Mário Nascimento, marketing and sales director – who explained that the investment of 60 million in the venture was the result of a local financial and credit fund –, when talking about the start of the project, explained that the venture opened doors with 20 stores.
However, in statements to the newspaper Mercado, the official classified the number as low since a total of 77 stores was conjectured.
However, he justified that the infrastructure "was born in a challenging context, in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic", and they opened the mall "at a time when the motto was stay at home".
To overcome these adversities, the official said that in the phase of the pandemic they adopted a different strategy to attract public. The incorporation of international brands with different offers in terms of prices, as well as the adoption of alternative strategies for tenants to enter the mall, among others, were some of the measures.
"The strategy used to overcome this difficult phase worked, but it was necessary to show the market, our partners and shopkeepers that the Shopping Fortaleza shopping center was a place to invest, so that we could reap the rewards in the medium term", he added, quoted by the Market.
After this troubled period, Mário Nascimento informed that the obstacles faced by the shopkeepers were overcome: "Today, the big shopkeepers, as well as the big brands, are starting to look at Shopping Fortaleza as a shopping center of great attractiveness to invest in", he said, adding that the success of the project "is always a consequence of the tenants, we cannot say that we are successful if the tenants are not also successful".
However, the project plans do not stop there. The mall intends to continue its expansion and has already taken some steps in that direction: it recently opened an entertainment center that is already operating.
However, writes Mercado, the mall plans to open three movie theaters by the end of the year.
"The investment in this project was also conditioned to the occupation of stores and may have to demand an additional investment from the mall, but we will have cinemas in the center of Luanda by the end of the year", revealed the official, who added that there will also be a focus on international brands, with special emphasis on "fashion retail".
"We consider Shopping Fortaleza to meet international standards in terms of structure, design, the fit-out of the stores and the diversified offer of its brands. Nowadays, the feedback we have from users is that anyone who enters Fortaleza leaves nothing to be desired regarding commercial", he said, adding that "the objective is for it to be a mall for Angolans and for all Angolans".
The mall, which opened in December 2020, consists of five floors and offers a variety of services, such as catering, fashion, supermarket, among others.
It currently has 52 stores and receives around 3000 visitors daily.
