About Us

The Global Mall® is conveniently located in the Northtowne Centre on Morse Road, situated between I-71 and the Easton Shopping District.

At the Global Mall, we offer an exotic variety of goods and services with a flair and flavor not to be found just anywhere. We provide a fascinating international atmosphere and a distinctive setting for our customers, allowing them to enjoy a truly unique shopping experience without having to travel abroad to do so.

Fresh Starts

SOMALI ENTREPANEURS HAVE SALVAGED FADING NORTH-SIDE STRIP CENTERS BY BRINGING THE CULTURE OF EAST AFRICAN SHOPPING TO COLUMBUS

By Aaron Marshall

Columbus Monthly - February 2004

A group of young Somali men have finished their lunch at the Grand Buffet on Morse Road during a late September afternoon. They listen to their friend, Ahmed Mohamed, talk about his new business, The Global Mall, a kiosk-filled retail outlet.

Mohamed comes across as a natural salesman, but peppers his speech with language typically used by grad students. He wears small round glasses, sports a neatly trimmed beard and has outfitted his lanky frame in Italian dress pants, an olive dress shirt and a patterned tie. Occasionally he sneaks a look at the Motorola cellphone hooked on to his belt.

He is in the United States as the result of the civil war in Somalia, but doesn't seem interested in talking about his native land. The 28-year-old from a middle-class background in Moqdishu wants to discuss business.

It turns out that the seeds for the Global Mall were planted among the dying embers of Northland Mall. Mohamed and his partners owned Global Fashion, one of the few stores that hung on until the end of Northland Mall in 2002.

The experience left the Somali men bitter, but soon they decided to search for a new location. Their idea then turned more ambitious: They would lease space and in turn would sublease it to tenants. Their imported clothing store would be the cornerstone of what they would call the Global Mall.

"The lesson taught me that I want to have a business where I can have total control and imput," says Ahmed Mohamed. He pitches the mall as one that will appeal to a more diverse, middle-class crowd. "We have not only Somali businesses, but we will have white guys, other Africans and Asians as well," he says. "The name Global Mall says it all."

The Global Mall occupies a former T.J. Maxx, a short distance from the site of the old Northland Mall. Mohamed says the city's investment in sprucing up Morse Road as well as his existing north-side customer base persuaded him to stay. The mall also sits across the street from other Somali businesses, including a grocery store and clothing shops. This could be ground zero for Somali shoppers.

Inside the Global Mall you may see curiosities such as the Indian Ocean Gift Shop, who's door is covered with drawings of Somalian icons and figures. The inside of the store is stuffed with East African cultural artifacts, drawings and other items.

The owner's name is Diriye Mohamud, a teacher's assistant at the Mifflin Welcoming Center, the first stop for Somali kids entering the Columbus Public Schools. Another lifetime ago – before the civil war ravaged Somalia – he was the director of the national museum in Somalia.

"I'm trying to give the Somali kids a little drop of their own culture back. I am trying to keep it alive," states Diriye.

The grand opening for the Global Mall on Morse Road was scheduled to start at 11:00 am October 26th, but as noon nears, chairs are still being arranged and the African food is still being spread out on a long table.

As Ahmed Mohamed moves about – in a black hat, dress shirt, baggy jeans and his cellphone at the ready – about three dozen Somalis begin to take seats.

They are here to kick off the opening of the mall, and within the hour, the guest of honor appears. Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman strolls into the room wearing the polititian's uniform: a navy three-piece suit with a light blue tie.

After a short speech and around of pictures, Coleman says, with a grin, "I'm glad to share this special moment. Now I'm going to walk around to see what you've got for sale."

The mayor gets the grand tour with a handful of guides. The mall is bright and well lighted, with high ceilings and spotless shiny floors. The mayor cruises past 35 kiosks, including a cellphone and pager shop, a store selling couches and tables in Arabic patterns, a jewelry store, a cybercafé, a hip-hop clothier, an ethnic foods grocery store and a tailor shop. Everything has a fresh smell and is buffed to a sheen.

After several laps around the mall, Coleman plops down in a folding chair with a plate of fish and rice. A small group of Somali men pull up chairs as he eats and chats to a reporter.

He talks about what the Global Mall represents in Columbus. "It puts an exclamation point behind the reality of our city," he says. "Columbus is an immigrant city now, for people from all over the world." The fish and rice are disappearing quickly. "The Global Mall is a fitting name because it's a global economy we all live in." The Somali men, who are listening intently, nod in agreement.