La Lucia Mall Woolworths Foodmarket
La Lucia Mall is reporting a marked upswing in sales so far this year, following its recent expansion and the introduction of several major key retailers and store expansions.
Vanessa Blevins, Centre Manager of La Lucia Mall, reports: “Surpassing general retail trends, mall turnover is up 7.13% for the first seven months of year to 31 July 2015. We’ve also seen a 7% increase in visitors to the mall since our revamped and much larger Woolworths department store and supermarket opened in July this year.”
With its trading figures up significantly from 2014, Blevins reports La Lucia Mall is trading exceptionally well, notwithstanding the large number of competitor shopping centres in its primary catchment area. Its trading success also comes despite contending with load-shedding on 60 of the 214 trading days so far in 2015. It was without power during trading hours on 30 occasions.
The 37,260sqm small regional centre is in the heart of the affluent northern suburbs of Durban. It borders on Durban’s and KwaZulu-Natal’s prime and ever-expanding residential and commercial real estate including La Lucia Ridge, Umhlanga and Umhlanga Ridge. It attracts discerning and aspirant shoppers across all age groups, mostly from upper LSMs, and enjoys an extremely loyal following in its primary market.
La Lucia Mall opened its doors forty years ago in 1974 and has become the icon of upscale shopping in its region. It is owned and managed by Growthpoint Properties.
The mall’s latest R15 million extension took the centre’s size upwards by 830sqm when it was completed earlier this year. This high-demand retail space was taken up by the new format Woolworths supermarket and coffee shop.
Maurice De Villiers, Divisional Director Real Estate Development at Woolworths, comments, “We are excited about the experience our revamped and extended La Lucia store will offer our customers. The extension of the store demonstrates our ongoing commitment to servicing the needs of this important market.”
Other elite international and South African retail brands such as Le Creuset, Brown’s the Diamond Store, Sunglass Hut and Sorbet have all expanded their footprint in the shopping centre, with more expansions to follow from Carlton Hair and others.
The Cape Union Mart group continues to trade exceedingly well at La Lucia Mall, which includes the three stores of Cape Union Mart, Poetry and Old Khaki.
Brian Murphy, Chief Operating Officer of Cape Union Mart, comments: “For a smallish privately owned national retailer to show the confidence in La Lucia by opening three brands – Cape Union Mart, Old Khaki and Poetry – at great expense and to be rewarded with good year-on-year growth for all three stores, shows us once again the basics of good service and good stock at the right price points for the informed La Lucia Mall consumer is working.”
La Lucia Mall is anchored by the recently expanded and revamped Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Edgars, Dis-Chem and Food Lover’s Market. It also offers many top national, local and some international retail brands. The mall is strongly focused on convenience, lifestyle, food, and health and beauty categories.
Blevins confirms La Lucia Mall is set to continue delivering upbeat performance by giving its consumers the products and services they want most and offering them an outstanding shopping experience.
“We’re constantly realigning our retail mix and finding new ways to provide high levels of service in a safe and secure, pristinely clean and upmarket environment,” says Blevins. “We’re also always looking for new ways to connect and communicate with our shoppers and our community.”
