Why 1m hit Westfield shops at Easter

FAMILIES flocked to shopping centres over Easter as they splashed out on clothes, toys, meals and activities.

Mall giant Westfield said more than 940,000 people visited its two sites over Easter – in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, and Stratford in east London.

That was up 18pc on Easter last year and followed a £600m expansion of the Shepherd’s Bush site, which is now Europe’s largest shopping centre and home to John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Next as well luxury brands such as Burberry, gucci and Jimmy Choo. Many centres and high streets are struggling amid fierce competition from internet retailers, such as Amazon, as well as rising costs.

But upmarket centres such as those run by Westfield have bucked the downturn as families combine shopping with meals and activities.

The Shepherd’s Bush site has 60 cafes and restaurants and a cinema while its Stratford counterpart has three hotels, a bowling alley, cinema and casino. Saturday was the busiest day for both centres and both sites were closed on Easter Sunday.

Myf Ryan, chief marketing officer for Westfield UK and Europe, said: ‘We are delighted with these figures which not only reflect the continued demand for bricks and mortar retail, but also the prevailing strength of retail in London. Westfield is committed to providing destinations which transcend the retail offering to provide entertainment and leisure experiences.’

A shake-up is under way at shopping centres across the country. Hammerson, the owner of the Bullring in Birmingham, has agreed a £3.4bn deal to buy rival Intu, whose estate includes the Metro Centre in gateshead and the Trafford Centre in greater Manchester.

But Paris- based Klepierre, which runs more than 100 shopping centres throughout Europe, is now trying to hijack the agreement, having offered £4.9bn to buy Hammerson.

The interest from the French is seen as a vote of confidence in the British consumer despite the problems retailers face.