Westfield signs up UCI flagship cinema for mega mall in Milan

UCI Cinemas has agreed to open a flagship, 16-screen cinema with 2,500 seats featuring the latest digital technology and an in-cinema luxury dining service called 'The Lounge' at Westfield Milan. The cinema group expects to attract over one million customers every year by anchoring the leisure and entertainment proposition at Westfield Milan. 

'The signing of UCI is another exciting step forward in the Westfield Milan development,' said Peter Miller, COO, Westfield UK/Europe. 'We look forward to bringing to Milan our unique IP around the creation of entertainment, dining and leisure precincts that have been so well received in our other global flagship projects.'

UCI Cinemas will join French department store group, Galeries Lafayette, which is opening its first store in Italy at Westfield Milan. Galeries Lafayette’s 18,000 m2 flagship store will host attractive French brands that are new to Italy. 

Westfield Milan will feature Italian and international retailers across 300 stores, as well as a luxury village, over 50 restaurants, leisure, entertainment and events. 

Westfield anticipates that its Milan mall will deliver in excess of €1 bn in retail sales per annum, comparing favourably to both Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City in the UK. Early works have commenced and the project is planned to start in 2017, with completion targeted for late 2019.

Along with Galeries Lafayette and UCI Cinemas, Westfield said its project in Milan is experiencing strong demand from international and Italian retailers who are requesting modern spaces for their flagship stores. Milan has one of the highest per-capita retail spends in Europe and is under-supplied with high quality retail space, presenting a major opportunity for retailers, the company said.

Westfield Milan is owned in a joint venture between Westfield Corporation and Stilo Immobiliare Finanziaria.