainment. One new announcement is Kids Empire, an indoor playground brand with roughly 200 locations across the United States and Europe, which has selected Heartland for its first Canadian site. “They ran the demographics for what was required to be successful, and we have around three times the number of children in the trade area that would have satisfied their metrics,” said Kaplan. Kids Empire took possession of the roughly 12,000-square-foot premises in late September, with an opening planned for early 2026. Kenzie Kohl of Retail Ventures CDN is representing Kids Empire (kenzie@retailcnd.com).
A first to Canada strengthens Heartland’s regional draw
First-to-market concepts have been a feature of Heartland’s leasing in recent years, from fast-growing food brands to specialty retail and recreation. Kids Empire adds a high-visibility family attraction that naturally lengthens visits and creates reasons to return. “It adds another attraction for people to spend more time in the centre and draws more families,” said Kaplan. “It is part of rounding out the overall experience and giving customers more reasons to visit the centre”
The new concept complements an entertainment cluster that has been performing well. “Activate Games has been very successful,” Kaplan noted, adding that experiential uses continue to benefit from the centre’s scale, parking supply, access and visibility from major routes. Heartland’s critical mass of more than 220 stores, restaurants and grocery in over 2.2m sq ft of retail space makes it a logical node for multi-purpose trips, which supports both planned visits and impulse cross-shopping.
Food and beverage keeps building, led by nationally scaled winners
Food service remains a pillar of the leasing story. Chick-fil-A opened a 5,000-square-foot restaurant at the end of August 2025, joining a roster that includes strong QSR performers like Wingstop and McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme at a key intersection on site. “We basically have all the major fast food operators,” said Kaplan. “There is no reason for them not to look at Heartland, especially given how busy we are, how close we are to the 401 and surrounding established residential and employment lands.”
Jersey Mike’s Subs debuted in June and is “exceeding expectations,” according to Kaplan, and Pokeworks opened in November. Orlando has finalized a lease with Chipotle for a prime corner that would open in mid-2026. While specific unit transitions are sensitive during negotiations, the intent is clear. “That sets a new standard for us,” Kaplan said, noting that a top-tier fast-casual brand can both raise rents on benchmark corners and lift the surrounding trade.
The dining push builds on previous openings that have tallied notable results. Paris Baguette, for example, was on pace for sales to exceed $1000 per sq in first-year sales, and Crumbl Cookies has achieved similar volume.
“We are constantly trying to improve the tenant mix for the centre, bringing a better experience for consumers,” Kaplan said. “It is exciting to consistently raise the overall bar for retailers and restaurants in HTC.”
Convenience and care: Shoppers Drug Mart arrives at last
One of the most meaningful additions from a day-to-day perspective is Shoppers Drug Mart, which is now under construction and slated to open before the end of the year. Adding Shopper’s Drug Mart may not make a huge splash with such an established national tenant, but it is very important for us. It adds another industry leader with touch of convenience and another reason for people to come to the site on a regular basis.”
For a large format, open-air property, the arrival of an institutional drugstore cements a core errand function that supports repeat visits throughout the week. Coupled with grocers, general merchandise anchors and specialty health and beauty tenants, the centre’s essentials mix is poised to benefit from the residential growth surrounding north Mississauga and the site’s regional accessibility.
Specialty retail: lifestyle, outdoor and wellness
On the specialty side, outdoor retailer Mountain Warehouse has taken a 7,300-square-foot former International Clothiers space and opened ahead of this past Black Friday. The Kind Matter Company, an eco-focused lifestyle and home goods concept now backed by Terra Greenhouses, joined Heartland with a store opened on Black Friday. Kaplan pointed to the brand’s competitive price points and natural ingredients as differentiators that resonate with families. “The pricing is very competitive with a grocery store. Incredible natural products at prices competitive with the ubiquitous harsh chemicals for the home is a compelling offering,” he said.
