The Mall Maidstone

The Mall Maidstone

Entrance to The Mall from Week Street, Maidstone
Location	Maidstone, Kent
Address	The Mall Maidstone, Pads Hill, Maidstone, Kent
Opening date	1976
Owner	The Mall Fund
No. of stores and services	101
No. of anchor tenants	1 Wilko (retailer)
Total retail floor area	535,000 sq ft (49,700 m2)
No. of floors	3
Parking	1040 spaces
Website	themall.co.uk/maidstone

The Mall Maidstone (originally known as The Stoneborough Centre, subsequently Chequers Shopping Centre and then The Mall Chequers) is a covered shopping centre in Maidstone, the county town of Kent. The centre has 535,000 square feet (49,700 m²) of floor space, ranking it as the joint 60th largest shopping centre in the UK according to a 2008 survey by Retail Week.

Together with the Fremlin Walk shopping centre, which is uncovered, it is one of the two primary shopping venues within the town centre.

The Mall Maidstone was built in 1976 as the 'Stoneborough Centre,' with a 7 storey office block on the top, named 'Stoneborough House.' In the 1990s, the shopping centre was rebranded as 'Chequers Shopping Centre,' to coincide with works on the main entrances and refurbishment work that was going on at the time. The office block above retained its original name.

In 2006, the centre was purchased by The Mall Fund, who once again set about refurbishing the centre with their own, distinctive pink corporate branding. An agreement was subsequently signed that Maidstone Borough Council would move into the office block on top of the centre, after extensive refurbishment of that, and the construction of a 'Gateway' reception area. The council signed a 99-year lease and took up residence in May 2007, with the block renamed 'Maidstone House'.

Today, the Mall Maidstone hosts a wide variety of shops, from independent retailers to big chain names like Sports Direct and BHS. It is a key part of the town centre, also containing the Chequers Bus Station, retaining the old name, which serves as the main bus terminus for the town. In December 2012 the Arriva Travel Shop closed after trading for many years in the centre. In June 2013 the Beales Outlet store shut after only a year in the centre. it was in the largest store in The Mall.

Plans are currently being put together for a regeneration of The Mall and its surrounding areas. This is thought to include: A new bus station, new exterior entrances, A new department store and a complete modernisation of the centre's inside appearance.