VUKILE TRANSFORMS PINETOWN’S FIRST SHOPPING CENTRE, PINE CREST

The renovated
new Pine Crest recently launched after an innovative R200m, 14-month
multifaceted refurbishment by owners Vukile Property Fund, updating it to the
newest international standards.

Pine Crest has
served the community of Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, for nearly 30 years. It opened
in the late 1980s to become the first shopping centre in the town, and it is
still the biggest retail centre in Pinetown CBD. In 2017, Vukile acquired 100%
of the centre.

The major
revamp, which began in January 2018, included an upgrade, an expansion that
created an entirely new floor of retail beneath the original centre, and a
stylish overall redesign.

Itumeleng
Mothibeli, Vukile MD South Africa, says, “Pine Crest’s upgrade
is focused on the people of this great community; their expectations and the
experiences that they enjoy. We hope that this approach will result in the
enhanced user experience for our most valued stakeholder, the shopper.”

Internally,
the entire mall has a new fresh look, more retail brands and better customer
flows.

An upgrade
highlight involved a portion of Pine Crest’s ground-level parking being converted
into a new retail level with a friendly entrance that is perfect for
pedestrians using the bustling Kings Road, which links to nearby taxi
facilities.

The conversion
also added an indoor-outdoor food court that is unique in Pinetown. The new
food court celebrates Pinetown’s glorious weather and is designed to be the
heart of the centre.

The food court
also links directly to a greatly improved open-air parkade that is set to include
the western terminus for Phase 1 of the eThekwini Municipality’s newly
introduced GoDurban bus route.

As
a proud symbol of its new beginning, Pine Crest has been rebranded with a new
name, new logo and a fresh look that is more engaging for shoppers.

Andy Stalman, CEO of TOTEM, one of the world’s
leading branding companies, led the development of Pine
Crest’s new identity. “Building a sense
of connection, pride and belonging is at the core of what we do. Pine Crest’s
new brand is culturally connected and future-focused. It uses
traditional techniques to tell contemporary stories, and vibrant colours link
it with local culture.”

An exciting
architectural project, the overall design concept for the reinvigorated Pine
Crest creates a neutral, clean, crisp and elegant space that emphasises
movement and textures, and showcases its retail brands superbly. 

Pine Crest’s
powerful anchor retailer line-up of Pick n Pay, Game, Dis-Chem and Woolworths
is enhanced by one-stop variety with food, banking, fashion, health and beauty,
services and electronics, and major apparel brands from Foschini, Truworths,
Edcon, Pepkor and Mr Price.

Customers can
now also enjoy 20 new brands at the mall and a variety of new eateries.

The centre’s upgrade
doesn’t only advance local shopping but also environmental responsibility.
Eco-friendly, energy-saving equipment has been added to the centre in the
project.

And,
while the centre’s major revitalisation project is an accomplishment on its
own, the fact that all this construction took place while the centre continued
to trade is a truly noteworthy achievement.

More
information at  Website :vukile.co.za / Twitter :
@VukilePropFund/ Facebook : @vukilepropertyfund