Thousands of people turned out to see the new-look $400 million upgrade at Pacific Werribee today.
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.
The welcome dance is customary before the opening of any new H&M store.
Check out the happy customers first in line at our Pacific Werribee opening! #HMAustralia pic.twitter.com/7AfZ98hZEe
— H&M Australia (@hmaustralia) July 27, 2016
Pacific Werribee’s new wing has been more than two years in the making. It was designed by The Buchan Group, the same architectural firm behind Chadstone, Chatswood Chase and Emporium shopping centres.
Pacific chief executive Graham Terry said every new retailer was 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 Pacific Werribee is now among the top 20 shopping centres in Australia in terms of its 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.
In love with the new Pacific Werribee that opened today! Well done on the much needed upgraded #werribee #shopping pic.twitter.com/TEyGwyyZzG
— Sahni Leila (@MissSahni) July 28, 2016
“It’s the complete package now, and our urban diner has traded wonderfully well, that’s our equivalent of Emporium,” Mr Codman said.
Ambassador Lauren Phillips said she believed the centre now compared with some of 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.”
Margaret Marks, of Wyndham Vale, who was shopping with her husband, said she loved how much natural light filters into the new wing.
“We are impressed, it just looks so beautiful,” she said. “It’s very light and airy.”
Weaam Abdu, 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. We’d normally go to the city to shop there twice or three times a month.
“[The centre] is more open, you feel like you can breathe,” Ms Abdu, 18, said.
