British investment company Hammerson promoted the idea of developing a modern American-style shopping mall in suburban Auckland, choosing New Lynn as the site for this venture in the early 1960s due to the growth potential of the New Lynn area.

[1] The land was purchased from Bob McGrae of the Auckland Bus Company, and the mall was planned by architectural firm Livingstone Jones Lang Wootton.

[1] LynnMall officially opened as New Zealand's first American-style suburban shopping centre on 30 October 1963,[3][4] The construction of LynnMall led to further shopping centres developed by Hammerson and Livingstone Jones Lang Wootton across the country, including the Riccarton Mall in Christchurch in 1965 and Southmall Manurewa in 1967.

[4] In January 2015, LynnMall commenced a $36 million expansion, named Brickworks, which included a new cinema, dining precinct and additional stores.

Seven people were injured in a stabbing attack on 3 September 2021 at the mall, one of whom narrowly missed the knife but was still affected.