The Qwanlin Mall will be receiving a major makeover inside as room is created for a beauty boutique and other features of the Shoppers Drug Mart store's major expansion.

As Shoppers expands into a number of former stores at the mall, Coffee Tea and Spice will also have more space to sell its wares from.

Meanwhile, Staples, Liquidation World and Extra Foods will remain at the Fourth Avenue/Ogilvie Street mall, built in the early 1970s.

Darrell Pasloski, a pharmacist and the owner of both Shoppers locations in Whitehorse, doesn't want to give away too many details about the new store such as when it will open or what product lines it will carry.

However, he calls it a good move for the business.

'It's going to be brand new. It's going to be gorgeous,' he said in an interview Wednesday afternoon from Enderby, B.C.

Construction was expected to begin shortly so the Coffee, Tea and Spice store can be extended into the hallway entrance next to Extra Foods. That will give it its own entrance and more space.

The main hallway leading through the major part of the mall from Liquidation World to just before Coffee, Tea and Spice will become narrower, with Shoppers taking over the remainder of the retail space as Bentley's and Athletes World close down their stores.

Although Pasloski couldn't give specific details of the plans, he said the shop will be similar to the newer 'much larger' Shoppers stores in the South.

Rather than the usual cosmetics counter, there will be a beauty boutique.

The Shoppers website describes the boutiques as 'a new way to explore a wide range of luxury brands, together with unbiased, professional beauty advice.'

Customers will also be able to order their photo prints online, then pick them up at the store, and there'll be a slew of new products filling the shop.

Pasloski wouldn't divulge the cost of all the changes except to say it's 'a lot of money.

'It's a good investment. We're excited to do this,' he said, noting the company's commitment to the community, most recently in co-sponsoring the Canada Winter Games.

Pasloski's other Shoppers store on Main Street will continue to operate as well, he said.

The owner of Coffee, Tea and Spice could not be reached for comment.

In the 1990s, there was an unsuccessful proposal to join the mall with what was then The Bay store (most recently the now-vacant former Canadian Tire outlet) across Ogilvie Street.

Wolco, Woolworth's and the city's first Super Valu store (now Extra Foods) have also been tenants over the years.

More recent years have seen a number of businesses like Reitmans, the Real Canadian Superstore (which is now occupied by Staples and Liquidation World) and CD Plus relocate from the mall in favour of larger retail space.

While CD Plus moved to Main Street and Reitmans to the strip mall at the Chilkoot Centre at the bottom of Two Mile Hill, the Superstore opened its own stand-alone store and gas bar on Second Avenue.

Much of the retail space in the mall has remained vacant since each business's departure.