Morning:
8°c
500,000 swamp Westfield shopping centre
Rebecca Lowe3 Nov 2008
HALF a million shoppers swamped the £1.7billion Westfield centre in chaotic scenes more reminiscent of the January sales than a dreary, credit crunch-hit autumn weekend.
Security staff at some of the 265 stores were forced to operate one-in-one-out queues to cope as more than 100,000 shoppers descended on the centre every day since it opened last Thursday.
Designer items, including goods by Jasper Conran, Tom Ford and John Rocha, flew off the shelves. Sales of jewellery and Christmas gifts were also up on expected levels.
Shoppers were forced to eat sandwiches as they walked around or outside the centre, as Westfield's 30 cafés and restaurants were packed, with hour-long queues for food.
Drivers faced lengthy waits for the 4,500 parking spaces as thousands flooded in from around the capital, including Essex and south-east London.There were also reports of clogged traffic in surrounding areas, although fears of jammed roads failed to materialise after the £200 million upgrade in transport links.
A defective escalator at Shepherd's Bush station caused overcrowding and forced the Central line station to close for more than two hours on Saturday afternoon.
Owners of the 43-acre centre called the first weekend a huge success with both sales and visitors numbers up on expectations.
A Westfield Centre spokesman said: "We hit the half-million mark after four days, which was exceptional by any standards. We are confident it's going to continue. We've got Christmas coming up and there is genuine excitement about that." Teething problems which blighted the opening, including out of order escalators, lifts and interactive maps, continued to dog the centre. But shoppers were full of admiration.
Nicola Keane, 22, from Ireland, who spent £100 on clothes, said: "It is so beautifully done, magnificent. It has all the high street shops mixed with designer shops. It was really packed and you had to queue for hours for food, but it was so well laid out that you could still wander around and relax."
However, there were early signs the centre was hitting trade in surrounding areas as shoppers deserted high streets in Kensington and Hammersmith. Store managers in Westfield played down fears that the centre would hurt small businesses.
Funda Cetinkaya, Marks & Spencer section manager for ladieswear, said: "It was much busier than we expected and our takings were much higher. There is a big debate whether a shopping centre like this drags down the high street, but high streets like Carnaby Street and Oxford Street are classical so people will never stop going there. We did especially well with our Christmas gifts, and our Patricia Field selection was selling out."
Gary Stevenson, Debenhams senior store manager, said: "There was a real buzz and we exceeded all our targets, both in terms of people coming into the store and sales. We had lots of success with our designer ranges, such as Jasper Conran and John Rocha."
House of Fraser store manager Jane Earle said: "We had huge crowds and met all our targets. We have had great success on fine jewellery and our vintage jewellery. Perfume and cosmetics have also taken a larger percentage of our mix than expected, especially Tom Ford and Bobbi Brown."
Hiromi Kitatani, 34, housewife from Wimbledon. Spent £70 on shoes and planned to spend another £200 on clothes. Normally shops in Oxford Street, Covent Garden and Bond Street.
"Normally you find places like this outside the city, so it's great to have one in London. I'll probably come here instead of central London."
Olga Mordalski, 28, admin worker from Hounslow. Spent £50 on clothes. Normally shops in Hounslow.
"The design of the shops is different, it's spacious and well organised. I can't believe it's in London. The parking is good because automated signs tell you which areas are full. My husband was patient and uncomplaining normally shopping terrifies him."
Alastair Turner, 27, contract and commercial IT manager from Hither Green. Spent £90 on clothes. Normally shops in Oxford Street and Regent Street.
"It's a very impressive place. I'll definitely come back. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that getting up and down escalators is a nightmare. There aren't enough."
Vesna Churchill, 42, gas engineer from Hampstead. Expected to have spent up to £200 by end of day. Normally shops in Brent Cross and central London.
"It's really nice, with lots of space and a variety of shops, though it is expensive. I might come here instead of Brent Cross for the luxury items, though definitely not for essentials."
Reader views (15)
May I kindly ask how you could reach West Field Shopping Centre from central London please? Thank you.
- Melanie, Malta, 26/11/2008 22:09
Report abuse
Yes I noticed the number of groups operating in Westfields + some security made clear they were being watched, but they can't handle all of them as I saw it with my own eyes 1 coming out of Boots a quick hand gesture to another waiting outside then going the opposite direction. It was so obvious as their heads kept moving left + right. And it won't be long till they trash the place it is centred for all trouble makers from White City, Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush + Acton. I Often wondered WHY A LOVELY COMPLEX THERE?
