CHRISTMAS shoppers in and around the Empangeni Richards Bay region, like in any other parts of the country, shopped until they dropped.
According to centre management in eSikhaleni Plaza clothing shops experienced poor trading during the Christmas period, but that was the exception.
The management confirmed Shoprite and SuperSpar, eSikhaleni Plaza’s main supermarkets made their fortunes from stokvels. Trolleys and trolleys of stokvel groceries, which began mid-November, leading to weeks before Christmas, were the order of the day in these supermarkets.
Also the major furniture shops at the centre saw huge turnover.
Lakeside Mall management said, ‘According to the feedback from our major tenants, business was quite better than last year, with an increase in the number of shoppers.
‘No major incidents were reported and the atmosphere was quite festive, with shoppers acting responsibly.
‘Unfortunately we cannot supply any figures, but from the business prospective the 2015 Christmas shopping season was quite a success.’
Boardwalk management said the mall did better than last year, but there was a slight decline in the number of people frequenting the mall. They also said less money was spent on luxury goods.
Central Park and FiveWays Mall management said, ‘We did well better than last year. More people visited, and we were very happy to see new faces in our centres.
Crime
There were random reports of petty theft such as shop-lifting, which was minimal.
The centre management increased security personnel with 18 extra security guards, who ensured there was enough visible policing in the area so shoppers felt safe within the plaza.
No car thefts or car-hijackings were reported at eSikhaleni Plaza.
No robberies, or ATM scams reported either.
