Westfield Stratford City lines up All Star Lanes

Westfield Stratford City has signed All Star Lanes to open a 14-lane bowling alley, restaurant and cocktail bar at the new London development. The move brings the total leisure component at Westfield's second megamall in the UK capital to around a third, Bill Giouroukous, head of operations told PropertyEU at the ICSC conference in Paris last week.

All Star Lanes is a 'forward thinking, innovative boutique operation' that will complement the cinema, casino, dining, hotels, office and entertainment which will sit alongside the retail component of the development, Giouroukous said. 'It is part of the next chapter of our leisure story.' Entertainment and events will play a prominent role at the centre, he added. 'There will be film premieres, music concerts and fashion shows; the mall features flexible areas to accommodate large events. There will also be an external ice rink.'

All Star Lanes Westfield Stratford City will be the group's fourth venue in London and the newest following the opening of All Star Lanes Brick Lane back in 2008.

Upon completion, Westfield Stratford City will be one of the largest urban shopping centres in Europe with a surface area of 176,000 m². In addition to the bowling alley and casino, the mall will feature 300 shops, 102,000 m² of office accommodation, three hotels (Premier Inn, Holiday Inn and Staybridge suites), a retail academy and a 17-screen Vue cinema. The mall is anchored by John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose. Late last year Dutch pension fund giant APG and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) acquired 50% of the retail component in a EUR 1 bn joint purchase.

Giouroukous said Stratford City was on track to reach full occupancy by the opening on 13 September. Currently the occupancy level is around 90% following the addition of new tenants including Foyles book store and clothing brands Hugo Boss and Lacoste. 'We're going for 100%. I think it's realistic. We're where we wanted to be around this time.'

He confirmed that a rising number of European retailers are seeking to boost their presence in the UK, but also signalled broader international interest. 'Our first shopping centre in London (Westfield London ed.) brought in new concepts from Australia and the rest of the world. We're now seeing a whole new wave of internationalisation.´

The Olympic activation programme is also proceeding according to schedule, he added. 'A number of major corporations and retailers are expanding their relationship and making use of the hospitality opportunities in the build-up to the Games at the rooftop locations overlooking the Olympic park.' Giouroukous said the Olympics would increase the mall's exposure and traffic flow, but said the fundamentals were already good well before the decision was taken to host the Olympics at the East London site. 'The Olympics are the icing on the cake. Stratford City will benefit from the Olympics, but so will Westfield London. In fact the whole of London will benefit.'