Client story

Keeping a shopping centre operational throughout a lengthy redevelopment

Perth-based Investor Perron Group wanted to maintain trade at Belmont Forum as it was being transformed into a major fresh food, retail and entertainment destination. See how we helped.

Until the redevelopment of Belmont Forum, eating out options in the riverside city east of Perth were limited.

As the area’s primary retail destination, Belmont Forum drew in the crowds, but the potential for after-hours trade, especially with a cinema complex in the vicinity, remained a missed opportunity.

To ensure the precinct could continue to meet the changing needs of the local community - not least give them somewhere to meet, socialise and eat - owner Perron Group embarked on a A$65 million redevelopment.

Meeting the challenge

The ambitious transformation project would introduce an ‘eat street’ to the retail precinct with new restaurants and al fresco dining area. There would also be a new pedestrian connection to the city centre, a reorganised retail offering and a major amenity upgrade.

Our retail asset management team had been managing this centre for more than 10 years, but this three-year redevelopment project presented a new and exciting challenge.

We were appointed to ensure that even as tenancies were reorganised, floors re-laid, carparks and facilities updated, bathrooms renovated, facades made over, and more than 3000 contractors poured through the centre, the shopping centre would continue to operate with no effect on its overall productivity and viability, or safety of anyone on site.

Our efforts defied expectations of a fall in trade during the redevelopment. In fact, there was no consequence to trade or foot traffic at all. This meant that rather than having to rebuild the centre’s customer base, our marketing efforts - including a major rebrand, entertainment-driven launch event for ‘eat street’, letterbox drop and media campaign - could focus on attracting new customers and delivering growth to the centre’s tenants, which it continues to do.

For our marketing efforts we received an accolade at the 2017 Property Council WA Awards for Excellence in Marketing in the category Mini Guns: Rebrand/Repositioning.



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