PEOPLE / MOVES
Ellandi and Workman introduce sensory shopping days
Workman Retail and Elllandi shopping centre teams have been working together to help make their shopping centres more accessible and their latest initiative aims to provide a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere to shop in for people who find shopping centres overwhelming. While for the majority shopping is a way of relaxing and socialising, for people with a sensory processing condition a visit to a busy shopping centre can be just the opposite. Crowded stores, bright lights, piped music and noisy tannoy announcements can lead to sensory overload, meaning that shopping centres can become confusing, intimidating and frightening places. The landlord and managing agent worked together on an initial trial at The Howgate Centre, Falkirk and Mercury Mall in Romford where the Sensory Shopping events have been very well received. The events were well publicised and some shoppers travelled many miles to visit the centres because they know it will be a more comfortable experience. Now Sensory Shopping Days are being rolled out at Marlands shopping centre, Southampton; Eastgate Centre, Gloucester; Grays shopping centre, Grays, Essex; White River Place, St Austell; Bouverie Place, Folkestone; Chelmsley Wood shopping centre, Chelmsley Wood; Priory Centre, Dartford; The Swan Centre, Eastleigh and Pentagon shopping centre, Chatham. On the designated days hand dryers are switched off and paper hand towels provided. And where possible, quiet zones are provided for anyone to use, particularly aimed at those who are feeling overwhelmed, overloaded or anxious. Staff are being trained by local groups such as Dementia Friends, National Autistic Society and other local charities and groups to ensuring that the staff feel more comfortable dealing with and approaching customers who may be experiencing difficulties in the shopping centres. Some have even taken to learning basic sign language too and where possible we are getting the retailers themselves on board to reduce or turn off music and to join in on the training. Ellandi property director Mark Robinson commented: “To thrive, shopping centres need to be safe, inclusive and welcoming places for all of the community. Having a child with sensory perception disorder makes me well aware of the challenges faced by people and carers with more severe conditions and we are proud to support this initiative across our portfolio with Workman.” www.shopping-centre.co.uk
This month’s moves . . . SAVILLS has promoted LARRY BRENNAN, head of Savills Ireland’s retail team, to head of European retail agency. At the same time the firm has recruited KEVIN SWEENEY as a director in the retail team in Dublin from Westfield shopping centres in Sydney. Savills has also promoted OLI FRASER LOOEN to head of cross border retail investment in Europe. ST MODWEN PROPERTIES has appointed JENEFER GREENWOOD as a non-executive director. She was previously executive director and head of retail at CBRE and director of sales and lettings, Great Britain & Ireland for Grosvenor.
valuation advice to a wide range of investors. KNIGHT FRANK has recruited SAM WATERWORTH and WILL LUND to its retail investment team. Both join from Cushman & Wakefield, where they each gained several years’ experience in their specialist markets. Waterworth will join as an associate, focussing on high street investments, whilst Lund joins as a qualified surveyor, continuing his work in the shopping centre sector. MCARTHURGLEN has promoted MICHAEL NATAS to joint managing director of development. He was previously deputy managing director of the development division.
HRH RETAIL has promoted investment specialist RICHARD WARD to partner. His investment team has transacted nearly 30 retail deals over the last 12 months.
BENSON ELLIOT has restructured its management team with MARC MOGULL moving from his current role as managing partner to executive chairman and chief investment officer. Co-founder TRISH BARRIGAN will take on the MONTAGU EVANS has appointed position of managing partner. EMILY PATEY as SAVILLS has appointed senior surveyor JONATHAN CORISH as within the retail commercialisation manager in management the firm’s Glasgow office. He joins team. She previously worked at Lambert Smith Hampton, where from SpaceandPeople where she managed a mixed portfolio of he was a venue development manager. At the same time asset classes. Savills has bolstered its retail agency team in Scotland with Retail valuation specialist the appointment of VICTORIA ANDREW DAVIE has joined FREED who joins as a surveyor CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD as from JLL where she a partner in the valuation & worked in shopping advisory team. He joins from centre property CBRE where he was a director management. providing shopping centre JULY 2017 SHOPPING CENTRE
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