LeiriaShopping, Sonae Sierra's new shopping centre in Leiria, will be inaugurated in March 2010. This development, which represents an investment of about 79 million, has a GLA of 44,395 m², of which 97% is already let, confirming the project's success.
LeiriaShopping will make available a total of 124 shops, combining prestigious national and international brands with local brands. Of the vast tenant mix we highlight the Continente Hypermarket, Sportzone and Worten, already in operation. The nine large dimension shops include seven Castello Lopes cinemas and the FNAC, Zara, H&M, C&A and Modalfa brands. Other brands present include Lanidor, Sacoor, Tintoretto, Springfield, Woman Secret, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Loja do Gato Preto, Boutique dos Relógios, Bertrand, O Boticário, Parfois, Tiffosi, Multiópticas, Samsonite, Golden Point, O Celeiro, Casa das Peles, Haity, General Óptica and Natura, as well as 19 restaurants among which McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Portugália that reinforce the variety and quality of the commercial offer this centre will bring to the region.
The parking lot is free of charge and will make available 1,980 parking spaces.
The new center represents a strong renovation and vitalization of the local commerce and economy, through the creation of 900 jobs, and the hiring of local companies for different areas, representing an investment in the region of about 6 million.
About 17% of the tenants present in LeiriaShopping are local companies, which include Plush, Bianca, Lizquadro, O Jardim, Equipe Donna, Mais Bela, San Luís, The American Dinner and Leitão com Pão. These 17% also include local franchisees, such as Chiquíssimo (Triumph), TNC Telecomunicações (Vodafone), Café Primavera (Loja das Sopas) and Grupo Caixeiro (Mango, Giovani Gali, Salsa and Upstyle).
With a privileged location in terms of access roads (A8, A17, IC2, N113 and N242), the center will serve a population of 529,000 inhabitants in a catchment area of 30 minutes, 80% of which already use the current Continente Hypermarket. With the opening of the new area, the annual number of visits is expected to grow from the current 5 million to 8 million, and sales in the first year of operation are expected to reach 77 million.
Architectural concept inspired by the Atlantic Ocean
The architecture of the shopping center is inspired by the coastal area of Leiria, where everything seems to breathe the air of the Atlantic: the scent of the Atlantic, the pine forests that provided the wood for the construction of the Discoveries' ships, the cliffs, the sailors, and the golden sands of its beaches, used in the manufacturing of glass. LeiriaShopping, through its architecture and decoration, will create an illusion of the coast, the collision between earth and water, reproducing the different material and typical elements of the region: sand, water, wood, glass, boats, sails, etc.
Environment, Safety & Health
Like all shopping centres developed by Sonae Sierra, this centre was designed in compliance with the Company's Environmental Management System, fulfilling the most rigorous and demanding quality requirements for all its developments, namely in terms of comfort, safety and environmental protection.
The center will feature sophisticated solutions to separate and manage appropriately all waste produced, re-use rain water and monitor environmental aspects in real time. This last item will be ensured by the installation of a centralized technical management system which will monitor the quality of the air indoors and the water and energy consumptions in each sector of the building, allowing water supply cuts in case of leaks, or lighting adjustments in unoccupied areas.
In terms of Safety and Health at Work, LeiriaShopping recently became the first shopping centre in Europe to be certified, during the construction stage, under the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard (Safety and Health at Work Management System).
This certification acknowledges the importance of Sonae Sierra's Safety and Health System, implemented during the construc
