I absolutely love our one here in West London (despite many on here who are not fans) - it's clean, smart, trendy, varied, exciting, fun, open, light, airy, comfortable... and expensive!

fascinating TV show about Frank Lowy-Westfield owner on ABC '4 Corners' last night.

got taken for a ride by shysters when he tried to get the World Cup.

apparently travels with 2 armed ex-Israeli paratrooper bodyguards. deadly.

I'm aware of the negatives but I'm 100% in favour of it; I adore Westfield down the road and I think it's exactly what Britain needs.

JK2006 wrote:
clean, smart, trendy, varied, exciting, fun, open, light, airy, comfortable...

If these 10 adjectives were, indeed, applicable to this US mall/formula based shopping centre - how would you describe Knightsbridge, Regent Street and Princes Street, Edinburough?

Well, they have character and style but tend to need a lot of walking in non conducive weather!

JK2006 wrote:
they have character and style but tend to need a lot of walking in non conducive weather!

Yes, they have character and style - and they reflect Britain. Westfields are all almost identical and you won't find them in other fine European cities like Rome, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Munich, Madrid etc.. Planners there are more aware of national identities and histories. The habit of following US trends (such as McDonalds, Malls, Walmart, Starbucks - o.k. Canadian!) is not a good one - but one the UK can't give up.

Wendy wrote:
JK2006 wrote:
clean, smart, trendy, varied, exciting, fun, open, light, airy, comfortable...

If these 10 adjectives were, indeed, applicable to this US mall/formula based shopping centre - how would you describe Knightsbridge, Regent Street and Princes Street, Edinburough?

EDINBURGH X

JK2006 wrote:
I adore Westfield down the road and I think it's exactly what Britain needs.

Britain needs Westfields? Perhaps, but it needs a lot more important things first like jobs etc.

Westfields are Australians jumping on an American concept when, what we need is the UK jumping on a British concept.

Mining is gone with ship building, steel and a large part of manufacturing industry.

I just cannot see the logic behind the statement that (Westfields) are 'exactly what Britain needs'.

Could you please enlighten me?

JK2006 wrote:
... and expensive!

ay, there's the rub

bought my laptop on line for £389

westfield price for same item - £450

and I would have had to bring it home

why should I help to fund shopping centres?

JK2006 wrote:
I'm aware of the negatives but I'm 100% in favour of it; I adore Westfield down the road and I think it's exactly what Britain needs.

Not sure how well supplied you are JK with shopping centres but up here we have quite a few (good ones) - Meadowhall (biggest in Europe, with its own bus and rail stations and direct access off the M1) / Trafford Centre (only about 25 mins away), and also a Westfield in Derby (which had a bomb hoax yesterday - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-14893914)

LukeB asks what I mean by "just what Britain needs" - 10,000 new jobs is a start.

And Richard says "why should I help fund shopping centres?". Answer - no reason at all. You buy online (makes sense - I love Amazon) and let others (including me) pay a bit extra because the shopping experience - a movie; a meal; a browse - is so pleasant.

JK2006 wrote:
a meal; a browse - is so pleasant

In a Westfield shopping centre, no.

Cannes, yes.

10,000, no.

Edinburgh...sorry x

I'm surrounded by Westfields in Sydney and I really cannot see how every retailer survives and there are ups and downs for other outlets.

For instance- a mega Westfield near Bondi Beach has almost wiped out a fairly smart shopping suburb nearby-one with lots of small streets to wander about in etc.

Then they have spent a billion on re-vamping the city one just 4 miles away with all the same up-market retailers...there couldn't possibly be a market for 2 Guccis etc within such a small distance.

I've noticed there is a trend with the Westfield mega centres...the shops in the suburb surrounding end up being trashy $2 shops. This is the experience in the USA with WalMarts and so on...they destroy Main Street...and the UK needs it's High Streets already under threat.

I have a good friend who was high up in Westfields and now retired..parking !!..the car parks were always so badly designed..he reckoned deliberately to keep you shopping !!

JK- you will find the gloss wears off for you and pretty quickly.

veritas wrote:
...and the UK needs it's High Streets already under threat
Very true veitas. UK High Streets are going the same way as British pubs (the latter closing at a rate of 500 a year), but for different reasons.

Asda (Walmart), Tesco, Westfield and the likes are gradually making ghost towns where the number of empty commercial properties (voids) are between 25 and 36%.

These large entities build just outside towns if they can't get in - and towns and city areas just die (and £/99p shops spring up!). Ten examples:-

Dartford
Crawley
Gloucester
Runcorn
Dudley
Stockport
Hartlepool
Dudley
Dewsbury
Margate

Next - Shepherds Bush and Stratford....

Yes but I'm sorry; that is of no great concern. The world changes. If these very slick, efficient, pleasant shopping experiences replace the grubby, incompetent high streets - that's change. If 10,000 extra jobs in Westfield replace 10,000 High Street jobs - that's OK. If bulk buying can bring down prices, I'll buy my essentials like milk and papers at Tescos. If I want better food I'll buy at M&S.

All that concerns me is - which shops are best. I'm even prepared to pay slightly higher prices as a result. But not too high. That's life.

JK2006 wrote:
Yes but I'm sorry; that is of no great concern. That's life.

It may be of no concern to you. And, probably, neither is the decline/absence of ship building, car and aircraft manufacture, mining, the steel industry, banking/insurance, agriculture, etc. etc. in the UK.

All the relevant commodities can, in any event, be sourced elsewhere - from slick externally owned/managed outlets.

But sadly, your children and their pensions will suffer as a direct result. Ireland, Greece and others are currently paying the price for only looking inward/naval gazing.

The awful but true picture painted by Petroff - up and down the UK - is not 'of no concern'.

JK2006 wrote:
All that concerns me is - which shops are best.

rather a basic stance? a bit insular, perhaps?

No the concern is that instead of moaning about the "good old days" of corner shops and slack retailers on the High Streets people should be reassessing - lower rent and rates; more specialist shops can afford to open (for out of print books and obscure music, for example); cheaper goods; affordable housing; better security - move forward and adapt, don't moan (like trade unions) that times have changed and we don't like it.

And my "basic stance" is the honest one; I agree that perhaps it would be more moral if I selected my retail outlets through green credentials, kindness to employees and retaining the 19th century structure of high streets but the reality is - when I (and I suspect most others) shop, we want ease, comfort and choice and when given it, we spend and buy.

JK2006 wrote:
shops can afford to open (for out of print books and obscure music, for example)

Your views seem to be gradually changing!

But, one thing is certain.

If you opened a shop - for 'out of print books/obscure music - in, say, Dartford or Runcorn, the shutters would be up in a week.

From pure apathy or mindless vandalism - another feature which emanates from this UK which does not concern you, as long as you can shop comfortably.