Thinking about consumer demand in the post-pandemic and also with the aim of attracting more audiences to its premises, Alto Avellaneda, one of the IRSA’s highest-turnover malls, has decided to incorporate a veterinarian, XD movie theaters. , 5 soccer fields, basketball and paddle tennis, among others.

The “refreshment” of the shopping tour demanded a $ 20 million investment between the Eduardo Elsztain-led company and tenants. Instead, the initiative of the IRSA, owner of 14 shopping centers in the country, is aiming compensate for two important victims that Alto Avellaneda had during the pandemic, such as Garbarino and Falabella which caused the shopping center to lose 25% of its turnover and dethroned it in fourth place in the ranking, behind Abasto, Alto Palermo and Alto Rosario. Now, with the incorporation of the new services, its administrators aspire to regain the second place among those with the highest sales volume.

“Consumers want shopping malls to be centers of experiences, but they are too to be able to do ‘everything’ there. This is why in Alto Avellaneda, just as we are doing in the company’s other shopping centers, we are incorporating objects that were unknown or unusual until a few years ago ”, said Eduardo Elsztain, president and CEO of IRSA.

“The tenants, both new and those who arrived after the period we were closed due to the pandemic, were more than willing to accompany us in this renovation,” he added. And she stressed that “we are slowly recovering pre-pandemic levels of occupancy, visits and sales. Due to its open-air characteristics, one of the company’s shopping centers most requested by brands is the Arcos District, in Palermo,

Among the new offers that have already opened their doors at the Avellaneda complex are a “Complejo La Cancha” (two 5-a-side football fields, a basketball court and two paddle tennis courts plus a sports shop and a gastronomic area ) on an area of ​​2,500 square meters. Next to this sports space is the La Cancha store which has club franchises and its brand name “Kiricocho”, the superstitious word used by coach Carlos Bilardo to harm rivals.

Eight Cinemark theaters (one of the 4D and the largest XD in the country) also opened a month and a half ago in the mall, which replaced the Atlas and Bingo halls. and occupy an area of ​​3,600 m2.

Among the next planned openings, which are already under construction: they line up Neverland, which will occupy practically 70% of the space that Falabella had. Kevingston, the traditional clothing brand, and Arredo (household appliances) will also join in stores about 600 meters each. “Bad” hairdressers.

According to Juan Pablo Lombardo, director of the Alto Avellaneda center, “today the main floor of the mall is 100% occupied and there is a waiting list,” he said. As explained by the director, the departure of Falabella and a chain of cinemas opens up a large space on the first floor of the shopping center, which will certainly be occupied by a gym, a chain of meeting rooms, the ability to offer closets and / or safety deposit boxes. Also a chain of household items and technology to fill the void left by a leading brand in the sector.