City of Mississauga launches proactive strategy to keep neighbourhoods vibrant, retail diverse, and services accessible as the city grows toward one million residents.
Business and innovation | February 11, 2026
The City of Mississauga has launched a new Retail Strategy to assist local shops, support businesses, and ensure growing neighbourhoods have access to everyday goods and services close to home, as the city moves toward nearly one million residents by 2051.
Mississauga’s $63 billion economy continues to grow, creating new opportunities to strengthen local retail and support business vitality. Without a clear plan, growth can unintentionally push retail out of neighbourhoods, leaving communities without the shops and services people rely on every day.
The Retail Strategy provides a proactive framework to protect existing retail, support local businesses, and ensure growth areas include the services residents need, while strengthening a retail sector that is vital to jobs and economic stability.
Why Mississauga needs a Retail Strategy now
The way people shop is changing. E-commerce, smaller store formats, and rising development costs are reshaping retail across the country, and Mississauga is no exception. While these changes create opportunities, they also introduce new challenges if left unmanaged.
To meet the needs of a growing population, Mississauga is expected to require approximately 5.4 million square feet of additional retail and service space by 2051, particularly in the downtown and other growth areas where most new residents will live. At the same time, current development trends show that some areas could lose retail space altogether unless deliberate action is taken.
The Retail Strategy responds directly to these pressures ensuring growth supports both housing and the retail spaces that make neighbourhoods complete.
What the Retail Strategy delivers
Supporting complete, walkable communities
The Retail Strategy aligns with the City’s vision for complete communities and informs Mississauga’s new Economic Development Strategy, Path to Prosperity 2030. By encouraging retail to be closer to where people live and work, it supports walkability, fosters and promotes vibrant communities, while strengthening local economic resilience.
To view Mississauga’s Retail Strategy, visit: www.investmississauga.ca/retail-strategy/
“Mississauga’s new Retail Strategy is a forward-thinking plan to strengthen our economy, reinforce business vitality, and help our retail sector thrive over the long term. City Council is dedicated to this collaborative vision, working together with our partners to make Mississauga an even more attractive place to live, work, and shop.”
– Mayor Carolyn Parrish
“Developed in collaboration with local businesses, BIAs, residents, and the development industry, the strategy addresses real-world challenges while ensuring future growth supports vibrant, connected neighbourhoods and main streets.”
– Christina Kakaflikas, Director of Economic Development
City of Mississauga Media Relations
media@mississauga.ca
905-615-3200, ext. 5232
TTY: 905-896-5151
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