More than 50 enthusiastic H&M staff danced before the opening of the brand’s new Pacific Werribee store on Thursday morning.
More than 200,000 people flocked to Pacific Werribee to check out the centre’s $400 million new development between it’s unveiling on Thursday and close of business on Sunday.
Myer, Uniqlo, H&M, Mecca Maxima and T2 were among the main drawcards for shoppers, who delighted in having some of the world’s biggest brands on their doorstep.
Thousands of people turned out to see the new-look $400 million upgrade at Pacific Werribee last week.
The official opening of the shopping centre’s new wing started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the centre’s ambassador, model and television presenter Lauren Phillips.
Japanese retailer Uniqlo then opened its first western suburbs store with a traditional drum performance.
The Werribee store is Uniqlo’s fourth in Victoria and its 12th nationally.
Melbourne DJ Lauren Mac turned the tempo up another notch when she hit the decks as more than 50 H&M staff danced in front of hundreds of shoppers lining up to enter the store.
Pacific Werribee’s new wing has been more than two years in the making.
It was designed by the Buchan Group, the firm behind Chadstone, Chatswood Chase and Emporium shopping centres.
Pacific chief executive Graham Terry said all the new retailers were hand selected to suit Werribee’s demographic.
“We brought in Uniqlo, Cotton On and Myer and another 40 brands we think the consumer of Werribee has been starved of,” he said.
He said Pacific Werribee was now among the top 20 shopping centres in Australia in terms of size and turnover.
Pacific Werribee centre manager Jonathon Codman said early indications were that customers and retailers are “thrilled with the design” of the new wing.
He said many had taken to social media to express their delight.
“It’s the complete package now,” Mr Codman said.
Ms Phillips said she believed the centre compared favourable with the best malls in the world.
“I think this side of town has missed out on a lot of love,” Ms Phillips said.
“This is exactly what they need.”
Wyndham Vale’s Margaret Marks, who was shopping with her husband, said she loved how much natural light filtered into the new wing.
“We are impressed – it just looks so beautiful,” she said.
“It’s very light and airy.”
Weaam Abdu, 18, of Tarneit, said she wouldn’t bother travelling into the city to shop now that so many of her favourite stores were so close by.
“We love H&M because it’s affordable and now very close to us,” she said.
“We’d normally go to the city to shop there twice or three times a month.”