- Krissi, London, 08/11/2008 10:14
Report abuse
I visited last Friday and the main defect I found was the door on the gents toilet was broke. Given that the centre had only opened the previous day it shows a lack of maintenance which Canary Whalf would not tollerate.
As for those who went by car did you know there is a car park on the opposite side of the road to Westfield in Wood Lane?
I woud like to know why TFL failed to have White City station on the central line made step free given it is at sub surface level? After all they only spent £30 million out of £200 million.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 04/11/2008 19:49
Report abuse
Who are all these idiots rushing out to check out a shopping centre - it may be big, but it's just another shopping centre with the same shops you'll find in any other shopping centre (except crappy Lewisham). It'll still be there next week, next month, next year!
Mo from Portsmouth, twice? I'm sure you're a nice person but really, you need to get out more.
- John, London, 04/11/2008 09:35
Report abuse
Westfields is absolutely heaving with school age chavs and hoodies. The owners of Westfield will have to make up their minds what they want - an upmarket shopping centre or a hang-out for socially deprived teenagers.
- Ellie, London, UK, 03/11/2008 18:12
Report abuse
You see how the recession has affected everyone?
- Michael Murphy, brightlingsea england, 03/11/2008 17:44
Report abuse
I don't think TfL will have bargained on what lengths people will go to to worship at the altar of consumerism. Driving from the south coast twice in one week?!
They have allowed this to be built in an area with traffic stress already. The main community benefit seems to be a few hundred jobs mostly paying just above minimum wage.
- Colin, London UK, 03/11/2008 17:15
Report abuse
I am a bit concerned about all you suburban types coming into my manor to spend your weekends doing nothing else but shopping.
Please stay in your cars and don't come wandering into our urbane neighbourhoods. It was nice and civilised here before you came.
Thank you.
- Stupot, Hammersmith, 03/11/2008 16:55
Report abuse
The place is just too big! Too much energy wasted walking from A to B before you've even had a chance to shop - think I'll stick to the high street.
- M, London, 03/11/2008 15:03
Report abuse
Mo from Portsmouth wants to get a life.
- Frederick, London, UK, 03/11/2008 12:58
Report abuse
The centre will still be open and far less manic in a few weeks / months time. Why do these people want to spend their days battling it out in an overcrowded shopping centre operating a one-in-one-out policy, with nowhere to eat, that has the same stores as any other regional shopping centre or high street? Absolute madness, I tell you!
- We, Kent, UK, 03/11/2008 12:56
Report abuse
I went first thing Saturday and it was very quiet to start with (or seemed to to me - I notice Westfield say they had 20,000 through the doors by midday, but it certainly didn't seem like that many people). I left at 11.45 and it was getting busier but still not uncomfortably so. It must have got a lot more crowded in the afternoon because it was nothing like the picture above when I was there. It's just beautiful, and there's such a sense of space, which is so rare for London. It's definitely worth a look, even for the reluctant shopper, as everything is so easy to find, but I agree with the person who said they don't have much seating for husbands and/or people who can't necessarily walk a lot but don't want to be eating or drinking all the time. I suppose they want to discourage loitering, but in that case they should have some other area they could go to for a bit of a sit down.
- Freya, London, 03/11/2008 12:55
Report abuse
Congestion inside the centre, thousands wanting to see what goodies are on display. Thank you Westfield
Congestion outside with a pathetic road system that cannot cope with the visitors. Thank you TFL.
- Mr. S.Port, London, 03/11/2008 11:39
Report abuse
That place looks awful.Give me Oxford Street any day of the week.
- Steve, London, 03/11/2008 11:15
Report abuse
Excellent Points: A very light Car Park idea for woman on their own and I love the red/green lights to show where spaces are. The only Multi storey in the country can say i love. Like the shops but found some too hot. (Have visited centre twice since Thurdsay from Portsmouth so cant be bad)
Bad Points: No seating outside of shops to enable "husbands or the elderly" to sit if waiting for woman to browse in a shop. Yesterday lots of people sitting on the floor.
Car Parking a bit expensive for 6 hours but I suppose not for London.
- Mo Robertson, Portsmouth, Hants., 03/11/2008 11:06
Report abuse
