Now, a new shopping centre will offer Parklands residents even more convenience, thanks to a Food Lover's Market measuring 4,500m² and also a massive Virgin Active gym, which opened to members in March.

The Emporium, the new 12,500m² shopping centre located on Sandown Road, opens its doors to the public in late July 2013 and will offer a handpicked range of goods and services to the local community.

Galetti, one of South Africa's leading commercial and industrial brokerages, sold the land parcel and secured a sole mandate for The Emporium and has achieved a strategic tenancy. "Parklands presents a highly-competitive retail market, in fact it's currently over-subscribed. This is due to an abundance of small main street retail outlets and smaller retail centres, with more planned for the near future", says Galetti Broker, Wade Nel.

He continues, "But The Emporium presents residents with an appealing offering. Galetti's expertise in tenant acquisition, placing particular focus on securing Virgin Active and Food Lover's Market as the two main anchor tenants, has successfully tapped into identified gaps in the local market to provide greater convenience."

At 4,500m² the new Food Lover's Market will be the second largest in the country and is already being touted by the Head Office as the flagship store. Imported finishes and equipment that will revolutionise the brand position Food Lover's in an entirely different class of retailer. The franchisee family are well renowned with over 25 years of retail experience and are well entrenched in the community, supporting local causes and schools.

According to Nel, an average footfall of between 6,000 and 8,000 shoppers is expected at the centre per day. If the phenomenal response to the Virgin Active gym, called Virgin Active Sunningdale, which opened in March ahead of the rest of the centre, is anything to go by, The Emporium's strategic tenant mix is set to draw the Parklands convenience market.

"With the rapid growth in the area we knew it was time to offer a second health club facility," explains Reza de Greeff, Club General Manager. The next closest Virgin Active is located just off of Otto du Plessis Drive near Rietvlei, so the added capacity of the new facility has been welcomed by Capetonians keen to be more active.

The 3,500m² state-of-the-art double story health club boasts the most modern of facilities and equipment including a Queenax suspension unit – a multi-functional machine described as an adult jungle gym, and only the second in the Western Cape.

With approximately 94% occupancy confirmed prior to the opening of The Emporium, other tenants include Bargain Books, Jawitz, International Realtors, King Cake, Perky Pets, PostNet, Sports Lounge, Boost Surfing, Vogue Hair Salon, Execuspecs, Old Fashioned Fish & Chips, Pizza Perfect, Emporio Italiano, London Keys, Sunningdale Pharmacy, Kahns Jewellers, Fresh Laundry, Cash Crusaders and 360 Nutrition.

"Once the R27 corridor opens later this year, we are confident that The Emporium will enjoy even higher visibility, which will be good for all our tenants," says Nel.