This festive season Atterbury Europe is happy to have Kypros Hadjistyllis back as the general manager of both Mall of Cyprus and Mall of Engomi. We got the festive lowdown from Kypros and Atterbury Europe head of asset management, Vlad Valcea.

Kypros – you just returned to Atterbury Europe after an absence of some years, are we right? What is it like being back?

I’m back with the team after three and a half years, yes… and it feels like home. I managed Mall of Cyprus and Mall of Engomi for 10 years and five of those with Atterbury, and I have to say that with the support of the Atterbury Europe team and the local team it feels as if I was never away! I oversee the teams at both malls and ensure that we excel in what we do best, which is to manage both of these assets in a way that will make all the stakeholders happy.

What do you enjoy most about working at Mall of Engomi in particular, what makes it special in your opinion? 

KH: I had been part of the team discussing the redevelopment of the mall before it happened and seeing it all in reality is amazing. The improvements have really made a difference and the consistent increase in traffic from month to month shows what a success it was, as does the fact that we have more interest from new licensees than ever. The mall’s location is what makes this project so special; it’s surrounded by universities, student housing and the headquarters of a number of international companies but is also located in the most upwardly mobile residential area of Nicosia. Our challenge is to balance the tenant mix to accommodate the needs of all our visitors and to eventually increase the foot traffic and spending accordingly. We aim to have full occupancy before the end of Q2 in 2023.

We believe that Mall of Engomi is getting new Christmas lights – tell us more?

KH: Indeed, the mall is getting a whole new Christmas decoration scheme from MK Illumination, one of the most established companies in Europe in this sector. We decided on the theme of “Elegant Christmas” in line with the mall’s elegant new aesthetic following the refurbishment, and it will involve festive lighting that will be installed in all the key areas of the mall – the facade, the ground-floor corridor from the street entrance, and the food court inside and outside. Elegant Christmas trees will also be installed throughout the mall in addition to the showpiece, 8-metre-tall Christmas tree outside the street-side entrance.

What else is happening at Engomi for the festive season – are there special activations or promotions planned? 

KH: We’re organising a big Christmas Street Fest along with Engomi Municipality, in the street in front of the mall. This is taking place on Saturday 10 December and will include a full-day line-up of events, from 11am to 7pm. There will be choir and dance performances, arts and crafts and other activities for children, a magic show, a commemorative photo booth, a Christmas market by charitable organisations, as well as activations by other tenants in the surrounding area, so it will be a fun-filled day for the whole family. The festivities will conclude with the lighting of the big Christmas tree by the Mayor of Engomi, followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

But it doesn’t end there – to keep our core family audience coming back we are offering a full schedule of activities for children throughout the festive season, starting from Monday 19 December, and continuing through the winter sale and up until Sunday, 8 January 2023.

Vlad, what about the other territories Atterbury Europe services? The world is finally back to normal after the global pandemic, which must be such a relief for the team. Do you have a specific strategy for this upcoming festive season, to celebrate that?

VV: Indeed, it’s the first festive season of the last three years that we don’t have restrictions anywhere across the countries. We want to get people out of their homes, so we are creating a magical atmosphere in our shopping malls. In recent weeks we have “decked the halls” with Christmas decorations and have made sure to share the message that the festive season has arrived, across all our platforms. We are inviting customers to visit our malls and start their festive shopping earlier.

What is taking place at the various malls in terms of special activations, promotions and Christmas-themed events? 

VV: December is the best trading month of the year and we are focusing on presenting festive themes and events in all malls, from ‘meet Santa’ and performances by school choirs to carol-singing and parades with Christmas characters. From this coming weekend the promotional sales campaigns will also kick off. In Timisoara, for instance, there will be outdoor concerts and a Christmas Fair, and multiple festive activations in the park.