The mall cost $32 million and spans 670,000 square feet.

NE OF Guayaquil’s largest shopping malls, Mall del Sur, opened in the south of the city in October of 2004. Owned by the prestigious Romero Group and developed in partnership with Wright Group, Mall del Sur was the response of Romero Group’s president Isidro Romero to lopsided development in the city that was building up the north and leaving the heavily populated southern neighborhoods, where nearly half of Guayaquil’s population resides, comparatively neglected in terms of shopping and entertainment facilities.

The mall was an instant success. Guayaquil’s southern residents, mainly low-income and middle class families, were ready for fresh development in their neighborhoods, and between November and December of last year the mall registered customer numbers topping two million shoppers. The mall offers these residents a safe and modern environment near home to meet with friends, shop with family and experience the new face Guayaquil. Located on one of the city’s main avenues, el 25 de Julio, the mall also benefits from city renewal projects that have been carried out nearby such as the recently upgraded Forest Park and the new Civic Center. Additionally, the city’s elevated public transport system, Metrovia, is now scheduled for future construction that will eventually reach the mall.

Mall del Sur, which was built at a cost $32 million, is one of Latin America’s most modern and largest shopping centers, according to Mr. Romero. It covers an area of 670,000 square feet, which includes a parking area for 1,000 cars. Moving inside its bright main entrance, all spaces are centrally air-conditioned and shoppers enjoy a great deal of natural light. There, south-side residents can do their banking, charge their cell phones, enjoy lunch in one of the mall’s many restaurants or take in a movie in one of its seven theatres.

Mall del Sur’s shopping offer is also top class. Its 180 stores cover the gamut of shopping needs – household decoration, electric appliances, toys, sports, pharmacies, and of course, the best clothing brands in Ecuador. Four large department stores act as anchors to the mall’s numerous boutiques. In addition, the mall houses various American chains such as Hallmark, KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut. Now residents in the south of Guayaquil no longer have to travel to the north of the city in order to shop in style.