Rural shopping centres meet big demand

SHOPPERS in the Tugela Ferry and Jozini areas can pick and choose from more stores about to open for business at local malls.

The multi-million rand Tugela Ferry Mall opened eight months ago, has signed up Edgars Active, Legit, Ackermans, Focus Cosmetics, Chesa Nyama and Debonairs, while the Jozini Mall will soon open the doors to a 550m² Clicks outlet.

CEO of Retail Network Services, Gavin Tagg, the leaser at both shopping centres, said the shops save thousands of consumers from having to commute for products and services.

‘With a catchment of more than 184 200 residents in approximately 41 800 households, Tugela Ferry Mall is the first fully-fledged shopping centre in the town.

‘Residents previously had to travel considerable distances for their basic shopping needs with Tugela Ferry located 45km north of Greytown.’

Tugela Mall has a 3 000m² Shoprite supermarket and 1 350m² Cashbuild, as well as an OK Furniture store, Post Office, Jet, Liquor City, KFC, Standard Bank, Capitec Bank, Rage, Express Stores, Lewis, Pep, Pep Cell, Barnetts, Power Fashion Factory, Studio 88, Beaver Canoe, Dunns, Shoe Zone and The Bed Shop.

‘To complete the tenant mix at Tugela, we have strategic space we are holding for a butchery and an independent school uniform retailer.’

For Jozini, the mall will offer the first Clicks store in town.

‘Clicks is going to be a fantastic new addition to the Jozini Shopping Centre,’ said Tagg. ‘It would be home to more than 50 stores.

‘Besides being fully let, major retailers at the centre have reported excellent trade, for example the Roots Butchery sold over seven tons of wors in December.

‘The fact that both Tugela Ferry Mall and Jozini Shopping Centre are trading well and are attracting national retail brands, illustrates that there is an appetite for quality retail in rural areas.’