The Shopping Centre industry is driven by people. It’s the skills and expertise of the people that manage, develop and evolve shopping centres for their communities that creates this great industry. Shopping Centre News profiles a range of interesting people from the industry each week. This week we speak to Pietta Lacey, Centre Manager at Arkadia. Pietta is a veteran of the shopping centre industry having managed many centres in Australia. She joined Arkadia in 2018, their strong property portfolio includes a mix of 13 large format and neighbourhood centres located in capital cities along the East Coast of Australia.
What is your current role and main responsibilities?
Centre Manager at Homemaker the Valley, one of the largest Homemaker Shopping Centres in QLD. I head up a team of three, responsible for all centre management, operational and marketing functions.
How did you get in to this industry?
By accident. I commenced working as assistant to an agency retail management and leasing team and was mentored by an amazing group of people. Over time, I was promoted to a Centre Manager role.
Tell us a little bit about your career
I initially commenced working in agency managing retail centres for various clients then progressively working for Coles Myer Properties, Colonial Investments and AMP Capital Shopping Centres – ultimately managing the largest centre in Australia at the time. I held various Asset Manager roles across traditional retail centres with Colonial and AMP until post children returning to the industry as a Centre Manager in the Large Format Retail sector.
Arkadia managed Homemaker the Valley
What has been your hardest career decision
Returning to full time work after having children.
What do you love most about your job?
The people interaction/collaboration at the coal face, be it the retailers and their teams, customers, local community organisations – anywhere we can support the centre and its environment.
What do you least like about your job?
Carpark rorters… if you use, you pay!
What motivates you?
Continually striving to renew, refresh, improve… I get a huge kick out of introducing new retailers into the mix and watching their performance go from strength to strength.
What makes a great Centre Manager?
A good listener and communicator, someone who is observant and can see the shopping experience through the consumers eyes.
What is your most memorable moment of your career?
At an employers annual conference being forced to participate in activities well beyond my comfort zone (think acting, soloist singing and modelling) and realising that personal and professional growth is achieved by challenging yourself and continually pushing your own boundaries and limitations and the resultant sense of achievement and personal fulfilment.
What do you think makes a successful shopping centre?
A proactive and progressive owner working collaboratively with like minded retailers totally focused on catering to the centre’s customer.
Which in your opinion is the best example of a good shopping centre, retail precinct or place?
Aside from Homemaker The Valley of course! Being from Brisbane, would have to support local and promote the James Street/Fortitude Valley precinct. James Street has created a vibrant outdoor shopping experience offering high end fashion, homewares, food and an amazing place to crash at the end of an exhausting day.
James St, Brisbane
How can landlords and retailers work together better?
With today’s availability of technological tools – communication is the key. Information should flow both ways to ensure all initiatives (both owner and retailer led) are maximised for both.
What are some of the trends you are seeing in the industry?
Customers are thirsty for information, well researched and wanting to learn from their retail experiences. They are sometimes more savvy about products than the actual merchants. Retailers need to ensure their teams are educated and experts in their field to engage their consumers.
What’s three words that describe you?
Approachable, helpful and team-oriented
How do you manage stakeholders?
Understanding what their drivers and deliverables are and interpreting best way to ensure win/win outcomes… Again comes back to communication.
Did you think you would end up in the role you are in now?
No, didn’t even know this professional career existed.
What do you do to keep learning and growing in your career?
Reading, reading, reading – with so many online platforms and experts sharing information, never run out of good bedtime reading material.
What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry?
Ask questions, it is true what they say – no question is a stupid question.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to get in to Centre Management?
Be prepared to take on any role in the business to get your foot in the door. There are so many different specialist career paths available requiring unique skill sets and a smart person with the right attitude will have a career for life.
What do you do in your leisure time to de-stress?
Sleep mostly! I’ve also just recently started meditation.
What’s your favourite retailer and why?
This is a hard one for me to pick a favourite, would be like asking which is my favourite child so I am going to adopt diplomacy and say all Homemaker The Valley retailers.
What innovation would you like to see implemented in the shopping centre industry?
ApplePay shopping trolleys – who has coins or those tokens on them these days.
Have you worked in another industry and then come back to shopping centres?
I have a couple of times worked in construction – both commercial and residential but seems shopping centre management is in my blood and keep coming back.
What is the single most important quality you need to possess to be in this industry?
Continually looking for ways to raise the bar – retail is rapidly changing and evolving and it is the process of continually striving to move/improve/update to stay current and relevant to customer demands.
Do you like shopping?
Very much depends on the type, leisure shopping yes, chore shopping eg. Groceries, no thank you.
Want to be profiled? Contact Belinda belinda@shoppingcentrenews.com.au
