Castle Mall Norwich - Ster-Kinekor Opens First Uk Cinema At Castle Mall, Norwich

Date: 05 Aug 1998

Ster-Kinekor, has taken 3,809 sq m (41,000 sq ft) at Castle Mall, Friends Provident's 35,300 sq m (380,000 sq ft) shopping centre in Norwich for its first UK cinema operation with enabling works beginning next month. The space has been taken on a 25 year lease.

Ster-Kinekor's policy is to integrate its cinemas in line with the design and layout of the shopping centre in which it is located making each cinema complex unique. The Castle Mall cinema will have eight screens and provide seating for 1,500 people.

Ster-Kinekor is the largest cinema operator in South Africa, with a 75% share of the market. Its aggressive expansion strategy, to develop multiplex cinemas in shopping centres across South Africa where they have 396 screens, has now been extended to the international market.

Ster-Kinekor Europe was set up in 1996 and in August 1997 it unveiled plans to develop a further 350 screens in 30 multiplexes over the next three years in the UK, Ireland, Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Already, five sites have been identified in the UK and Ireland which combined will provide a total of 68 screens.

Theo Fonternel, Property Director of Ster-Kinekor Europe, comments:
"This is a fantastic opportunity for us. Ster-Kinekor's success to date has been built on identifying carefully integrated schemes where leisure and serious retail operate side by side. Friends Provident has a strong retail mix in Norwich and we believe Castle Mall is the perfect location for one of our first multiplex's in the UK.'

Caroline Bridge, of Friends Provident, adds,
"The cinema at the Timber Hill end of Castle Mall will provide the finishing touch to a very successful centre".

Letting agents for Castle Mall are Lambert Smith Hampton (Tel: 0171 494 4000) and Healey & Baker (Tel: 0171 629 9292).

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