White Oaks is located in South London, adjacent the arterial Wellington Road. It is serviced by the following bus routes operated by the London Transit Commission, two terminals at Jalna Boulevard which provide bus routes 4A, 4B and 93 and 4 terminals at the Wellington Road entrance which provide bus routes 10, 13, 13A, 14, 28, 30 and 90. The mall is expected to be the southern terminus of one route on the planned LondonRapid Transit system.
History
Beginnings
The property on which the mall is now located was originally occupied by a small outdoor plaza, built in 1962, before major development began in the surrounding neighborhoods. In 1972, the plaza was completely rebuilt to make way for expansion. It became a fully enclosed shopping center in 1973, anchored by Woolco in addition to 150+ stores.
Expansions
The mall's first major expansion in 1976 brought in a Simpson'sdepartment store, after a major renovation to the old Savette. A long hall of stores that deviated west from the original race-track lay-out was also added at that time. The mall saw rapid growth in the 1980's as it competed with other shopping centers in London. Over a period of half a decade, the mall saw no fewer than three major expansions. The first occurring in 1983 with a Mark's and Spencer's, a food court which replaced the Loblaw's grocery store, and several other new stores. Almost immediately after a brand new wing began construction and opened in 1986. Over 50 more stores were added in 1988 with the most recent major expansion.
Today
White Oaks saw a small expansion in 2006 which brought in Swedish retailer H&M along with an Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar. In 2010 CPP Investment Board became the sole owner of the mall, until the property, along with two other regional malls, was acquired by Bentall Kennedy in 2013. Since Bentall Kennedy's ownership, the mall has seen further renovation, including decorative pieces. There are over 185 stores and services in the mall.
Criticisms
The mall has received some criticism in recent years for forcing out independent stores. This included the gift-shop Durga, which had been a tenant with the mall for 26 years. Similarly, Logo Sports was also denied a lease renewal in 2014 after 25 yearsat the mall. Logo was replaced by a competing franchise.
