GTM lessons from Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Author
Rob Manne
| Published: May 21, 2026
“You’re never done. The minute you stop, you’re falling behind. I can think of 15 things I want to change right now.”
That’s the quote I scribbled down from presenter Jason Myers at the last TechTO Sales Toronto event.
It sums up exactly the way people should think about their GTM platforms and processes.
And it relates to anything in a company’s customer journey, across marketing, sales, and customer experience.
Why do you need to constantly change your GTM approach?
Because your customer expectations are always evolving, thanks to new competition, technology, and market conditions.
A good example can be found in Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. It’s a 15-minute walk from where I live, so it dominates my neighborhood.
Love it or hate it, Yorkdale is one of the biggest shopping malls in Ontario.
It attracts shoppers from all over the world. Often the first Canadian location of a global brand opens at Yorkdale.
It’s so busy during the holidays, that we have a family rule:
Don’t go to Yorkdale after November 15.
But here’s the thing.
Every 5-7 years, new hoarding and scaffolding goes up.
A new wing gets built.
The food court transforms into a food hall in a new part of the mall.
A new brand experience is unveiled.
These changes are expensive and disruptive to visitors. I’ve often wondered if it was worth the investment. Especially given the challenges facing malls with ecommerce.
But with each change, mall attendance and revenue increase.
Generations of people, from teenagers to DINKs to retirees, get to have their own experiences.
Yorkdale seems to be busier and more relevant than ever.
Could they have coasted with the version of the mall first built in 1964?
Sure. But they’d have been out of business by the 90s.
Instead, this shopping centre remains a work in progress.
For 60+ years, Yorkdale owners Oxford Properties have kept an eye on what buyers wanted, what their competitors were doing, and where the industry was headed.
Your GTM should also be a work in progress.
You shouldn’t think of your platforms and processes as final. You have to constantly experiment and renovate them as your customers, competitors and technology evolve.
AI has accelerated this even more.
Ask yourself:
- How can you personalize your experiences?
- How can you remove friction in your customer journey?
- What data can you collect to make better decisions and drive better outcomes?
Not everyone has this capability in-house. Outside RevOps experts can help you adapt and change more quickly.
