The official opening of Galeria Katowicka had taken place last week, on the 18th of September, and last five days. Management of the mall predicted before the opening that the five-day event would be attended by two hundred thousand people. In fact, the footfall is higher than expected.
On Wednesday, 10 800 customers have visited the center during the first hour and the number reached 69 000 people by the end of that day. Now the investor released the footfall of the five-day opening. „Galeria Katowicka was visited by 264 000 people during the first five days of its operation, from Wednesday to Sunday” – said Daniel Muc, spokesman of the mall.
In 2011, the 2-day opening of the Silesia City Center’s extension gathered approximately 300 000 visitors. However, the celebrity Paris Hilton had been tapped to be the star of the opening of SCC – earning the most publicity in the center’s history, while Galeria Katowicka did not invite any special guests to open the mall.
„We estimated that if there was one huge event as part of the opening, e.g. performance by a popular musician, there would be some 50 000 people and 10 000 cars coming to the City center within a matter of hours. That would be too much of a challenge to the street system in Katowice. That is why we decided to extend the attractions over several days” – Agnieszka Jurkiewicz, Galeria Katowicka’s marketing & public relations manager said several days before the opening.
The level of commercialisation of Galeria Katowicka was 92% on the opening day. There are more than 220 stores and service points located at four levels, including one underground level. The tenant mix strategy assumed that Galeria Katowicka would be a popular place and very attractive to all customer groups. That is why the tenant mix includes such brands as Zara, Euro RTV & AGD, Reserved, C&A, Stokrotka, SMYK or Deichmann, with the alternative provided by Peek&Cloppenburg’s first department store in Katowice.
„Galeria Katowicka project aroused interest already at the design stage. Despite difficult market situation, at the moment the lease level is 92% which makes one of the best in the entire country. The perfect location, great access and the attractive tenant mix make Galeria Katowicka remarkably appealing” – quoted Jorge Sánchez, retail manager of Neinver.
„The project carried out in Katowice is undoubtedly one of the most interesting ventures in Europe at the moment. It is highly evaluated by international experts who keep an eye on the Polish real property market. We knew we had to take part in this outstanding and challenging project that uniquely combines commercial, transportation and public functions. For this reason, Meyer Bergman decided to make an investment in Katowice in 2010. Today we know this was a good business decision. We are thrilled to see the effects of our collaboration with Neinver and the Polish State Railways. This project which will reshape the image of Katowice is an excellent example of an investment fund, a developer and a public institution effectively working together towards a common goal. No doubt, this model of collaboration that we have developed will set a prime example in the international property market” – said Mark Gamble, head of asset management at Meyer Bergman.
Galeria Katowicka is a four phase project which will also include an office building with about 20 000 sq. meters for lease. The entire project is the result of collaboration between Neinver, Meyer Bergman and the Polish State Railways.