Lavina Mall evicts a food court tenants. Does it prepare the place for H&M?

The management of the Lavina Mall warned a food court tenants about fast moving. It is not excluded that shop of the clothes brand, most anticipated in Ukraine, – H&M – will be open on a food court place.

Companies top-managers working at SEC food court and also representatives of a number of the broker and consulting companies was confirmed to rau.ua information on the preparing relocation. At the same time some operators complained that the SEC top-managers behave rather strictly, unilaterally reviewing the signed agreements and demanding to free the best squares in SEC – in the central atrium, directly about the fountain. That who are opening already, will promise to compensate repair expenses and moving.

Go to exit

“Lavina Mall’s management notified us on need to move from a fountain zone to other location which is located closer to Multiplex cinema entrance. Such requirement, of course, is confuse. In our opinion the food court present location is much better than that where it suggest to move”, – one of restaurateurs says on the anonymity conditions. This information was confirmed by representatives of several broker and consulting companies.

Other tenants interviewed by RAU.ua also do not hide the discontent: “We already made repair and set up the equipment. This process was difficult, labor-consuming and costly. We came on completely “naked” squares where there were even no extracts therefore we worn out with repair and there is no wish to endure it once again”.

At the same time, a food court tenants speak about readiness to move to a new location in case of repair costs compensation by SEC, and also decreasing in rental rates. “All restaurateurs hope for correct behavior of SEC. In our opinion, it has to be expressed in repair costs and moving compensation, and also decreasing in rental rates, because the new location obviously concedes to fountains zone. Previously we received the promise about repair costs compensation, however there is no official confirmation yet”, – the one of a food court tenants top-manager specifies.

It was initially planned that about 50 public catering institutions will work in a two-level food court zone in the Lavina Mall central atrium. It was supposed that 12 kitchens and the own food court 1135 sq.m will be place on the first floor, and 15 restaurants on the 3500 sq.m square, apart from “islands” with coffee houses will be place on the second floor.

There are such companies as Krila, Salateira, Frans.ua, Sushiya, Star Burger, Noodle Doodle, McDonald’s, Pizza King, Varenik cafe, and others among already working, or signed lease contracts on SEC food court.

Silence gives consent

What forced Vagif Aliyev to review sharply already signed agreements and to completely change plans for food and shops zones placement? SEC abstains from comments so far. According to Lavina Mall tenants, SEC management makes room under the large international clothes retailer shop planning entry into the Ukrainian market. “SEC representatives explain our moving with the fact that the large international clothes supermarket comes. Apparently, it is about H&M”, – the one of the chain representative working in Lavina Mall says.

Let’s remind, at the last year end mass media reported that one of the largest international retailers – H&M – became in the Ukrainian market seriously interested. As Liga.net wrote, the head on the company new markets development Matthias Lamberg visited Ukraine and held negotiations with the largest Shopping Centers representatives. According to the portal information, Lavina Mall there was also among these Shopping Centers. At this year beginning the magazine Novoe Vremia reported about a repeated visit to Kiev of the retailer heads. At the same time sources claimed that H&M delegation interested locations from 2, 000 to 4, 000 sq.m square. Therefore the Lavina Mall food court can be ideal under the Swedish brand shopping facilities format.

It should be noted that H&M is one of the foreign brands which are most expected by Ukrainians. Respectively, its presence at SEC can significantly improve both Shopping Center attendance indicators, as its filling speed by tenants. Considering that now retailers do not hurry to open the shops in the largest Ukrainian SEC and the grandiose shopping facility remains thin, opening H&M it would be very opportunely for it. Under such circumstances, the Lavina Mall management solution – transfer all food court to other location – can be quite justified. As the international consulting company representative told in the RAU comment, “the rivers can turn also back for such brand sake that just it is worth transferring a food court”.