Leading fashion retailers Hilton Weiner, Jenni Button, Aca Joe, Vertigo and Urban, representing a full house of Platinum Group brands, all open at Hemingways Mall in time for the 2010 festive season. They are joined by specialist fashion and footwear retailers Earth Child Earth Addict, Payless Shoes and Zoom.

A new RJ’s Steakhouse will add to the centre’s menu of dining options, while Crazy Store have claimed their position in Hemingways Mall bringing even more value and convenience shopping to the Eastern Cape.

Another addition is the new cellular network provider, Telkom’s “Eighta - 8ta” concept which has chosen Hemingways Mall to install one of only three concept stores in the country.

Signed up and set to open early next year, furniture and interior decor specialist Design Plus, Altech Autopage, Klines and Maxi’s are also making the move into the increasingly popular super-regional shopping mall.

Combined, this comprises some 3,000sqm of brand new retail variety for Hemingways Mall shoppers, open October and November this year.

In addition a similar number of retailers are seeking a combined 15,000sqm of retail space in Hemingways Mall, and have been placed on a waiting list for new accommodation. There is virtually no available space left in the centre.

A number of Hemingways Mall’s large national retail tenants have also requested additional space to increase their shop sizes, and expand product ranges and brand variety to better meet shopper needs. These requests are underpinned by the retailers’ already successful trading at the centre, with some 2,000sqm additional area added for existing tenants.

“As a result of retailer demand, Hemingways Mall has expanded to include a value centre extension of 6,500sqm for mainly home furnishing and decor retailers, which will serve to increase the centre’s total size to an incredible 80,000sqm of vibrant retail space,” says Rachel Klaasen, Hemingways Mall General Manager.

Already established as the largest shopping centre in the Eastern Cape, catering to the diverse needs of shoppers within East London and surrounding areas and drawing shoppers from as far afield as Port Alfred, Bisho, Kingwilliamstown, Butterworth, Mthatha and Queenstown, Hemingways Mall continues to grow its market share and build its trading success. With 200 shops offering variety and choice, Hemingways Mall’s anchor tenants include Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Edgars.

While in operation for slightly over a year, having opened on 24 September 2009, Hemingway Mall’s trading success speaks both to the centre’s increasing market share and the positive retail potential of the Eastern Cape province.

Hemingways Mall’s October 2010 turnover grew by 8.5% on October 2009.The mall’s average monthly trading densities grew by the same amount.

“Our trading densities are well above the benchmark for similar new shopping centre’s in their first years of trade,” states Klaasen. “This demonstrates that Hemingways Mall is definitely outperforming similar retail properties”.

Hemingways Mall was designed to be more than just a shopping centre:  its unique offering includes seamless flow with the Casino, Hotel and entertainment.

Hemingways Casino, which has again won the gambling licence for the area for the next 15 years, effective from November 2011, will be investing around R400 million in the current Casino precinct over the next two years. This will further enhance the offering and appeal of the overall Hemingways node.

Integral to its success is its superb location. Hemingways Mall is highly visible and easily accessible, conveniently situated at the corner of Western Avenue and Two Rivers Drive, just off the N2 Highway, which runs to Port Elizabeth and Mthatha and forms the spine of Buffalo City Municipality.

Upgraded infrastructure ensures ease of access, with over 3,000 parking bays together with drop-off zones, bicycle bays and pedestrian routes as well as a taxi rank, making for a convenient and unique shopping experience which seamlessly integrates variety and convenience.

Hemingways Mall falls into the top dozen malls in South Africa and is the crowning jewel of retail in the region having changed the future of shopping in the Eastern Cape.

Living up to its objective of being the peerless, dominant “shoppertainment” mecca for the region and its growing favour with shoppers bears incredible testament to Hemingways Mall’s of this objective.  

“Our new retailers are a welcome addition to the centre and serve to enhance our retail choice and variety. They also represent leading brands which are highly desirable to local shoppers and contribute to ensuring that retail in the Eastern Cape is on a par with other areas in South Africa,” points out Klaasen.