New shopping experience in Lekki as Purple Mall opens for business

For the residents of Lekki, especially those within Freedom Way and its environs, a new shopping experience has come to meet them as Purple Mall has opened for business in that neighbourhood.

The new retail facility, which sits on 20,000 square metres and valued at N80 billion, was developed by Purple Real Estate Plc, a major player in the Nigerian real estate market. It is part of an expansive mixed-use development, offering opportunities for retail, office, short and long-stay residence.

Since 2015 when formal retail business with large lettable spaces witnessed a tumble following a downturn in the nation’s economy, space suppliers have resorted to neighbourhood malls which are generally smaller in size with space occupiers stocking mainly household needs.

“We are not a destination centre perse; we’re a neighbourhood centre. We’re a centre where you can easily walk and drive to. We’re within the community; we’re part of the community. That concept inspired the neighbourhood idea. We aim to co-locate all of these great brands doing different things within different spaces,” Laide Agboola, CEO, Purple Real Estate explained.

Agboola, who spoke in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the commissioning of the Mall, disclosed that long before the unveiling, many retailers had taken position, providing essential goods like medicine, pharmacy, supermarket, and general retail.

“We also offer entertainment aspects like cinema and skating. Additionally, we infuse other elements that are essential to the soul. Within the building, we’ve got a gym, we also have a fitness centre; the health and wellness centre is coming up within the building. At the same time, it’s going to have long and short stay apartments,” Agboola added.

Agboola noted that besides the facilities which the mall offers, it also impacts the environment positively, especially in the area of job creation which is one of the hallmarks of retail facilities all over the world.

According to him, Market Square which is one of the retailers in the mall, spent about three months trying to recruit from different backgrounds, from different people in their retail space, adding that there are probably over 100 people working shifts at the stall.

“We have other stalls with like 20, 30 staff members,” pointing out that within the building itself, there’s been a plethora of jobs that have been created within the neighborhood, ranging from the small-time jobs to the major jobs.

If you look at our impact on the environment itself, you see the drainage works, maintenance and other stuff done by us and will continue to be taken care of by us. The garden works from the front of the building; from Shelter Afrique to Car wash, is also done and maintained by us,” he said.

Commissioning the facility, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, described it as a destination where all live activities can happen. According to the governor, the mall is a place where people can live, play, relax and go to the gym which makes it a one-stop-shop ecosystem.

He applauded the sheer size of the mall, dotting Freedom Way Lekki. “So, you can see what our Lagos is becoming; successes like this show our sheer belief and resilience to transform the prosperity and unlock value of our city.

Nobody is going to do it for us. It is only when we innovate, think out of the box and challenge ourselves that we can do it. I realise that we are not documenting the successes recorded in Lagos by doers. I think it is about time that all of you in your little spaces begin to document your successes no matter how little. I want to encourage the management of Purple Lekki, let it not just stop at this area of Lagos,” the government said.

Continuing, the governor assured, “whatever it takes to work and be sustainable, the Lagos State government is ready to support us so that we can spread the prosperity of Lagos. Once this is done, the city will begin to develop in a somewhat even manner. I want to stand here and say to you that, we as a government, will continue to provide an enabling environment for this to happen.”

He assured further that “we will continue to ensure that whatever the case, whatever the challenges, or hiccups that you have, that will not be a hindrance to the visions or to the investment you want to increase. We are ready to sit and discuss with you. I am ready to remove the red tape because it’s only when we create an enabling environment for businesses that they can flourish.”