“Just 18 months after the opening of the retail section, unprecedented interest is being shown by national brands, and virtually all the available retail space has either been let, or negotiations are well under way with prospective tenants,” says Boardwalk general manager Graham Vass. “We see this as a vote of confidence in both The Boardwalk and the economy of Port Elizabeth,” adds Vass. It has taken 18 months since the opening of The Boardwalk’s retail area to fine-tune the tenant mix, says Boardwalk retail manager Mandy O’Regan. “We could have let most of the shops long ago, but we wanted to get the mix just right to create a shopping and entertainment complex with a difference,” she says. The Boardwalk is unique in that it consists of speciality shops, restaurants, coffee bars and take-aways and a fun-fair surrounding open-air lakes, with the casino serving as the anchor tenant. Elsewhere in South Africa retail outlets have been incorporated into the casinos themselves. According to Vass, the trading patterns and market research have guided the choice of new tenants for The Boardwalk. “One of the household brands which will be opening up at The Boardwalk is Wimpy. This follows research that showed the need for another family-style restaurant in the complex.” Work has already started on the conversion of the shops for the Wimpy, which will be at the beach-front entrance to The Boardwalk. “The restaurant area has – at the request of our tenant – been expanded by 60 square metres even before the outlet serves its first Sunrise Breakfast,” says s O’Regan. The new tenants will start trading from the middle of August, with the openings being staggered through to November. These tenants have been attracted to The Boardwalk by the proven pulling power of the complex, its position, and the attractive rentals, she adds. “Boardwalk rentals compare favourably with complexes elsewhere in Port Elizabeth, and are designed to be within industry norms as a ratio of rental to turnover. “The Boardwalk sees itself as a business partner of our tenants. We regularly monitor turnover and rentals are adjusted where necessary in order to help tenants to grow their businesses. “As a result, in many instances, our rentals are pro rata the cheapest in town,” says Vass.