For shoppers in secondary cities such as St. Thomas, Ont., located 30 kilometres south of London, the Elgin Mall is more than a mid-market retail hub – it’s a destination for a tightly knit community that has seen its manufacturing base battered by the recession.

When property manager Julie Cole looks down the mall’s climate-controlled corridors, she sees no evidence of the deadmalls.com phenomenon, which chronicles the slow death of once-thriving retail hubs across North America.

At the Elgin, management has been looking for more creative ways to serve this city of 37,000 – an experience that goes beyond shopping, Ms. Cole says.
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