Since the Arkadia Commercial Centre in Gozo opened in 1998 – at the time, the first of its kind in Gozo, boasting some 3000sqm of retail space – it has become a local landmark. For more than two decades, the Centre has been the go-to destination for an outstanding experience, both among the Gozitan community and visitors to Malta’s sister island.

However, while the Arkadia brand has evolved with the changing times, the original building – whose distinctive arches inspired its name and was its home for nearly a quarter of a century – has not. So, to prep the Centre for its next 20 years and beyond, the Group behind Arkadia, Mizzi Organisation Ltd, saw that the time was ripe for a complete refurbishment.

“Arkadia closed its doors in January this year to begin an almost year-long process of refurbishment,” explains Nicky Camilleri, Group CFO at Mizzi Organisation. “After more than 22 years, the building needed serious renovation to bring it back up to the high standards we all associate with Arkadia. After we closed, the first stage was to gut the whole building back to shell form, stripping even the wires inside the walls – the place was like a jungle! But we needed that blank canvas to start afresh.”

Over the following months, Mr Camilleri explains, the refurbishment process included extensive works to replace everything from the tiles to the lifts, while ensuring the resulting structure is as energy efficient as possible. “In keeping with the Group’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) drive, we replaced the refrigeration units, the heating system and the ventilation system with more environmentally friendly solutions. To give our customers an improved experience, we have also heavily invested in parking facilities, with 30 spaces provided underground at Arkadia and plans to add a further 40 at a site close to the Centre at the start of next year.”

Although the idea to refurbish Gozo’s favourite shopping complex formed in early 2020, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after led Mizzi Organisation to put the investment on hold, instead channelling funds into supporting its employees through the crisis. “Our focus throughout the pandemic was employee retention more than investment. In terms of our core values, we are a three-legged stool: supported equally by our employees, our customers and our suppliers. One is nothing without the other, so we treat our suppliers with respect, we aim to become an employer of choice and we deliver the best possible customer service,” Mr Camilleri says.

“Naturally, the pandemic impacted the business – much like every other in the global retail sector at that time – but we are proud to say we have proven ourselves as one of the strongest Groups on the island.”

Nevertheless, works commenced on the Arkadia refurbishment in early 2022, under the direction of an expert team, he goes on: “We had an excellent in-house team in place to oversee the project, led by the General Manager of Arkadia, David Shone, while we also worked with Mizzi Studios, an award-winning design studio based in London and Valletta, and with project managers JAGS. Two-decade-old buildings bring their own surprises, yet with the dedication and experience of the team, we were able to overcome the challenges of such a project, and reach a level of refurbishment that we count as a feather in our cap.”

By mid-September 2022, Arkadia Commercial Centre was ready to reopen the first of its revamped spaces, welcoming back the customers it had so missed and, according to feedback, the feeling was mutual. “Arkadia is one of the few places in Gozo you can go for an outing,” highlights Mr Camilleri. “It draws people to it automatically, and the more people there are, the more of a buzz it creates. During the first six months of closure, people kept saying ‘Gozo is boring without Arkadia!’. Everyone has been looking forward to having the Complex back.”

While McDonalds and Epic did not close throughout the refurbishment due to their position on the building’s façade, Arkadia initially reopened its ground floor, featuring outlets such as Body Shop and Agenda Bookshop alongside Arkadia-managed brands including Piazza Italia, Pearl Health & Beauty, Parfois, Orsay and Sunlab. Also recently reopened, the newly refreshed Arkadia Food Store promises to fly the flag of quality for the hugely popular food destination, which also operates in Portomaso, Swatar, Is-Suq Tal-Belt in Valletta and, soon, in Naxxar.

“With a goal of becoming fully operational by Black Friday on November 25, each of our top brands are now gradually reopening their stores on the various levels of the Commercial Centre,” Mr Camilleri reveals. Known as the ‘Hudson Floor’, Arkadia’s first storey hosts a wide range of fashion brands including New Look, Mango, River Island and Calvin Klein. The second floor meanwhile features Intercomp, Juniors Toyshop, Next, Tom Tailor and Maison @ Arkadia by Petrolea.

“Arkadia is a one-stop-shop for anything you need, from ice-cream to saucepans, clothes to homeware, toys to IT supplies. It boasts an excellent mix of stores for all ages, lifestyles and budgets. We have made a quantum leap in the brands now associated with Arkadia, while welcoming the return of those that have stayed with us from the start. Likewise, we are also in the final stages of resuming the importation and stock of Waitrose goods in the Arkadia Food Store,” he shares.

Once Arkadia Commercial Centre fully reopens on Black Friday, customers can enjoy a day inside the freshly refurbished complex, absorbing the atmosphere throughout the festive season and completing their Christmas shopping with the minimum of fuss – yet that is just the close of the latest chapter in the story of Arkadia, the CFO concludes. “We are soon to launch a new Arkadia Commercial Centre website, while we will continue to keep our ESG responsibilities in mind as we develop and continue to invest to become ever more energy efficient in both the building itself, with solar panels, and in the way in which we operate. We are continuously rejuvenating the Arkadia brand to offer customers an unforgettable experience – and we intend to stay at that level throughout our journey.”

The new Arkadia Commercial Centre website is soon to launch at www.arkadia.com.mt