Abland, Retail Africa to refurbish Norkem Corner shopping centre
The 10,000m² development will continue to be home to existing tenants such as Checkers, Ackermans, Clicks, Spur and PEP, which will be revamping into their respective new looks, and will also be welcoming new tenants.
“We are taking on an asset that has historically been neglected over the decades. We saw a gap in the market, analysed it and listened to the retailers to ensure that the final offering speaks to the needs of not only the consumers who will make use of the centre but also the tenants. We have put a lot of emphasis on the lifestyle elements of the centre and will be applying the latest design trends to blend it into a neighbourhood environment,” says Jurgens Prinsloo, MD of Abland.
Focus on brownfield developments
Abland and Retail Africa have identified a need in the current retail market to focus on brownfield developments – reviving outdated retail spaces into modern contemporary spaces that families can enjoy as part of the bigger urbanisation, smart cities concept.
“At Retail Africa, one of our strategies is the redevelopment of neighbourhood convenience shopping centres, to create family-oriented centres in safe and secure environments. Norkem Corner is the perfect example of an opportunity to reenergise a centre that has existed for almost 30 years, by applying the latest trends from a design and aesthetic point of view, as well as substantially enhancing the centre's tenant mix, making the centre attractive to today’s modern shopper,” adds Retail Africa’s Richard O’ Sullivan.