So says Sumari de Ridder, the mall’s General Manager, who announced that shopper numbers at Mall of the North on Black Friday were a whopping 73.8% higher than on an average month-end Friday over the last six months. What’s more, its November weekend visitors are up 9% year-on-year.

In addition, the upward trend in retail sales at Mall of the North is set to continue this December. De Ridder expects turnover at the mall to be about 12% higher than it was for the 2015 festive season.

With 180-plus stores, the 75,000sqm super-regional Mall of the North in Polokwane, Limpopo, is the premier shopping mall in the province, with excellent comparative shopping in a comfortable and safe environment.

As in past years, de Ridder expects an influx of visitors to the province again during the 2016 festive season. With its compelling selection of Christmas entertainment and shopping, as well as longer opening hours, Mall of the North is positioned as the ultimate must-visit attraction in the province, for locals and holidaymakers alike.

A highlight of the season is Mall of the North’s late night shopping. This celebration of the season takes place on Friday, 15 December, from 9am to 9pm. Besides great festive shopping, the mall will also be filled with live music, choirs, dancing and much more.

“We’ve also improved our shopping experience. Toys & Babies R Us opened on the upper level. We’ve moved Jet to the lower level and Wakaberry to the upper level. Shoppers are already responding positively to these changes,” says De Ridder.

And, there are more exciting updates to come, starting with Green Cross which opens next in mid-December.

“We constantly look for great ways to make the shopping experience at Mall of the North even better. We’ve already reserved space so that, in early 2017, we can group more complementary shops together and upsize stores that want to offer their shoppers bigger ranges,” explains de Ridder.

What’s more, there are new stores set to open at Mall of the North in the new year

“We believe there will be more growth in the coming year and look forward to introducing new retailers, both local and international, to the great mix we offer our shoppers,” says de Ridder.