The Westfield Group
The Westfield Group is an
Australian-owned company that owns
shopping centers in
Australia,
New Zealand, the
United Kingdom, and the
United States.Their shopping centers were typically branded as
Westfield Shoppingtowns, a practice that has been widely criticized in the U.S. as taking away from the historical importance of many malls; however, the company discontinued the use of the "Shoppingtown" label in
June 2005. The company pioneered the incorporation of entertainment and dining precincts into shopping centers. On May 9, 2006, Westfield announced through their webpage the sale of 8 poorly performing centers in the United States in an effort to divest themselves of "non-strategic assets" that no longer meet their investment criteria, nor are in their long-term development plans.
In
1959, Australian businessmen
Frank Lowy and
John Saunders (businessman) opened a
delicatessen in western
Sydney. When the business proved successful, the pair purchased nearby land in
Blacktown, and built a shopping center with two department stores, twelve specialty shops, and parking for 50 cars. They named this center "Westfield Place", "west" because it was located in the western suburbs, and "field" because the center had a view across the sprawling
market gardens. The center's name was later shortened to simply "Westfield".
Westfield Holdings was publicly listed in
1960, and in the
1960s and
1970s, the company constructed or acquired 14 centers on the Australian east coast. Westfield entered the
United States market in
1977, and the
New Zealand and
United Kingdom markets in
2000. It soon established dominance in a number of regions, most notably the crucial
Los Angeles and
New York, New York markets. Prior to its destruction in the
September 11, 2001 attacks, the underground shopping mall at the
World Trade Center was one of Westfield's crown jewels, having been acquired in June 2001. Its 99-year lease enabled Westfield to have a powerful say in the redevelopment of the site, but faced with a protracted process for rebuilding, Westfield sold its rights to the site back to the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2003.
Today, Westfield has interests in total assets worth
A$41 billion, representing 121 shopping centers in four countries with over 10 million square meters of retail space. It is the world's largest retail property group by equity market capitalization, yet it is still chaired by
Frank Lowy, one of its founders.
Since entering the United States market in
1977, Westfield has aggressively acquired, renovated and expanded many mall properties in order to draw wealthier consumers from longer distances. It has also financed large
advertising campaigns to increase awareness of its Westfield brand.
Westfield hasn't been above criticism; the company has been accused in the past of creating bogus front groups to hide behind while ruthlessly fighting competition. In New Haven Connecticut it was called "Save Our Downtown Alliance" and in Arcadia, California, where a battle currently rages, it goes by the name, "Arcadia First." Recently, Australia's most respected public affairs television program reported that Westfield's CEO was forced to apologize for a series of clandestine campaigns against corporate rivals. Their statement said: "We have been guilty of a lack of transparency and openness and that is a great matter of concern and embarrassment to the company." And according to the Sydney Morning Herald, "Westfield has shelled out $3.5 million to settle a claim that the shopping center owner allegedly backed the creation of bogus community action groups intent on thwarting a rival retail property development in Sydney's west."
Another Australian news source, crikey.com.au offered the following observation. "Westfield chairman Frank Lowy is using every tool available to ruthlessly crush competitors to his giant shopping center empire. You have to ask the question whether Westfield really needs to be so ruthless and greedy in playing hardball. After all, Frank Lowy is the second richest Australian with an estimated wealth of $4.2 billion and he owns 11 per cent of a $27 billion monolith that seems to have bullying, political donations and dodgy practices as its stock in trade."
In what appears to be a blatant attempt to stop a project in Renton, three separate appeals were filed May 25, 2006, against the city's approval of a Master Plan for the Landing. While anyone can file an appeal , the appeals were filed by Westfield's attorney, Peter Buck of Buck and Gordon, a land use law firm in Seattle. Buck claimed to be filing the appeal on behalf of the "Alliance for South End," but this non-profit entity was established by him on the same day, May 25. Buck was the only director listed on the incorporation papers and in the appeal there is an admission that Westfield is a client of Buck & Gordon and is contributing to the cost of the appeal.
It currently has a £400 million plan to expand and renovate the Broadmarsh shopping center in
Nottingham and is a 50% development partner in the new
WhiteCity shopping centre in
Shepherd's Bush, west
London.
