VUKILE TRANSFORMS PINETOWN’S FIRST SHOPPING CENTRE, PINE CREST

The renovated new Pine Crest recently launched after an innovative R200m, 14-month multifaceted refurbishment by owners Vukile Property Fund, updating it to the newest international standards.

Pine Crest has served the community of Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, for nearly 30 years. It opened in the late 1980s to become the first shopping centre in the town, and it is still the biggest retail centre in Pinetown CBD. In 2017, Vukile acquired 100% of the centre.

The major revamp, which began in January 2018, included an upgrade, an expansion that created an entirely new floor of retail beneath the original centre, and a stylish overall redesign.

Itumeleng Mothibeli, Vukile MD South Africa, says, “Pine Crest’s upgrade is focused on the people of this great community; their expectations and the experiences that they enjoy. We hope that this approach will result in the enhanced user experience for our most valued stakeholder, the shopper.”

Internally, the entire mall has a new fresh look, more retail brands and better customer flows.

An upgrade highlight involved a portion of Pine Crest’s ground-level parking being converted into a new retail level with a friendly entrance that is perfect for pedestrians using the bustling Kings Road, which links to nearby taxi facilities.

The conversion also added an indoor-outdoor food court that is unique in Pinetown. The new food court celebrates Pinetown’s glorious weather and is designed to be the heart of the centre.

The food court also links directly to a greatly improved open-air parkade that is set to include the western terminus for Phase 1 of the eThekwini Municipality’s newly introduced GoDurban bus route.

As a proud symbol of its new beginning, Pine Crest has been rebranded with a new name, new logo and a fresh look that is more engaging for shoppers.

Andy Stalman, CEO of TOTEM, one of the world’s leading branding companies, led the development of Pine Crest’s new identity. “Building a sense of connection, pride and belonging is at the core of what we do. Pine Crest’s new brand is culturally connected and future-focused. It uses traditional techniques to tell contemporary stories, and vibrant colours link it with local culture.”

An exciting architectural project, the overall design concept for the reinvigorated Pine Crest creates a neutral, clean, crisp and elegant space that emphasises movement and textures, and showcases its retail brands superbly. 

Pine Crest’s powerful anchor retailer line-up of Pick n Pay, Game, Dis-Chem and Woolworths is enhanced by one-stop variety with food, banking, fashion, health and beauty, services and electronics, and major apparel brands from Foschini, Truworths, Edcon, Pepkor and Mr Price.

Customers can now also enjoy 20 new brands at the mall and a variety of new eateries.

The centre’s upgrade doesn’t only advance local shopping but also environmental responsibility. Eco-friendly, energy-saving equipment has been added to the centre in the project.

And, while the centre’s major revitalisation project is an accomplishment on its own, the fact that all this construction took place while the centre continued to trade is a truly noteworthy achievement.

More information at  Website :vukile.co.za / Twitter : @VukilePropFund/ Facebook : @vukilepropertyfund