Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Cottonwood Centre mall is pictured from before Christmas in December 2024. The general manager of the company that manages Cottonwood Centre mall in Chilliwack says one business is set to close in January but another will replace it at some point.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Cottonwood Centre Mall

Changes coming to Cottonwood mall in Chilliwack

Jan 14, 2025 | 1:03 PM

CHILLIWACK — The general manager of the company that manages Cottonwood Centre mall in Chilliwack says one business is set to close later this month but another will replace it.

Mark Davis, general manager of Warrington PCI, says West 49 is set to close in January. The specialty retailer of fashion, footwear, accessories and other apparel will close in about a week. On Saturday, signs on its exterior-facing windows said it had eight days left.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media

It will be replaced by SoftMoc, a shoe store with approximately 135 locations in Canada, including stores in Abbotsford, Langley and Surrey. It sells a multitude of popular brands like Crocs, Cole Haan, Columbia, Teva, Ugg, Skechers, Reebok, Puma, Merrell, Dr. Martens and much more.

An uncertain future awaits two stores at Cottonwood. According to the Canadian Press, Comark Holdings Incorporated, the parent company of apparel brands Ricki’s, Cleo and Bootlegger, made a court application in recent weeks designed to give the company reprieve from credits and the space to consider the future of the businesses. Comark’s filing under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act coincided with a decision to close all of its Ricki’s and Cleo locations, which sell women’s apparel often suited for office environments.

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Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / The parent company of Ricki’s (pictured), Comark Holdings Inc., made a court application in recent weeks designed to give the company reprieve from credits and the space to consider the future of the businesses.

The Canadian Press says legal documents filed with the court indicate the company operates 75 Ricki’s stores, 54 Cleo stores, 20 joint locations and about 19 sites the brands split with Comark’s other banner Bootlegger, which has 53 standalone shops. The company, which court filings say has 2,056 employees in Canada, stated it would seek a future court order to liquidate some of the Bootlegger stores.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch

Davis said he had no immediate information on any possible closure dates for Ricki’s or Bootlegger at Cottonwood. He said the mall did very well in November and December and suspects other locations within the two clothing chains may not have done as well as Chilliwack did. He said he contacted a law firm involved in the bankruptcy proceedings but did not hear back from the company as it related to Ricki’s or Bootlegger.

Bootlegger’s last day to accept gift cards is this Friday, January 17. An employee of the store said she did not know about any possible closure date or what might happen to the company.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Bootlegger as pictured in the Cottonwood Centre mall on Saturday, January. 11.

Opa! of Greece appears nearly ready to open in Cottonwood. The Calgary-based restaurant offers veggie platters, wraps, skewers, calamari, pita wraps, Greek salads and Olympus bowls.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Opa! of Greece appears nearly ready to open at Cottonwood, though it was closed this past Saturday, Jan. 11.

It wasn’t open Saturday, January 11 when a Fraser Valley Today reporter visited the mall.