Onwards & upwards
Published: 28 August, 2008
Good tenant relationships in a rapidly expanding town, together with a successful marketing strategy, have all helped The Harvey Centre in Harlow to increase year-on-year footfall by 7 per cent in the first six months of 2008 - bucking the current national trend.
For the first time since the Springboard people-counting system was introduced in 2004, the centre has reported 6 million visitors to the end of June. And with Christmas still to come in the second half of the year, the centre management team is confident it will smash its target of 250,000 visitors a week by the close of 2008.
Centre manager Bryan Young lists a number of reasons for this success, one of which goes back to 2006 when the Sapphire Retail Fund brought its whole portfolio together under one branded image. As well as The Harvey Centre, Sapphire owns Little Walk, East Gate, West Gate, West Walk, Harvey Approach and one side of the Broadwalk, totalling 540,000 sq ft of lettable space. This makes Sapphire the largest retail owner in Harlow. "We filled the shops on the outside," says Young, "so people had a bigger variety of retail experience."
Only 6 per cent of space now remains to be let, which is a huge improvement from 2006 when Young calculates the estate was only 50 per cent let.
Steve Wilcock from Frogbox Marketing, which carries out the marketing and public relations for the centre, explains: "It's a concerted effort by King Sturge and Savills, but a big part of it is tenant liaison, especially in the rough periods we're going through at the moment. Bryan knows everyone by their first name and if a retailer isn't trading as well we never put it down to the economic climate. We find a way to help them." Such help might include giving a retailer promotional space on the malls to attract people into the store.
In addition, Young holds two tenant association meetings a year as well as bespoke meetings which focus on individual groups of retailers, such as the independents or the first floor tenants, so that specific issues can be discussed.
Marketing also plays a key role, Wilcock explains: "It's not just about advertising. We use advertising to support our events and PR activities, so we use it strategically.
"We also use the tenants, for example on Valentine's Day we found the least romantic man and gave him everything he needed to give his partner a fantastic day. He had flowers, chocolates, underwear and a teddy, all donated by the tenants. They benefit from advertising and publicity, on-site posters and the website. There are 60,000 hits on the website a month."
Bargain Alerts are another new addition to the marketing strategy. "We wanted to use new media so we redesigned the website," says Wilcock. "It's a good tool for us and it's a cheap and easy way to help tenants as we promote their news and offers. At the beginning of the year we developed Bargain Alerts. People can sign up for the service and every month, sometimes twice a month, we send out a newsletter to the people on our database advertising the best offers that month. It's also interactive, so you can click on it and go to that shop's website. It's a multimedia approach and it's free to tenants."
The centre also ensures its promotional space is used for a mixture of community and commercial purposes. "Because footfall is increasing, the mall has a commercial value to it, but we always use that to build relationships with other businesses," says Wilcock. "We gave a car away in May and a local motor dealer gave us the vehicle for free. In return they got four weeks on the mall and we included them in our press and radio advertising. We have posters around the shopping centre and various other marketing initiatives and PR, so it's a valuable promotion for them. And off the back of that, they sold 13 cars. Not surprisingly, they want to do it again in February."
The centre's success is also helped by the five anchor tenants - M&S, Tesco, Bhs, Primark and Wilkinson - which appeal to a broad market and Young hopes, alongside their other retailers, will help them weather any storms.
"M&S trades as well as Primark, so people come for many reasons," explains Wilcock. "We can provide good fashion, good independent fashion, plus M&S and niche retailers."
There are a variety of plans coming up at The Harvey Centre, though precise announcements are being withheld until detailed plans of the Town Centre North development are unveiled. Stockland, which is the preferred developer, has been given until October to deliver a feasibility study outlining the way forward for the town, which Harlow Renaissance will review and make available for public consultation a few months later. There are a number of outcomes that could result and Young is aware of most of them and has plans in place for each.
"Sapphire is keen to move things forward and over the next year we will see some significant investment in The Harvey Centre, because it's performing so well now," he says.
Wilcock adds: "We have a number of plans including quite a major one for the first floor. There are also a number of potential tenants we're looking at and with whom we're in negotiations. Harlow is developing. It's successful at the moment and will be more successful in the future. The landlord will do what needs to be done to make the centre successful."
One of the things the management team hopes to increase as a result of its strategies is dwell time, which currently stands at between 45 and 90 minutes. "I think we have to take that on board for moving Harlow and The Harvey Centre forward, because we can't stand still," says Young. "One of the strategies we might be able to announce soon will hopefully help to increase dwell time."
Young also works alongside the centre manager at the new Water Gardens shopping centre in Harlow. "Like any business we're competitors, but we do things together that will enhance the town and the shoppers' experience. We know that people will visit Harlow and go to both schemes. Eighty per cent of those that park at the Water Gardens come here as well.
"We need to work together to enhance shoppers' experience in Harlow. We also have a new town centre manager and we regularly meet to discuss strategies."
Wilcock adds: "I think a lot of people know that Harlow is going places and are aware of Town Centre North. We know that whatever happens it will enhance Harlow as a whole and therefore will be good for us as well."
Environmental initiatives are also high on the agenda at The Harvey Centre. Thanks to modern technology, as well as working with agencies, such as the Carbon Trust and various utilities companies, and working on staff awareness/training, the centre has been able to reduce the impact of electricity price rises that have been levied on most businesses. Through monitoring the use of electricity, the centre was able to ascertain where power was being wasted.
"We found that we were using electricity at 3am when a piece of equipment was kicking in for no reason at all," says Young. "We now also have only half the lights on in the car park as they are now on sensors. Such measures also act to make everyone aware of the need to conserve energy."
The installation of light sensors in the car park has enabled the centre to reduce its electricity consumption from approximately £1,800 to £1,500.
Meanwhile, out on the malls, the Corps of Commissionaires look after the centre's security 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Four of the 15 security guards are also First Responders, which means they are able to administer first aid and use a defibrillator.
"Our First Responders were recently able to help a lady who had a heart attack in one of the shops. They kept her alive until the ambulance arrived," says Young. "As a New Town, the population of Harlow is ageing, and it's obviously reassuring to customers that we are able to provide such a facility."
With strong investment, canny marketing and a good eye for changing trends, the future certainly seems to be bright for The Harvey Centre and the whole of Harlow.
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=== vital statistics ===
the harvey centre
Managing agent: Savills Commercial
Letting agents: Savills and King Sturge
GLA: 450,000 sq ft
Footfall: 6 million in six months
Dwell time: between 45 and 90 minutes
Anchor tenants: M&S, Tesco, Wilkinson, Primark and Bhs
Number of car parking spaces: 732 (multi-storey)
