Well, went there yesterday. Confusing and expensive car parking aside (and they still charge disabled people the full whack, which seems a mite unfair, as it's not as if they have much choice about driving), a very good experience.
The designer-y bit is a rather sexy bit of design, though half of the shops there aren't open yet. I don't know if it can attract the shoppers they need. I do know some people who shop at that end of the spectrum and they tend to abhor malls, but I'm wondering if it's intended to aim more at the kind of people who can't really afford those places, but like to splash out using credit. In which case, they're pretty fucked because those are just the kind of people who are realising they can't spend like that any more.
Full marks for parent/baby facilities - big, clean, lots of rooms and cubicles, and even double loos for parents with kids who need some help.
And also good layout for mum getting around on her mobility scooter. The natural light and atmosphere controls were also good, so she didn't feel ill after 20 minutes as she does in some older malls.
There's also a slightly more unusual range of shops there, which I think was meant to be one of their USPs, but one can only imagine all those stores will proliferate elsewhere in time, making that less of an special attraction.
I liked the electronic mall maps that allowed you to look places up and gave directions in 'girl' - ie, 'Past Nike, past Topshop, turn left, past Zara'
though she didn't like the layout in marks and spencers and was disgusted at their lack of teapots in their cafe
He says 'sounds like' - and the rest of what he writes shows that he knows it's the brand name.
