"There's no place in this world where you can schedule 220 stores to open at the same time," says Reuven Havar, country manager of AFI Europe, the developer of the AFI Palace Cotroceni project. This is how he explained the fact that a number of stores and restaurants were not operational on the opening day of the biggest mall in Romania.
Near the entrance, one could still see mega containers with packaging, which belong to the tenants that brought their merchandise at the last minute, as well as a number of Asian workers finishing the tiling of a small pool that surrounds a huge sphere, at the entrance from Apaca, Politehnica. Most shopping centres inaugurated on the local market had their problems in the opening day, most of which were still being fixed.
Tenants like Leonardo, Benetton, Stone Creek and Alb si Negru were still arranging their stores, while in the central area where the food court is located only Nordsee and KFC were serving food, with the other choice being a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
"When you walk through the mall, however, you don't get the feeling that something is missing. From a shopper's standpoint, you don't realise there are only 220 stores instead of 250. This is really much, anyway. How many can you go to in one day?" wonders Havar, who is convinced that the mall will reach peak capacity over the coming weeks.
When he says that, he also means the leisure area, where people are still working on the biggest skating rink in a shopping centre, taking up 1,000 square metres or the electric train taking the shoppers' kids for a ride around the mall.
Havar is asking for a two-week "grace" period, until November 10, when he will organise a series of events on the occasion of the grand opening. Afterwards, the 3D cinema, one of the main attractions of the mall is scheduled for opening.
Yesterday afternoon, the s