The additions add traction in categories that encourage browsing and gifting, while reinforcing the centre’s reputation as a hub for home, lifestyle and outdoor gear. The Heartland Town Centre expansion in these categories reflects the property’s dual role as both a regional power centre and a neighbourhood shopping node.
Heartland’s large footprint and flexible buildings allow for service and auto uses that can be hard to place in enclosed malls or dense main streets. Kal Tire opened in March, adding to a growing cluster that captures routine maintenance trips along with seasonal tire change traffic. Orlando continues to evaluate service concepts that fit the site’s traffic patterns and access that generate reliable frequency and create opportunities for incidental cross-shop with adjacent retailers.
Sales performance remains a bright spot
While Orlando does not publicly disclose tenant-by-tenant sales on a regular basis, Kaplan pointed to a track record of strong performance across several categories. In jewellery, Malabar recorded exceptional sales in its first year, reaching sales figures more commonly associated with top-performing luxury centres. Bread bakery café Paris Baguette and cookie bakery Crumbl have both produced first-year sales far surpassing budgets, validating the depth of the market for indulgent treats and everyday gifting.
Discount variety continues to show remarkable resilience, to the point where Heartland will soon host three Dollarama locations across different nodes on the site. “There is definitely a market for it as consumers continue seeking value,” Kaplan said, noting that proximity to anchors like Loblaws creates natural cross-traffic. The performance profile is not limited to value players, however. Uniqlo, which opened last year, “is happy with their business, and has been a popular addition to the site” and experiential operators have also given positive feedback.
As a landlord, Orlando measures success as much by tenant mix and visit frequency as by base rent and percentage rent. “We want the Crumbls and the Wingstops of the world that can do sales in excess of $1,500 per sq ft out of two thousand square feet. That is how you keep customers interested in the centre and stay top of mind for visitors and tenants alike.”
Site enhancement and careful curation
Beyond leasing, Orlando continues to invest in the physical plant of the centre. On Latimer Drive, façades are being refreshed to modernize the look and strengthen restaurant visibility. The work is part of routine lifecycle improvement across a mature site, with the aim of keeping curb appeal high for both first-time visitors and longtime regulars. “We are refreshing the exterior and looking to add exciting restaurants,” Kaplan said, framing the work as long-term asset stewardship.
Turnover is a fact of life in open-air power centres where tenancies often run in five- to ten-year cycles. Orlando’s approach is to manage that churn so it yields a better mix over time. Over the last 3 years the centre has seen incredible changes adding over 50 new stores and restaurants. The overarching strategy is to keep Heartland relevant for how people shop today, while setting the stage for the next cycle of growth. Additional tenants added in 2025 include Geox, Magnotta and Walking on a Cloud. New store openings for 2026 include Jack and Jones and Danier Leather.
Why Heartland keeps Succeeding
Several fundamentals support Heartland’s continued strength. The location, spanning all four corners through to Matheson and Boyer Boulevards, is visible and easy to navigate, and the centre’s parking capacity remains a practical advantage for big-box trips, bulky purchases and family outings. The trade area’s demographics combine established neighbourhoods with ongoing intensification in Mississauga and Brampton, producing a wide base of weekly needs and discretionary spend. The merchandising plan, which now blends outlet, full-price and specialty retail with services and entertainment, creates many reasons to visit and to linger.
Kaplan also credits the centre’s flexibility. Freestanding buildings and pad opportunities enable quick-service and fast-casual brands to secure drive-throughs or dedicated patios, while mid-box floorplates can be adapted for categories from outdoor gear to fashion and beauty. “With a mature site like Heartland, we are constantly evolving and responding to the needs of the consumer,” Kaplan said, referring to the puzzle of working within existing covenants and building layouts. “But that is our responsibility with this incredible asset. We are adapting and working it so we can keep adding the right tenants to make Heartland Town Centre an everyday stop as well as destination shopping.”
For more information on Heartland Town Centre, contact Matthew Kaplan kaplanm@orlandocorp.com
