MAR Shopping Algarve, due to open next to the new Ikea store near Loulé, has missed its deadline for completion and management has decided to postpone its opening.
A press visit already was cancelled for September 21st, with a new deadline given as September 13, but this too has not been achieved.
The latest guesstimate is for an October 26th launch and Mar Shopping Algarve managers say that 98% of the retail space is signed up.
These delays, reads to PR waffle, are due to essential facilities at the complex “that guarantee the well-being and safety of visitors, shopkeepers and employees. Wellness and safety will always be a priority in the operation of all Ikea Centers.” The opening was rescheduled for October 26.
"This decision had as its main factor the commitment we made with the Algarve to present them with a different and relevant shopping complex for the region. In order to fulfill this commitment, it was necessary to postpone the opening to ensure that everything is ready to receive our visitors, ensuring the quality of the commercial and leisure offer that we promised to the Algarve," commented Herman Gewert, director general of MAR Shopping Algarve.
MAR Shopping Algarve is part of the €200 million investment by the IKEA Group, which will create 3,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.
The centre is the first project in the country to combine a shopping mall, an IKEA store and a Designer Outlet.
