Popular discount retailer Winners is set to move to a new location in Orchard Plaza in Kelowna.

Steve Bennett, owner and director of McIntosh Properties, which owns Orchard Plaza, said the store will be moving into the 36,000-square-foot building between Lee Valley and Steve Nash Fitness sometime in the next year.

“We’re excited about it and they’re excited,” said Bennett, who explained that Winners contacted them to inquire about the space on Springfield Road. “After Target and Futureshop left, we started getting calls which was very fortunate for us.”

Photo Credit: KelownaNow.The former Target location in Orchard Plaza.

Futureshop and Target closed within two weeks of each other over a year ago when Target shut down its Canadian locations and Futureshop was purchased by Best Buy. Because they already have a location in the mall, they closed down the one in the plaza.

At the end of April, Mountain Equipment Co-op opened a location in the plaza, joining Steve Nash Fitness, which opened a few weeks earlier.  

With the addition of Winners, the plaza will be full again.

Bennett describes the shopping centre as an extension of Orchard Park Mall, but says it’s more of a lifestyle mall, offering services like medical, dental, banking, theatre, food and other shopping.

Between the mall and plaza, there is a million square feet of retail space.

Bennett said it brings in shoppers from Revelstoke, Kamloops, Penticton and Vernon.

“Winners coming into this location, too, is a win-win for everybody,” Bennett said. “It gets everybody out and their changeover is pretty good. They get new products weekly, so they’re always a busy store.”

Winners is in the early stages of preparing for the move, and still has a lease at the Capri Centre. You can expect to see the new location open in about a year. Winners also has a location in West Kelowna. 

The Capri Centre ownership is planning for its own significant rennovation.