Lego and Playlife main new
names
For the Danes, it is their
28th store in Europe, but only their third in a smaller country
(following Austria and, of course, Denmark). Playlife is even more
exclusive, with the new Antwerp store being only the second opening
north of the Alps – just days after the Italians opened in
Frankfurt.
Other big names in the new
wing are America Today, Fred & Ginger, Tommy Hilfiger, Esprit and
JBC, the latter two featuring their brand new concept. In the
existing wings too, many stores have upgraded to a new look to be
able to compete with the newcomers: “some thirty existing stores
have installed a new concept”, according to commercial manager
Jeroen Hafkamp.
Some stores moved from the
old to the new part, creating vacancies that immediately found new
tenants. Claudia Sträter (since August) and Desigual (soon) are the
major names among those.
“Making the biggest one
even bigger”
The new wing increases the
commercial surface by 5,000 square meters and the workforce by 400
people, “making the biggest one even bigger”, said Hafkamp. In
March, when the shopping centre celebrates its 21st anniversary, the
renovation of the existing wings – including a complete renewal of
electric wiring and lights – should be complete.
And afterwards? “We have
no limits: we always have included an upwards extension in our
plans”, Hafkamp answered. Will the 25th anniversary in 2018 be
celebrated with an extra floor on top of the current shopping center?
We found no clear denial (on the contrary), but: “first let us
enjoy this big step, and we will see what comes next…”
