The newly opened R160m Umlazi Megacity mall in Umlazi, outside Durban, has had a stellar first month of trading, with the centre averaging 20,000 people a day through its doors during its first week of trading.

The 29,000m² mall's owners, listed property funds SA Retail Properties and Martprop, say pent-up demand for retail in Umlazi - one of SA's biggest townships and home to about 400,000 residents - is so great there is probably room for another retail centre in the area.

The centre opened on March 30 and saw strong trading in its first four weeks. Centre manager Victor Mkhize says that during the first week of trading there was an average of 20,000 people a day through the doors. This has now settled to below 10,000 a day.

Food and clothing are the big attractions, with a lingerie shop making sales of about R45,000 on its first day of trading. Turnover at the SuperSpar during its first month was more than R8m.

National retailers make up 70% of the gross lettable area with anchor tenants SuperSpar occupying 4,200m² and Woolworths 1,200m². The mall also offers services such as banks and municipal offices

SA Retail and Martprop say no cinema is operating at Umlazi Megacity. They offered cinema space, but "the feeling was that it doesn't suit the offering. We gathered from the market that people living in Umlazi would rather have a cinema offering in a super regional centre like a Gateway."

SA Retail MD Peter Sparks says there is scope for additional retail space in the Umlazi area.

Ian Anderson, investment director at The Income Specialists, says: "For the first time people are getting national retailers on their doorstep. Previously they had to go 20km into town. This is a massive saving on time."

Business Day
 
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge