Shoppers flocked to Westfield Fountain Gate during the Christmas period. 25854
By Kelly Yates
RECORD number of shoppers raced to Westfield Fountain Gate during Christmas, making it one of the largest trade periods in the history of the centre.
Marketing executive Melissa Ephraums told the News the centre had a great Christmas, with the flow of traffic higher than previous years.
Retailers in the centre have reported a strong December in relation to the figures gained, according to Ms Ephraums.
The centre had extended trading hours in the lead-up to Christmas, giving last minute shoppers more time to finish their Christmas shopping.
“Most of the stores went on sale before Christmas which was also a boost for the centre,” she said.
Ms Ephraums described the busy Boxing Day sale as a “complete frenzy.”
“It was quiet until 11am then all hell broke loose,” she said.
In Berwick, sales were up from 20 to 50 per cent on last year.
Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce president Harry Hutchinson said all businesses had reported a pick-up in trade, with one giftware store having more than 180 transactions in one day.
“That’s incredible – that’s shopping centre stuff,” he said.
Mr Hutchinson said the only disappointment was that some traders didn’t make the most of the Boxing Day trade period.
Mr Hutchinson, who owns Harry’s Male Fashions, said he had a lot of overflow from Westfield Fountain Gate.
