CHARLESTOWN Square is preparing for the possibility that shoppers will stay in the centre overnight ahead of fashion retailer H&M’s July 14 opening.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Centre general manager Dwight Hodgetts said he expected some shoppers would want to queue for the launch and has asked them to contact the centre to advise what time they would like to arrive.
“If people want to come in at 6am, we will be able to open one of our exterior doors early,” he said.
“We will also put on our additional customer service, security and car-parking staff that we usually have to manage large events.
“If we do get enough enquiries saying ‘Would you open the night before, can we bring our sleeping bags?’, we would like to try and accommodate that.
“We have provided for them to stay in centre court, with security and access to amenities, as a potential contingency.”
Mr Hodgetts said shoppers had previously stayed in the centre overnight when the Apple store released new products.
“I think H&M will potentially top that,” he said.
“We’ve never seen this much hype before for one single retailer.”
Mr Hodgetts said the double-storey H&M will measure more than 3000 square metres and have an internal lift and escalator.
It will be next to centre court, in the former Sussan site.
Mr Hodgetts said it was hard to put a dollar figure on how much H&M’s arrival would contribute to the centre.
“We certainly expect H&M to deliver a very positive result and spin-off for the rest of the centre, at the launch and the long term as well.”
H&M has more than 4000 stores and 148,000 employees in 61 countries.
The Swedish retailer opened its first Australian store in Melbourne in 2014 and was this week criticised for widespread labour rights violations and the “painfully slow” progress of safety renovations at factories.
Cotton On will open a flagship store on level one next to H&M also in July, possibly on the same day.
Mr Hodgetts would not confirm or deny that another major international fashion retailer opening on level two - above Cotton On and next to H&M - was Zara or Topshop.
He said it’s name would be announced in coming months and it would open early next year.
Supermarket chain Aldi has been given a tentative opening date of June 29.
Beauty retailer Mecca Maxima and jeweller Simon Curwood will also open their first Hunter stores in the centre this year.
Clothing retailer The Universal Store and schnitzel restaurant Schnitz also recently moved into the centre to open their first stores in the region.
Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
