The stand-alone Pick n Pay stores the Chatsworth Centre located in KwaZulu-Natal and Little Falls in Gauteng meet growing consumer demands for easy and quick access to retail centres in both metropolitan and outlying areas.
The new stand-alone Pick n Pay store - the Chatsworth Centre located in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to Marc Edwards, managing director of Spire Property Management, who handled the tenant leasing for these two new centres, there is an emerging retail trend towards stand-alone centres such as the Chatsworth Centre and Little Falls.
“Our view is that a number of similar shopping centres, where the main food retailer occupies the majority of the space with 8-10 complementary line shops, will grow throughout South Africa.
“Shopping centres such as these allow consumers easy access to convenience stores with ample parking allowing for a quick visit or a longer, monthly shop,” he says.
The development of these stand-alone centres is in line with Pick n Pay's strategy to develop new retail channels and sites, thereby growing their national foot print and providing greater convenience for their customers.
“For the tenants in these Pick n Pay developed centres there are clear benefits,” says Edwards.
He points out that the biggest benefit being the location to the Pick n Pay store and access to the foot traffic generated by Pick n Pay and another benefit is the tenant exposure, due to the layout of these centres.
There are no “tucked away” spaces of “dead” retail areas which you may find in larger shopping centres.
Little Falls, an 8 800 square metre centre which houses a Pick n Pay, Pick n Pay liquor, Pick n Pay Thyme restaurant and Pick n Pay clothing store, along with seven additional line shops and two ATMs, is the second new concept Pick n Pay centre, building on the popularity of the flagship Pick n Pay on Nicol in Hurlingham in Johannesburg.
Little Falls, an 8 800 square metre centre which houses a Pick n Pay, Pick n Pay liquor, Pick n Pay Thyme restaurant and Pick n Pay clothing store, along with seven additional line shops and two ATMs, is the second new concept Pick n Pay centre, building on the popularity of the flagship Pick n Pay on Nicol in Hurlingham in Johannesburg.
These upmarket ‘green’ stores feature exceptional fresh foods, more imported lines than any other Pick n Pay and specialist ranges unique to these flagship stores, with additional features such as a wine boutique and cheese room within the Pick n Pay.
Spire Property Management was awarded the management contract to handle all aspects of tenant leasing for the Chatsworth Centre and Little Falls and worked closely with Pick n Pay on all aspects of the leasing project, including initial area and tenant analyses, lease reporting, lease negotiations and finalisation and assistance with the tenant installation and co-ordination process, explains Edwards.
“We began the leasing process by ascertaining the ideal tenant mix and comparing this to neighbouring competition.
“The small size of the Pick n Pay centres and the limited number of line shops available also meant that the tenant mix had to be chosen carefully to provide the best possible variety for consumers,” says Edwards.
The tenant mix for both is based on “destination” and “convenience” type shops to make these small convenience centres an all-in-one shopping experience.
The line shops have been chosen to complement the Pick n Pay and affiliated stores without detracting from them.
“The reputation of Pick n Pay, being a popular and ethical competitor with a substantial national footprint, made the leasing easier in terms of interest received from other tenants and the procurement of a favourable tenant mix.
The thorough market research performed by Pick n Pay in determining the feasibility of the centre allowed for the market demand to be evaluated and targeted accordingly, making the ease of letting that much more pronounced, he adds.