Australia
*
Belconnen Town Centre*
Woden*Bondi Junction
*Burwood
*Centrepoint (
Sydney)
*
Chatswood*
Eastgardens*Figtree
*
Hornsby*Hurstville
*
Kotara*
Liverpool*
Miranda*
Mount Druitt*North Rocks
*
Parramatta*
Penrith*Sydney Central Plaza (Sydney)
*
Tuggerah*Warrawong
*Airport West
*
Westfield Bay City (
Geelong)
*
Doncaster*
Fountain Gate*
Southland*
Carindale*
Chermside*
Garden City (Upper Mount Gravatt)
*
Helensvale Town Centre*North Lakes (Mango Hill)
*
Strathpine*Marion (Oaklands Park)
*Tea Tree Plaza (Modbury)
*West Lakes
*
Carousel (Cannington)
*
Innaloo*
Whitford City (Hillarys)
New Zealand
*Westfield Downtown,
Auckland*Westfield Newmarket,
Auckland (trading as 'Two-Double-Seven')
*Westfield Glenfield,
Glenfield*Westfield Manukau City,
Manukau City*Westfield Pakuranga,
Pakuranga*Westfield Shore City,
Takapuna*Westfield St. Lukes,
Auckland (St. Lukes District)*Westfield WestCity,
Henderson*Westfield Albany,
North Shore City (under construction)
*Westfield Riccarton
Riccarton*Westfield Chartwell,
Hamilton (Chartwell District)*Westfield Queensgate,
Lower HuttUnited Kingdom
*Westfield
Merry Hill Shopping Centre,
Dudley*Westfield Mill Gate Shopping Centre,
Bury*The
Eagle Centre,
Derby*Westfield The Friary Shopping Centre,
Guildford*Westfield
Broadmarsh,
Nottingham*Westfield Royal Victoria Place,
Tunbridge Wells*WhiteCity Centre,
Shepherd's Bush, West
London (under construction)
*Westfield Broadway Shopping Centre, Bradford
*Westfield CastleCourt,
Belfast*
Sprucefield Park,
LisburnUnited States
*
Sacramento Metro Area**Westfield Galleria at Roseville
(formerly Galleria at Roseville),
Roseville**Westfield Downtown Plaza
(formerly Downtown Plaza),
Sacramento*
San Francisco Metro Area**Westfield Solano
(formerly Solano Mall),
Fairfield**
Westfield San Francisco Centre (formerly San Francisco Shopping Center),
San Francisco*
San Jose Metro Area**Westfield Oakridge
(formerly Oakridge Mall),
San Jose**
Westfield Valley Fair (formerly Valley Fair),
Santa Clara*
Los Angeles County Metro Area**Westfield Santa Anita
(formerly Santa Anita Fashion Park),
Arcadia**Westfield Fox Hills
(formerly Fox Hills Mall),
Culver City**
Westfield Topanga (formerly Topanga Plaza),
Los Angeles (Canoga Park)**Westfield Century City
(formerly Century City Shopping Center),
Los Angeles (Century City)**Westfield Fashion Square
(formerly Sherman Oaks Fashion Square),
Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)**
Westfield Promenade (formerly The Promenade at Woodland Hills),
Los Angeles (Woodland Hills)**Westfield Valencia Town Center
(formerly Valencia Town Center),
Valencia**Westfield Eastland
(formerly Eastland Shopping Center),
West Covina (community center)
**Westfield West Covina
(formerly The Plaza at West Covina),
West Covina*
Orange County Metro Area**
Westfield MainPlace (formerly MainPlace Santa Ana),
Santa Ana*
Riverside County Metro Area**Westfield Palm Desert
(formerly Palm Desert Town Center),
Palm Desert*
San Diego Metro Area**Westfield Plaza Camino Real
(formerly Plaza Camino Real),
Carlsbad**Westfield Parkway
(formerly Parkway Plaza),
El Cajon**Westfield North County
(formerly North County Fair),
Escondido**Westfield Plaza Bonita
(formerly Plaza Bonita),
San Diego**
Westfield Horton Plaza (formerly Horton Plaza),
San Diego (Downtown) **Westfield UTC
(formerly University Towne Center),
San Diego (La Jolla)**Westfield Mission Valley
