Vanessa Blevins has been centre manager at La Lucia Mall for eight years now…and it shows. Vanessa’s got the quiet and determined confidence of someone who knows her game. You get the feeling you could discuss the retail and shopping game with her for hours.
This former B.Soc.Sci student, who also cut her teeth at Gateway for five years, has overseen a period of solid and sustained growth for Durban’s most established upmarket shopping centre.
“We took a strategic decision to differentiate our tenant mix from the other malls in the north of Durban. In 2003 there was a revamp, which also led to significantly increased parking space,” says Vanessa.
This upgrade came at a cost of R75 million, but ensured the mall would comfortably suits the needs of its target market, and provide adequate parking for the next decade.
“Then over the next few years we brought in Food Lovers Market and Dis-Chem, two stores that have boosted ‘feet’ by a combined total of more than 110 000 shoppers a month. They’ve both proved a runaway success, and are clearly appealing to the La Lucia Mall shopper.”
Specialist
No other centre in the broader Durban area has such a strong centre mix, with major retailers like Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Edgars proving a huge draw, along with boutiques, specialist shops and eateries.
La Lucia Mall is in the extremely safe hands of Vanessa Blevins
“We haven’t been hurt by the recession in 2009 and the tough times since. Our strategy has been to be consistent and aim firmly at the top LSM, with the correct mix of retail options. We think it’s working very well, as evidenced by the figures.”
These include increasing number of shoppers from 350 000 a month to half a million. “We have a tenant rate of close to 100%. Many of our top tenants are renewing and expanding.” The turnover, month to month, has consistently increased since 2009, while many around the country and the world have struggled.
La Lucia boasts a per head spend of R146, which sees the centre punching above its weight, a figure more on a par with major regional centres.
Pressure
Parking is a fairly comfortable experience at the mall, although Vanessa acknowledged that occasionally there is some pressure exerted when the gym and Food Lovers Market are busy.
When asked her opinion on the state of the retail industry in South Africa on a national level, Vanessa commented: “I think the country, as a whole, is ‘overshopped’. There is too much retail and too much focus on the top end, whereas there are huge opportunities and great need in the lower LSMs. There is so much opportunity for the entrepreneurs in that economic sector.
“LLM happens to be perfectly placed with our shopper mix from Durban North, La Lucia, Umhlanga and Phoenix to cater to the top LSM. In other shopping centres, this may not always work as well.”
This go-getter resides close to work in Durban North with husband Simon and two children aged six and three. Simon is a retailer and is the owner of two Cash Crusaders branches. In her spare time, Vanessa recently started mountain biking and is on a quest to seek out Durban’s top MTB routes. – By Garth Johnstone
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