Sponda has secured a number of new retailers for Ratina shopping centre in Tampere. This coincides with an increase in footfall and sales at the shopping centre, indicating a retail recovery is underway. Among the latest signings are Synlab and Pikseli Arcade, which will open their stores at Ratina in the next few months. Other retailers including Specsavers, Beer Shop & Bar Kuja, Normal, Kustom Furniture, More Tea, Aava, Pikkujatti and Tampinkoski Bar & Kitchen has already joined the shopping centre roster.
Cumulative sales for the whole shopping centre have increased by 21% between January – August this year. July saw more than 600,000 people visit the shopping centre, representing an increase of more than 7% compared to last year. Additionally, 17,000 new customers have joined its membership loyalty programme, bringing the total amount of loyal customers up to over 98,000 people. The news signals further confidence in the retail recovery as shoppers return to physical stores.
“These new agreements demonstrate that Ratina shopping centre is a strong location for retailers and leisure outlets and an attractive place for people to shop and enjoy themselves. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the service range of our shopping centres and customers are responding well to this. Bringing new and interesting brands into our shopping centres also means we are improving the attractiveness of our city centres and this is an important part of the recovery,” said Christian Hohenthal, the President and CEO of Sponda.
“We invested in continuing to upgrade the shopping centre last year, which saw us improve signage and make the communal areas more comfortable. We also improved the offering for families with children by adding new playgrounds including the indoor Ratinan Niitty and grand outdoor Ratinan Riemu playgrounds. This proactive and innovative approach to improving the shopping centre is really making a difference and visitors clearly see it as far more than simply a shopping destination,” commented Mervi Ahola, Ratina’s Manager.
