IT WAS party time at the County Mall in Crawley on Saturday as the shopping centre marked its 30th anniversary in style.
To help celebrate, staff at the centre booked a wide array of local talent to entertain shoppers.
Those performing on a colourful stage created especially for the event included Urban City Dance Group, Diva Fever, the Aunty Ginger Drag Act and comedians Ben Robson, Mark Simons and Jody Kamali.
Drawing a particularly large number of people in the mid-afternoon slot was local act Dead Beats, who didn’t have far to travel from their place of employment - all members work in Vype, one of 70 retailers in the centre.
“It’s been a really great atmosphere for our special day,” said Simon Cuckow, general manager of County Mall. “It’s wonderful to see so many people enjoying themselves, and it’s been great for our retailers, too.”
Formerly a bus garage, the centre is fast-becoming one of Sussex’s premier shopping destinations, regularly attracting up to 26,000 people on an average Saturday, with more than 35,000 expected to pass through the doors during its special day.
It is home to household names such as Boots, WH Smith, Next and Primark, its anchor store, as well as specialist retailers such as Mankind.
Following the recent closure of Debenhams, its frontage has been taken over by The Collective, which encourages smaller local businesses to trade in the centre.
It is this focus on local retailers and entrepreneurs that has been central to its longevity, said Mr Cuckow.
“County Mall is at the heart of the shopping experience in Crawley so we wanted to celebrate with something special,” he said, adding that some staff had worked at the centre for nearly 30 years.
With a refurbishment of several million pounds in 2015 and floorspace of 450,000sq ft, County Mall is preparing for the next 30 years, with footfall continuing to rise.
“Even throughout the pandemic we had around 15,000 people a week as retailers such as Boots and WH Smith remained open,” he added. “We wanted today to set a landmark for the journey of County Mall. It plays such an important role in Crawley.”
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