Watch: Parkdene Boulevard officially opens
Shoppers were met with a wide selection of stores and service offerings.
The highly anticipated redeveloped Parkdene Boulevard shopping centre opened its doors to the public on October 24.
This follows a year and a half of construction work to deliver a fresh and modern shopping experience in the heart of Boksburg.
The landscaping of the roughly 32 000 sqm retail hub is testimony to the amount of money that was spent on the project.
Shoppers were met with a wide selection of stores and service offerings, ranging from well-known national brands and local retailers to a wide range of restaurants, boutiques, drive-thru outlets, and anchor tenants including Checkers Hyper, Dischem, and Edgars.
Speaking to the Boksburg Advertiser during the official launch of the R700m investment, one of the partners, Retail Africa’s Richard O’Sullivan who hails from Boksburg, said it has always been their special dream to bring the latest in design and shopping trends to his hometown.
“I’m so proud to see the project come to fruition. Today is our opening and we are excited to welcome all the retailers and the Boksburg community to our centre. Hopefully, they will be proud of this new product.”
To mark the new era of retail, each of the shops organised their individual opening activities outside their stores and offered specials to patrons.
Junior Academy and the CBC marimba band graced the special day with their brilliant performances.
Tighter security
If the recent spate of shopping mall robberies across the country is anything to go by, these public facilities continue to be prime hotspots for criminals looking to target patrons, high-value vehicles in parking lots, jewellery stores and ATMs, particularly in the run-up to the festive season.
Responding to a question about safety and security, O’Sullivan said keeping customers and the facility safe will always remain a high priority.
“We understand that it’s key to the survival of the businesses and the centre.
“Considering what is happening across the country, that’s a valid concern.
“To enhance and tighten our security measures, we have integrated the latest technology into our traditional security guard strategies. We are also implementing proactive measures to prevent criminal activities.
“Our customers must always be safe because without the customers none of these shops are going to thrive. If these shops don’t operate optimally then my shopping centre is not going to work optimally.
“While incidents do happen and we may not be 100% insulated from crime, to protect our customers we have adopted robust systems that will allow us to evolve to ensure that we are always steps ahead of criminals. We are also working with law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of our shoppers.”
Also Read: Parkdene Boulevard brings modern shopping and family values to the heart of Boksburg
