Confidence is high at the Kingfisher after 'promising Christmas' - The Redditch Standard

Confidence is high at the Kingfisher after 'promising Christmas'

Redditch Editorial 15th Jan, 2020 Updated: 15th Jan, 2020   0

CONFIDENCE is high at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre after a promising Christmas.

Centre manager Ken Williams revealed the Kingfisher had done ‘significantly better’ than other comparable centres in the West Midlands and had finished second out of the eight centres run by its parent company, Capital & Regional Plc and Oaktree Capital Management.

“We have come into the new year in a much better position than last year and that gives us lots of confidence for 2020,” he said.

“There is lots of interest in what we have to offer and we are very encouraged by who we are dealing with at the moment.




“Obviously you have to make allowances for a few surprises which might come along but ultimately we are very satisfied that we have come through Christmas in a very good position.”

He acknowledged that it has taken time to recover from the loss of Marks & Spencer, particularly its food hall, which had hit the frequency of people visiting the centre, but was optimistic over a possible replacement.


“We started last year where the impact of M&S was still having an effect but since May we have progressively got better and better,” he said.

He also called on those retailers which might have struggled at Christmas to up their game.

“Retailers have had mixed results – some have done very well, others have found difficult times,” he said.

“But it’s less about what the customer is doing and more about what businesses are not doing – some think it’s business as usual and carry on doing the same thing while others are being more creative and innovative with consumer becoming more interested in new experiences and opportunities.”

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