NEARLY 4.5 million people visited the Mall of Cyprus in its first year of operation, owners announced yesterday.
At a special event in Nicosia to mark its one-year anniversary today, General Manager Marios Chiromerides explained that the Mall “has helped the everyday lives of all citizens and offers something that was missing from the market and that was wanted by the public.
“The phrase ‘let’s go to the Mall’ is now in the everyday vocabulary of a great many people.”
Covering 27,000m² of retail space, the Mall is part of the Shacolas Emporium Park, which also includes Swedish home products giant IKEA.
“Our research shows that on average, 365,000 people have visited the Mall every month, which equates to 85,000 shoppers every week,” said Chiromerides. Last December was the most popular month, with 512,878 visitors.
“The Mall has proved to be extremely popular with both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, expatriates and foreign visitors and has generated €100 million in sales during its first 12 months of operation,” the General Manager stated.
One thousand new jobs have also been created.
The complex is made up of 45 retail stores and food and drink outlets, including names such as Debenhams, Zara, Nine West, Lacoste, Intersport, Swatch, Germanos, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Starbucks.
There is also a five-screen cinema complex and children’s area.
“You can describe us as a one-stop destination shopping centre,” said Chiromerides.
“Further expansion is planned in the future, with green areas,” he added.
Executive Chairman of the Emporium Park, which includes the Mall and IKEA, Nicolas Shacolas told the Mail that he has been pleasantly surprised by the success of both.
“We did a lot of research and planned for this project for several years,” he said. “We believed that it would be a success, but not to this extent.”
He added: “People have found that by coming here, they can find everything that they need – a very large range of products in a clean and civilised environment, at reasonable prices.
“People no longer need to waste time running around in the streets in the traffic and heat, trying to find somewhere to park. Here, they have everything – free parking and air conditioned spaces to walk through at their convenience, while they shop, rest, eat and drink or enjoy a film.”
However, the Mall’s opening a year ago was not without its problems. As thousands of people flocked to the new site, their arrival was marred by dire traffic congestion and protests.
The opening took place with a side-show demonstration from the Green Party, who camped outside to protest the impact the development was having on access to the new Nicosia General Hospital across the street.
Traffic police turned up in force to shepherd the long queues of cars waiting to get a glimpse of the new premises and traffic problems – first witnessed when the adjacent IKEA complex was opened a month previously – still remained very much apparent.
In December, 1,000 Strovolos residents and shop keepers took to the streets of the district in protest over the congestion.
Responding, the Public Works Department of the Communication and Works Ministry said that up to €5 million had been set aside to improve traffic circulation in the area.
“We have already made some roads two-way instead of one-way and are working on several other ideas,” a spokesman said at the time.
“The department is in consultation with both Strovolos and Latsia Municipalities, along with Town Planning and the police, and we have plans for the construction of an interchange and a flyover, as well as the expansion of several roundabouts in the area.”
Ambulances leaving the hospital have also since been allocated a special one-way lane.
