Sustainable initiatives
Spirits were high when the 2022 Shopping Centre Conference kicked off in Bergen this past Thursday. Several Thon Group shopping centres were nominated for prestigious awards, including Ski Storsenter, which took home the Sustainability Award.
"Absolutely deserved!"
says Centre Manager Gro Collett in front of a proud group of team members and tenants.
Ski Storsenter is centrally located in Nordre Follo, and with an adjacent hotel, cinema and library, it is a genuine experience centre for the entire community. The centre is the 12th largest in Norway and in 2021, achieved a turnover of NOK 2.1 billion, an increase of 2.8% compared to the previous year.
Bee-friendly centre garden
Prior to the award presentation, Head of Operations Ole Sørlie talked about their plans to create large green areas around the centre, an initiative that was greatly appreciated by the jury.
"We've created a 1,000-square-metre garden with bee and insect-friendly plants and sitting areas for visitors that has been very well received in Ski."
Reduced energy consumption and costs
Centre Manager Gro Collect adds that the centre has implemented sustainability practices.
"We're working hard to digitise and integrate new technology into operations,such as sensors that make it possible to reduce energy usage and costs for tenants. This in turn allows us to reduce our footprint."
Read more about the award presented to Ski Storsenter:
Innovative use of vacant spaces
"We sometimes have vacant spaces, so I thought, why not give the Norwegian Cancer Society the opportunity to have a pop-up in one of the spaces?" says Marketing Director Hans Jarle Einarsen.
A new channel for the Norwegian Cancer Society
He believes they won because this is something completely new in a shopping centre context.
"We're using the space in a completely different way, which also lets us show Sartor's commitment to society. This is a new channel for the Norwegian Cancer Society to raise awareness and attract new members, and it also means a lot for those working at the centre and our customers."
This is the third time that Sartor has won this award. The centre is located in Øygarden outside of Bergen in an area undergoing strong population and business growth. Sartor Storsenter is also experiencing growth and achieved a turnover of NOK 2.3 billion in 2021. This is an increase of 3.5% compared to the previous year.
Fierce competition among finalists
The Shopping Centre Conference is organised annually by the Nordic Council of Shopping Centers (NCSC) and is the largest sector event for owners, managers, team members and tenants of shopping centres in Norway. This year's conference brought together over 400 representatives of the shopping centre sector in Norway.
Lagunen Storsenter in Bergen and Oasen Storsenter in Haugesund were nominated alongside CC Vest (Oslo) in the most prestigious category: Shopping Centre of the Year CC Vest was declared the winner.
Satisfied with nomination
Knut Eliassen, director of Lagunen Storsenter, believes they were nominated for having created a comprehensive shopping centre.
"We consider this a consequence of targeted development acvities over many years, with the expansion of Lagunen by over 50,000 square metres, establishment of a multiplex, fitness centre, lots of new restaurants, a sports bar and bowling centre as the visible result."
Even though Oasen Storsenter was not among this year's winners, Centre Manager Dag Einar Solberg is very satisfied to have been among the finalists.
"Both Lagunen Storsenter and CC Vest are excellent centres that we are honoured to have been nominated together with. We feel that we have already won because the jury recognised the values we endeavour to promote, namely cultural spaces and personal development at the centre."
AMFI Verdal was also nominated for an award in the Campaign of the Year category. They launched a content campaign that entailed presenting a new shop each week, but the competition was tough and Jernia ultimately took home the award.
Thon Group: "Extremely proud"
Thomas Rønning, director of the shopping centre division in the Thon Group, is proud that so many shopping centres from the group were nominated this year.
"It shows the high level of diversity, engagement and fantastic team members we have at the centres. From being an underdog in the market, we have turned Oasen into the leading shopping centre in the Haugesund and Karmøy region. Lagunen, on the other hand, is the largest centre in Norway and is now a fully up-to-date, and modern centre with important ties to urban development."
Rønning adds that he believes it is the corporate culture in the Thon Group that results in so many candidates in the competition.
"We have a decentralised structure and policies, and we believe that the individuals at the centres are best suited to make the right decisions locally. This aligns perfectly with Olav Thon's philosophy."
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