Grand Plaza Shopping Centre a single-level regional centre located south of the Brisbane CBD, managed by Vicinity Centres has found differentiation in its positioning by being the proud community heart and subsequently focusing on giving back to its customers. At SCN we have always said shopping centres are integral to their communities in which they reside.
From Rural Patient Health Care to the local Marsden State high school, The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA), the Logan House Fire Support Network and more, Grand Plaza works with charities and institutions around Logan to help support its economically and culturally diverse customer base.
At the heart of this is the ‘Friends of Grand Plaza’ initiative – a collective of some 30 individuals whose tireless works have been publicly celebrated by the centre and who now work in unofficial ambassadorial roles for Grand Plaza – hosting workshops and facing public relations campaigns.
“It’s been a tremendously rewarding initiative for us,” says Martine Coorey, Centre Manager. “Not only has it allowed us to really interact and connect with the local community, it has also created a feel-good aspect that differentiates us from other shopping destinations.”
Further to this, Grand Plaza has utilised a retail space for a dedicated community hub – a free room that can be booked for anything from mother’s meetings to book clubs, not to mention the centre’s ongoing workshop series available to all members of the public both young and old.
In this way, the centre has been able to morph successfully into a valued community destination – ensuring customers not only maintain a strong communal tie to Friends of Grand Plaza but also to the centre’s retailers.
