Retail retooling

A recent discussion on a local newspaper Internet blog had gotten feisty. The people posting were passionate, lobbing critical comments back and forth in rapid-fire succession.

Politics must have been the topic, right? The war in Iraq? The president's poll numbers?

No, no and no. The subject: West Park Mall, a 25-year-old shopping center that has generated some buzz recently because it has been purchased by a new company that has promised to evaluate and inject new life into what could be described as Cape Girardeau's retail epicenter.

The comments alternated between optimistic and snide.

"There are fewer and fewer stores for ages 25 and up," wrote one blogger who went by the name "ready for new mall." "... I'm pulling for the new owners. Let's get ready, we're going."

"Why go to Cape malls," wrote another, "when you can get in your car, take a two-hour drive and go to nine malls. ... Cape mall is small and nasty. I haven't been there in the last 10 years."

A deal was closed last month allowing Australia-based Centro Properties Group to buy the mall for $64.3 million as part of an eight-mall buy for a total of $524 million. Centro bought all of the malls from Westfield, which bought the 502,350-square-foot mall in Cape Girardeau in 1993.

Now, Centro is evaluating all of the malls to determine what the malls need to improve their public images, how communication with customers can be improved and what new stores -- if any -- are needed.

Public input is appreciated, said Mitchell Brown, spokesman for Centro Watt, Centro's joint U.S. venture that manages Centro's 107 American properties.

"Obviously we're very receptive to hear what people have to say," Brown said. "Face it: That's who we're trying to serve at the end of the day."

Centro is "in the beginning stages" of evaluating the malls, Brown said. Company officials had a meeting in Cape Girardeau last week with the on-site management team, which includes mall manager Paul Dobbins. The first order of business for the mall is getting its marketing program in place, Brown said.

Consumers can expect an aggressive new marketing campaign early next month, Brown said. New advertisements, primarily through television and radio, will emphasize that West Park Mall is a "hometown" mall.

"The prior owner was more focused internally," Brown said. "You'll see us do more advertising, more community-relations-type things."

Later, he said, leasing and development will be addressed. Brown cited positive progress in that area, including the newest tenants -- McAlister's Select, Cinnabon, Carvel Ice Cream, Steve & Barry's, Old Navy and the soon-to-open Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

"I think we're seeing positive changes, and we just hope to continue that trend as we move forward," Brown said.

Centro has already changed the name back to West Park Mall. Banner signs were placed in front of the mall and covering the sign along William Street.

'More places for kids'

Customers at the mall on Wednesday had their own ideas about how the new mall owners should proceed.

"It needs more places for kids to eat," said Karen Engelen of Gordonville, who was taking her children to an exercise class at Kids Bee Fit. "The McDonald's closed, and we miss it."

Engelen's sister, Judy Diebold of Fruitland, said something that many have been asking for -- a food court.

"They've added some restaurants, but there's nothing for kids really," she said. "A lot of things the old owners were doing were driving customers away. If they add more things for kids, it would go a long way."

Matt Johnson of Sikeston, who traveled to Cape Girardeau to visit the mall Tuesday, said it needed more diverse businesses.

"There's no hip-hop stores," he said. "They need to tailor more to the culturally diverse crowd."

Others said they thought the mall was find the way it is.

"It's OK," said Sue Owen, who lives north of Jackson. "I'm very easy to please."

Customers aren't the only ones who have suggestions. Some of the store owners do, too. Karen Ebersohl, manager of Famous Barr, has said the mall needs a food court.

Donnie Harris, who owns McAlister's Select, said the mall management is aware of its need for new eateries. They offered him a substantial amount as part of a tenant improvement agreement to put McAlister's Select at the mall.

Aside from that, Harris would like to see a movie theater at the mall again. Wehrenberg Theaters was at the mall before it built its theater on Siemers Drive.

"I think the mall still needs some things," he said. "Even having more restaurants. The more you have there, even if it's competition, the better everybody would do."

Some ideas not feasible

Mall marketing director Lindsey Church said she knows that customers have a wish list. But some customer suggestions aren't realistic.

"They're always looking at new options," she said. "But some of the things people want aren't feasible. You need to look at the market. We'd rather know the kinds of stores people are interested in instead of a specific store. Then we can take that information and get something that fits in well with our market."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137