So I am a little weary of the constant [feels that that] marketing campaign I have been subjected to over the past few weeks and
am feeling cynical.
Hemingway's
I also have a 1.9Mb Hemingway's brochure [did the email rounds at work] in PDF format. Anyone who would like to have a look is welcome to pm me their email addy.
The following may happen:
It will start with a bang as many things do in these parts and people will flock to it for the first month or three before interest starts to wane.
Then the smaller shops will start to close as they can no longer afford the exhorbitant rent. This is appears to be happening at the plush new
Mdantsane Mall. Residents of said settlement would rather travel 10-15km in a taxi to shop at Vincent Park, it seems.
Hemingway's is being presented as an upmarket mall and I am not sure that East Londoners as a whole are as well-heeled as
consumers in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban or even Port Elizabeth. Also, we are still in a recession, or so I have heard.
I find it strange that the roads connecting Hemingways to the rest of East London were not completed earlier:there is still work to be done
on them. Then again there may be a sound reason for not building the roads first.
It will succeed beyond my wildest dreams and bring customers streaming in from the eastern half of the Eastern Cape to the detriment of other
shopping centres in this region.People will lose jobs and shops will stand empty. <coungh>King's Mall</cough>
After the novelty has worn off, sufficient people will continue to frequent the bigger, stronger shops at Hemingways for them to be viable while other
shoppers drift back to more familiar haunts and easily accesible haunts. [As a pedestrian, Hemingways is out of my way and something of an awkward walk.]
Fragile equilibrium sets in.
I am sure that there are other possible scenarios.
Slummies' next White Elephant?
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- StarPhoenix
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Slummies' next White Elephant?
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Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
Hmmm dont see it working that well TBH. You definitly wont attract the tourists away from Port Alfred because its fully equipped .
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Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
Agreed.
The drip-drip-drip of Hemingways Mall marketing has taken its toll and has engendered not anticipation but tired cynicism in this one.
The drip-drip-drip of Hemingways Mall marketing has taken its toll and has engendered not anticipation but tired cynicism in this one.
"Humankind cannot bear very much reality." T.S. Elliot
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Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
I took a walk up to Hemingway's Mall this morning and returned a short while ago.
It is somewhat bigger than Vincent Park and has 3 floors.
Around 85% of the shops are open.
As is the norm when a new shop, or in this instance, a shopping centre opens in East London, it was congested.
I almost got lost. Almost.
To my surprise, I did not see anyone I know there.
Exclusive Books has a coffee shop.
If I seem to be gushing, it is only because we are not used to this sort of thing in this One-Horse Town.
It was though I had stepped through a portal into a small shopping centre in one of the lower rent areas of Cape Town.
{I mention Cape Town becuase I was there last December.}
I do think that one of the clothing shops could be replaced by Bargain Books though.
It is somewhat bigger than Vincent Park and has 3 floors.
Around 85% of the shops are open.
As is the norm when a new shop, or in this instance, a shopping centre opens in East London, it was congested.
I almost got lost. Almost.
To my surprise, I did not see anyone I know there.
Exclusive Books has a coffee shop.
If I seem to be gushing, it is only because we are not used to this sort of thing in this One-Horse Town.
It was though I had stepped through a portal into a small shopping centre in one of the lower rent areas of Cape Town.
{I mention Cape Town becuase I was there last December.}
I do think that one of the clothing shops could be replaced by Bargain Books though.
"Humankind cannot bear very much reality." T.S. Elliot
Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
I would venture that the market research for this complex was done some years ago, certainly before the recession. Where is Hemmingway's situated Star?
I recall similar dismal predictions in Cape Town when Canal Walk was built and opened, sure some shops flourished, some disappeared but overall it is still doing good business. The prophesies that N1 City and Tygerberg Mall would be negatively affected never happened, in fact their business also grew.
Since then a new complex has opened up in Brackenfell, called Cape Gate, also doing well. None of these are really in well heeled areas, maybe Tygerberg is, it is close to Durbanville, however they do draw customers from all over the place.
Larger supermarket complexes have been put up in the Township areas, these have not flourished.
Excuse the pun, not intended, but, location, location, location.
Waterfront, due to its position and tourist attractions, even though terribly expensive seems to go from strength to strength.
I recall similar dismal predictions in Cape Town when Canal Walk was built and opened, sure some shops flourished, some disappeared but overall it is still doing good business. The prophesies that N1 City and Tygerberg Mall would be negatively affected never happened, in fact their business also grew.
Since then a new complex has opened up in Brackenfell, called Cape Gate, also doing well. None of these are really in well heeled areas, maybe Tygerberg is, it is close to Durbanville, however they do draw customers from all over the place.
Larger supermarket complexes have been put up in the Township areas, these have not flourished.
Excuse the pun, not intended, but, location, location, location.
Waterfront, due to its position and tourist attractions, even though terribly expensive seems to go from strength to strength.
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Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
Hemingway's Mall is next to [and is connected to via the ground floor] the Hemingway's Casino and Hotel complex, which lies at the intersection of Western Avenue and Two Rivers road alongside the N2.
Daily Dispatch article
I am hoping for the best.
I was at Vincent Park this morning and didn't notice any dramatic drop in the number of people walking around the centre.
Someone needs to remind the creators of the Hemingway's Mall website to update it.
...and yes, the residents of Mdantsane seem to prefer coming in to town to shopping at Mdantsane City
Update: Old malls claim new records
Daily Dispatch article
I am hoping for the best.
I was at Vincent Park this morning and didn't notice any dramatic drop in the number of people walking around the centre.
Someone needs to remind the creators of the Hemingway's Mall website to update it.
...and yes, the residents of Mdantsane seem to prefer coming in to town to shopping at Mdantsane City
Update: Old malls claim new records
"Humankind cannot bear very much reality." T.S. Elliot
Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
Certainly looks good right now! Best of luck to them.
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Re: Slummies' next White Elephant?
My brother braved the poorly planned road into Hemingway's Mall for his first visit to the new mall.
Judging from his comment ["I would rather fly to Cape Town and go to Canal Walk"] it did not leave a
favourable impression.
Judging from his comment ["I would rather fly to Cape Town and go to Canal Walk"] it did not leave a
favourable impression.
"Humankind cannot bear very much reality." T.S. Elliot