Wednesday 8th September 2010

Thousands of well-wishers crowded into Meadowhall shopping centre on Saturday to celebrate it's 20th birthday. As we reported in the Chesterfield Post last week, several events were planned and celebrity guests invited.

Particularly popular were children's TV stars The Tweenies who played pass the parcel with tots in the Oasis Court, and a rockin' live performance by X Factor's Jamie Archer and Lloyd Daniels.

Whilst at the party we caught up with Centre's Marketing Director, Richard Pinfold. He told us about Meadowhall's big day and how it had fared during the difficult economic times, saying, "It’s a great day for the centre - people have grown up with Meadowhall. One retailer had a son of six when Meadowhall opened, now he's 26 and a store manager himself.

"There's a real sense of community here right across the centre, a real sense of pride in Meadowhall. It's the strongest retail line that we've ever had here. New customers are coming all the time, we've just had the first research figures through and they show that people are travelling from further away to come here."

He added, "People today are interested in Meadowhall, what's happening in and around, people follow blogs and twitter all the time online. What makes Meadowhall successful is it's constantly changing – there's always something new. It's special - it's in their hearts. And it makes a significant contribution to the local economy - employing 7,000 people at peak times and consistently using local suppliers."

He admitted though that, "during the recession, like any business, it's been tough, and we've had to look inward - it's not been immune. We've had to streamline our operation, but what's pleasing is that we've come out stronger. We've consulted customers and asked them what's important to them and aligned our brands accordingly - that's actually driven 30 or 40 new retail brands coming in."

There are exciting times ahead for the mall. It's shortly to host a 'Celebration of Fashion' month in October, with a fashion show compered by Wayne Hemingway. The main event will be a "Charity Chintz Shop" with clothing donated by the likes of Sienna Miller and Fearne Cotton. TV Star Fern Britton has donated the actual dress she wore on her last 'This Morning'. All items will be available to buy by auction during the event. Details will be available nearer the time.

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