Vincent Park Mall in the Eastern Cape is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Located in East London, it is one of the oldest shopping centers in the country.
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The property where the mall is located was once the Vincent Hotel. It was bought by Old Mutual in 1971 as an anchor tenant for its pick n pay development into a shopping centre. The mall was officially opened in October 1972 and today it has 37,000 square meters.2 Commercial space and more than 80 tenants.
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Despite increasing competition and changes in consumer spending behavior, Vincent Park maintains a loyal buyer base. By understanding the retail industry and the local consumer and best practice, Vincent Park remains relevant through continuous innovation.
The influence of social media
He said that while changes in fashion and music are inevitable, the influence of social media and technology has completely changed the way consumers interact. Now, the focus is on building brand awareness and affinity through results-driven social media campaigns and activities.
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Over the years, Vincent Park has seen several brick and mortar improvements with hundreds of millions of rand in redevelopment and infrastructure development.
“Vincent Park has embarked on a significant infrastructure investment over the past two years to implement cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency and 21st century technology,” added Parcell.
Green initiatives include installing a solar plant, adding energy efficient LED lighting, installing a chilled water plant to improve air conditioning, introducing a gray water/drinking water supply project to toilets, rainwater harvesting and landscaping using aquatic and native plants.
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“Overall, Vincent Park’s heritage and brand association will certainly benefit. East London is community driven. Everybody knows, and everybody has a memory of Vincent Park,” Parsley said.
