Large South African shopping mall completely empty after its only shop closed down
The multi-million-rand Lancaster Shopping Centre in Johannesburg is entirely empty after the only store in the mall, Top Deck, closed at the end of 2025.
The Lancaster Shopping Centre is located on Jan Smuts Avenue in Craighall, and is within a 10 km radius of Hyde Park, Sandhurst, and Craighall.
The centre had a reputation for convenience and accessibility, with good visibility, ample parking, and easy access from major roads.
The shopping mall previously featured anchor tenants like Pick n Pay and Planet Fitness, along with various eateries and speciality shops.
Fieldspace Property Group, the owner of the four-storey shopping centre, refurbished the facility in 2022.
These refurbishments transformed the mall into a modern neighbourhood centre, retaining its convenience and charm.
The revamp included a facelift to make it more appealing and opened it to Jan Smuts Avenue, creating a visual connection to the busy road.
MDS Architecture said the new design created a contemporary aesthetic, incorporating copper cladding and vintage elements.
This revamp was aimed at positioning the Lancaster Shopping Centre as a popular destination for local residents.
It could easily attain this status as it offers abundant parking and round-the-clock security, which enhances safety and peace of mind for all visitors.
At the time, it boasted many well-established shops and was ideally positioned next to prominent office parks, attracting steady foot traffic.
However, it lost two of its anchor tenants, Pick n Pay and Planet Fitness. The latter had a high-end gym in the centre.
Without the Pick n Pay and the Planet Fitness, the shopping centre took a knock and lost all of its tenants.
Today, the Lancaster Shopping Centre is nearly empty as the Fieldspace Property Group explores redevelopment opportunities.
“We welcome redevelopment opportunities, joint ventures or leasing proposals from large anchor tenants interested in occupying the entire building,” it said.
The last remaining store closed in December 2025
The last remaining store in the Lancaster Shopping Centre, Top Deck, closed in December 2025.
Top Deck specialised in collectable card games, such as Magic: The Gathering, and other gaming products.
Magic: The Gathering is a fantasy-themed trading card game created by mathematician Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993.
It’s widely considered the first collectable card game and remains one of the most popular and complex strategy games in the world.
Apart from Magic: The Gathering products, Top Deck also offered trading card game accessories, Pokémon cards, and board games.
The online store, delivering across South Africa, offers products aimed at both casual and serious card collectors and traders.
The Top Deck store also ran Magic: The Gathering leagues and tournaments at their shop in the Lancaster Shopping Centre.
Although it was the only store in the four-story Lancaster Shopping Centre, it did not seem out of place, considering its unique character.
There is no information online about the Top Deck store’s closure. Its online shop has also disappeared.
The security guard at the Lancaster Shopping Centre told Daily Investor that the store closed down in December 2025.
Lancaster Shopping Centre photos
Daily Investor visited the Lancaster Shopping Centre in February 2026 to see what it looks like. The photos below come from this visit.
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