News : 21st Birthday celebrations

On the 28th October 2009 the Shoppping Centre celebrates its 21st birthday. Celebrate with us as we look back to 1988 and look forward to the best that the Centre has to offer up to Christmas.

The Westmorland Shopping Centre, a £20m development opened in 1988. Blueprint interviewed Andrew Lovelady, Financial Director of Ethel Austin Property Group, who have owned the centre since 2002.

What is the background to Ethel Austin Property Group’s involvement in Kendal?

The Ethel Austin Property Group was founded in the 1970s. It is primarily an investment property group specialising in high street shopping centres. We bought the Westmorland Shopping Centre because our strategy is to primarily invest in Britain’s market towns and, as a result, our portfolio includes properties in places like Chester, Llandudno, Preston and Penrith. Additionally, around a third of our properties are within England’s northwest so, in many ways, Kendal was a great fit for us.

What is it that makes the Westmorland Shopping Centre special?

We have a strong belief in Kendal as a market town and actually own other property in Stricklandgate. Kendal is a very solid market town with a strong community and an enviable position as the gateway to the Lake District. Consequently, it has a vibrant retail environment drawing upon both local residents and visitors.

We have worked hard to get a good mix of tenants within the centre, so that it offers something for everyone and allows people to find as much as possible under one roof when they head out to shop. We have also done a lot of work to make the ambient environment a pleasant one for shoppers, by brightening up the centre, creating better signage and enhancing facilities.

In what ways does it go beyond being a typical shopping centre?

The Westmorland Shopping Centre’s management view the space at their disposal holistically and are continuously trying to offer more to the consumer. The mall areas are very important and our strategy is to use these spaces well, bringing in extra events and activities that can provide shoppers with something beyond the norm.

Can you give some examples of this?

We regularly have new car motorshows within the centre, to interest motoring enthusiasts, and we run various themed weeks, such as the Art and Craft Fairs. We have also hosted visits from TV personalities, sponsored local events such as Mintfest and tried to tap into the interests and needs of the local community. We currently have other weeks at the planning stage, so the Westmorland Shopping Centre is definitely a place where there is always something happening.

Is the shopping culture different in Kendal?

There is a strong sense of community within market towns like Kendal and we recognise that we have a degree of responsibility towards the town. The rural community typically dislikes having to travel a long way to access the items that it wants to buy and this means that we have to make sure that our mix of tenants satisfies the needs of consumers in and around the centre. We work to support Kendal as a whole, as we believe that venues such as coffee shops, bookshops and farmers markets encourage customers to stay for a longer period of time are very important and beneficial to all town centre retailers.

What does the future hold for the Westmorland Shopping Centre?

More of the same! We will continuously seek to improve the centre and will always keep it fresh and attractive. The economic climate is still tough, but we are detecting less pessimism now and, hopefully, retailers in Kendal will have a better Christmas this year. Our role is to ensure we continue to support tenants by getting the right blend within the centre and by demonstrating our commitment to the local community they are serving.

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