The newly opened Anver Noor Centre in Louis Trichardt, more commonly known as the Checkers centre, was a beehive of activity during the festive season. All the tenants have settled in and business exceeded all expectations. It was expected that the initial rush by shoppers would fade, but this did not happen and for the whole of the festive season, record turnovers were recorded.

According to Mr. Solly Noor, the owner of the centre, the response was overwhelming, even for established brands such as the Checkers store.

"The response caught a number of people by surprise who did not think that a market such as ours can be so lively," he said. This rush had a bit of a downside as well, as the initial parking and off-loading problems frustrated many residents. Mr. Noor is, however, confident that the teething problems have been addressed and that the shopping experience will be even more pleasant in the future.

"I have been inundated with calls from people complimenting the team for the work done. For the first time in many years, customers could find parking space in front of the banks," he said. Mr. Noor also welcomed the criticism and said it was very important to obtain the feedback and improve on aspects where possible.

One of the factors that caused problems, especially over the festive season, was the volume of business done.

“This is obviously not something that the stores such as Checkers will complain about, but it caused some logistical problems. It also meant that the number of delivery trucks that arrived every day was more than what was originally anticipated, which caused queues to build up on the side of the road,” he said. The traffic in Anderson Street at times came to a standstill while trucks lined up to have their goods off-loaded. According to Mr. Noor the main tenants, Checkers, have streamlined their systems even further, which eased the problem. The problems seemed almost non-existent the past week, with very few trucks blocking the road while getting ready to off-load goods.

One problem that frustrated a lot of customers was the flow of traffic in the various parking bays. According to Mr Noor this was caused by a combination of factors. The centre makes provision for a large number of parking bays in the basement of the building. Consumers could not, however, fully utilize these parking bays because the lift that takes them to the ground floor had not been installed.

“This is another case where a supplier lets you down. In spite of all the pressure you apply, you have to wait. It is extremely frustrating, not only to the consumers, but also to the other contractors who want to finish their projects,” Mr. Noor explained. In the past month, shoppers started to make use of the underground parking area and this already made a huge difference.

“The underground parking area is under constant surveillance and it is not only convenient, it is also very safe,” Mr. Noor added.

The side entrances also produced their fair share of problems, with the intermittent rain in November and December causing a number of delays.

“The abnormal rains created numerous problems and the roads could not be completed before the centre opened,” said Mr. Noor. During the past weeks, these access roads had been finished and already the flow of traffic has improved dramatically.

One other problem that had been highlighted by shoppers and adjacent residents is the rubbish removal. Complaints were lodged that the piles of rubbish that appeared in and next to the dumpsters were not only unsightly, but also posed a health risk. Mr. Noor answered to these complaints and said that they continuously discuss the problems with the local municipality, whose task it is to remove the rubbish. From the centre management´s side, they do what is possible to address such problems.

Mr. Noor invited residents to contact them directly with any complaints, so that these can be addressed as soon as possible. “We are very proud of our centres and we appreciate any feedback. It is important to ensure that people have an enjoyable experience, whether they are doing their banking or visiting one of the stores,” he said. Mr. Noor asked residents to use a bit of patience in the few cases where the projects have not yet been completed.

“Once the final finishing touches have been applied, it will be a centre that is a pleasure, not only for the business sector and consumers, but also to the residents in the adjacent areas,” he said.