The Westfield Centre in White City,

Bad Timing for London Mall's Debut

Westfield Mall, the largest mall in a European city, opens Thursday, but its timing couldn't be worse. Britain's economy is sliding into a recession.

Last Updated: Monday, 18 September 2006, 19:10 GMT 20:10 UK

Huge shopping mall plans revealed

The Westfield Centre promises a unique shopping experience Plans for greater London's biggest shopping centre, which could rival the traditional retail districts such as Oxford Street, have been unveiled. The Westfield Centre in White City, forms part of a massive £1.6bn regeneration project in west London. The shopping mall will house an atrium for live events, 15 restaurants, shops, 4,500 parking spaces, 265 shops, a cinema and other leisure facilities. A new Tube station, two bus terminals and a railway will serve the site. Work has already begun on the centre, which is due to be completed in 2008. "We want [Oxford Street] to remain competitive, we want the West End to be the number one retail destination Jace Tyrell New West End Company It is at the heart of a major drive to regenerate the area, which also includes a £170m upgrade to the transport network and more than 200 flats in an affordable housing scheme. Developers estimate that 60% of visitors to the new shopping centre will come by public transport. Marks and Spencer, Next, Debenhams and Waitrose are among High Street names which have already been signed up. Those behind the plans for the Westfield Centre say they aim to "break the mould" of dining and entertainment in shopping centres. Developers hope to "break the mould" of shopping centres Michael Gutman, of Westfield London said: "You can come in the morning and get your groceries...go to the gym and have a workout, come back at lunchtime and do your shopping...then come back in the evening and see a movie, sit in a restaurant and have a drink until late. "That's a unique experience." Jeremy Baker, marketing lecturer at London Metropolitan University, said footfall figures showed out of town shopping was growing while Oxford Street was stable. "The danger for Oxford Street is White City will just cream off all the rich people of west London and the medium-income people, and they just won't struggle into Oxford Street," he told BBC London. There are proposals to give Oxford Street a £1bn overhaul, which could see parts of it pedestrianised and a tram running from end to end. Jace Tyrell, of the New West End Company, which represents Oxford Street retailers, said businesses were working with planners to improve the street - through which 40% of all London bus routes run. "Everyone agrees that we need to address Oxford Street now," he said. "We want it to remain competitive, we want the West End to be the number one retail destination." Westfield購物中心 倫敦開新店 【經濟日報╱編譯廖玉玲／綜合三十一日電】 2008.11.01 03:25 am 全歐最大都會購物中心Westfield London30日在倫敦盛大開幕，吸引大批人潮造訪。此時正值英國10月消費信心接近空前新低、線上零售商造訪人次首度出現單月衰退，Westfield仍看好此購物中心前景。 （美聯社） 英國10月消費信心接近空前新低，線上零售商的造訪人次首度出現單月衰退，但全歐最大都會購物中心Westfield London在這最糟的時機開幕，還吸引大批人潮前往。 市場研究業者GfK NOP公司統計，英國10月份消費者信心指數從9月的負32點落到36點，再度逼近7月的空前新低負39 點；去年10月時此指數僅為負8點。 另據研究業者Experian統計，英國線上零售業10月的網路流量比去年同期減少0.5%，顯示消費支出減緩的效應已開始影響到原本成長迅速的線上零售業。 過去線上零售的交通流量，也曾出現單周減少的情形，但單月衰退是歷來首見。此外，德國官方數據顯示，德國9月零售銷售比8月減少2.3%，跌幅為2007年5月來最大，超過市場預期。 無視於目前經濟瀕臨衰退、消費極度緊縮的現實，超大購物中心Westfield London31日在倫敦市中心盛大開幕，大批民眾似也暫時把不景氣的憂慮拋諸腦後，湧進這個號稱全歐最大的都會購物中心Westfield London一探究竟。 此購物中心由澳洲大型地產開發商Westfield斥資17億英鎊、耗費五年打造，占地43英畝，相當於白金漢宮加上後花園。購物中心內共有280家零售據點、50家餐廳和咖啡店，還有電影院、健身房和圖書館等設施。 業者預估，Westfield London每年可望吸引2,100萬人消費，年營業額目標是10億英鎊。 Westfield共同創辦人羅伊（Frank Lowy）承認，現在並非最理想的開幕時機，但他依然看好這座購物中心的前景，還說過去在不景氣時興建的購物中心，如今表現都是最好的。Westfield在全球共有118座購物中心。