Eighteen shops in Merivale Mall in Christchurch were closed at short notice on Saturday.
Tower Property Fund said it moved to close the stores after receiving advice from engineers that an area within the shopping centre is earthquake prone and should be cordoned off.
The affected area contains 18 shops, two kiosks and all current entrances to the Fresh Choice supermarket.
"The safety of shoppers and staff at Merivale Mall is paramount and we are acting immediately on advice received," said Sam Stubbs, chief executive of Tower Investments.
"While this will be inconvenient for both tenants and customers at Merivale Mall, we cannot compromise their safety."
Several shop owners in the mall were handed a notice from management at 9am telling them they needed to close immediately, Fairfax reported, citing a cafe owner.
The brick facade of the mall on Papanui Rd was damaged in the magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch a year ago.
The mall has a number of designer retailers in it, including fashion store Quinns.
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