(formerly Mission Valley Center),
San Diego (Mission Valley)**Westfield Mission Valley West
(formerly Mission Valley Center West),
San Diego (Mission Valley) (community center)
*
New Haven County Metro Area**Westfield Meriden
(formerly Meriden Square),
Meriden**Westfield Connecticut Post
(formerly Connecticut Post Mall),
Milford*
Fairfield County Metro Area**Westfield Trumbull
(Trumbull Shopping Center),
Trumbull*
Tampa/St. Petersburg Metro Area**
Westfield Brandon (formerly Brandon Town Center),
Brandon**Westfield Citrus Park
(formerly Citrus Park Town Center),
Citrus Park**Westfield Countryside
(formerly Countryside Mall),
Clearwater*
Sarasota Metro Area**Westfield Sarasota Square
(formerly Sarasota Square Mall),
Sarasota**Westfield Southgate
(formerly Southgate Plaza),
Sarasota*
Chicago Metro Area**Westfield Fox Valley
(formerly Fox Valley Center),
Aurora**Westfield North Bridge
(formerly The Shops at North Bridge),
Chicago**Westfield Chicago Ridge
(formerly Chicago Ridge Mall),
Chicago Ridge**Westfield Louis Joliet
(formerly Louis Joliet Mall),
Joliet**Westfield Old Orchard
(formerly Old Orchard Center),
Skokie**
Westfield Hawthorn (formerly Hawthorn Center),
Vernon Hills*
Chicago, Illinois Metro Area**Westfield Southlake
(formerly Southlake Mall),
Hobart/
Merrillville*
Baltimore Metro Area**
Westfield Annapolis (formerly Annapolis Mall),
Annapolis*
Washington, D.C. Metro Area**Westfield Montgomery
(formerly Montgomery Mall),
Bethesda**Westfield Wheaton
(formerly Wheaton Plaza),
Wheaton*
St. Louis Metro Area**Westfield Chesterfield
(formerly Chesterfield Mall),
Chesterfield**Westfield West County
(formerly West County Center),
Des Peres**Westfield Northwest
(formerly Northwest Plaza),
St. Ann**Westfield Crestwood
(formerly Crestwood Plaza),
St. Louis**Westfield South County
(formerly South County Center),
St. Louis**Westfield Mid Rivers
(formerly Mid Rivers Mall),
St. Peters*
Lincoln Metro Area**Westfield Gateway
(formerly Gateway Mall),
Lincoln*
New York Metro Area**
Westfield Garden State Plaza (formerly Garden State Plaza),
Paramus*
New York Metro Area**Westfield South Shore
(formerly South Shore Mall),
Bayshore, Long Island**
Westfield Sunrise (formerly Sunrise Mall),
Massapequa, Long Island*
Charlotte Metro Area**Westfield Eastridge
(formerly Eastridge Mall),
Gastonia*
Wilmington Metro Area**Westfield Independence
(formerly Independence Mall),
Wilmington*
Canton Metro Area**Westfield Belden Village
(formerly Belden Village Mall),
North Canton *
Cleveland Metro Area**Westfield Great Northern
(formerly Great Northern Mall),
North Olmsted**Westfield SouthPark
(formerly SouthPark Center),
Strongsville*
Toledo Metro Area**Westfield Franklin Park
(formerly Franklin Park Mall),
Toledo*
Seattle/Tacoma Metro Area**
Westfield Southcenter (formerly Southcenter Mall),
Tukwila*
Olympia Metro Area**Westfield Capital
(formerly Capital Mall),
Olympia*
Portland, Oregon Metro Area**Westfield Vancouver
(formerly Vancouver Mall),
VancouverImage:Westfieldshoppingtownfoxhillsentrance.jpg|An entrance to a typical Westfield shopping centerImage:Chatswood, New South Wales-Shops.jpg|Westfield in Chatswood, New South WalesImage:Mirandawestfield.JPG|Westfield, Miranda, SydneyImage:Westfield shopping centre belco.jpg|Westfield, Belconnen, AustraliaImage:Doncastertower.JPG|Westfield Doncaster Office Tower, Doncaster,Victoria, Australia*
Westfield home page**
United States
