Words & Photos © Paul Coleman LONDON INTELLIGENCE All Rights Reserved 2012
Striding from Westfield towards Stratford Town Centre and rail and tube station (right)
Foods in styles from all over the world are available (above)
London Intelligence GALLERY
LI Gallery: (February 2012)
WESTFIELD STRATFORD CITY SHOPPING CITY, LONDON E20
Europe’s largest urban shopping centre -the 1.9 million square feet Westfield Stratford City complex - opened in September 2011 next to London’s Olympic Park.
The £1.45 billion development included 300 shops (including an Apple Store, John Lewis, Waitrose, and Marks and Spencer), 70 food outlets, a food market, three hotels, a 17-screen cinema, bowling alley and offices.
Critics said Westfield’’s two London malls - the first was opened at White City in west London - shows London’s economy was too skewed towards consumption and credit.
Westfield and its tenant retailers hoped to attract the four million people living within its east London catchment area.
Apparently, this market, with a sizeable younger element, spends £23bn on consumer items per year. Westfield and its regeneration partners say 2,000 of the 10,000 jobs created by the scheme were secured by local residents.
© Paul Coleman LONDON INTELLIGENCE 2012