Uncertain future for shopping malls
If US is a guide, mall closures could loom
Children's laughter in the echo chambers of the play area and the occasional shouting of food orders lend to the ambience of the bustling food court at Menlyn Park in Pretoria. At first glance this may look like a thriving mall, but the two vacant spaces once occupied by Fishaways and Le Kreamery outlets tell a different story. Last year, R2.5-billion was invested in the mall as part of the development of Menlyn Maine Green City in Pretoria, but almost nine months after the grand opening the investment appears to have lost some of its shine. "Customers always complain because we often have to send people to the other side of the mall, where our other brands are, when we've run out of stock this side," said Pakiso Diphoko, a sales assistant at a Vans outlet who has been working at Menlyn Park for three years. Diphoko said he had seen a decline in the number of shoppers visiting the mall."It only increases on Saturdays because people have the whole day to shop from 9am to 9pm, but eve...
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