Love was definitely in the air last week when our Style Squad team caught up with visitors who travelled far and wide to get some last minute Valentine’s Day presents, ranging from perfume and jewellery to hand bags and ‘me time’ spa sets, and beautiful cards and keepsakes too.
There was also lots of families enjoying the school mid-term break and picking up bits and pieces either for a wardrobe refresh or simply enjoying a day out perusing the wide range of shops on offer.
With over 150 stores to choose from, including M&S, Flannels, New Look and Superdry, and a wide selection of places to dine out, like Nando’s, wagamama and Wingstop – there’s something for everyone at The Centre, Livingston!
Shoppers were also enjoying a peek at the new look Primark store, which has just been unveiled, featuring a brighter, modern layout across its three floors, making shopping for all the family even easier.
For those planning a wardrobe refresh, maybe even a temporary bridge between winter and spring coming in, they were spoilt for choice at the shopping centre.
Whether it’s a new hoodie or lightweight jacket, which is perfect for layering, from stores like H&M and River Island, or a pair of new trainers from schuh, The Centre, Livingston has got everyone’s style boost covered.
It was great to catch up with lots of shoppers on the day who were more than happy to share their reasons for visiting and surprise a few lucky ones with a £25 Gift Card to treat themselves.
First up on our walkabout was a lovely catch-up with school teacher, Paula Hewitson and her daughter, who were enjoying a girlie day out at the shopping centre.
It was great to hear all about Ellie’s recent birthday celebrations and the gifts she received including a beautiful bow necklace from Pandora to mark her special day.
Paula and Ellie love a day meandering through the shops and enjoying a well-earned break at Costa – Ellie’s favourite drink is a Frappuccino with extra caramel and a sweet treat from Krispy Kreme!
Their day was also planned around picking up some Easter arts and crafts, with Poundland being top of the list for everything from a ‘flower crown activity set’ and ‘fill your own carrot sets’ to ‘designing your own cards’ and ‘bunny painting sets’.
Paula, whose favourite stores include River Island, Primark and Flannels, said: “Our visit today was an extra special treat for Ellie, who recently celebrated her birthday.
After a trip to one of her favourite stores, Pandora, for a beautiful necklace, it was time to pick up some Easter activity packs. Poundland had everything we needed to keep Ellie and her younger brother entertained for hours.”
Gaynor Sinclair, mum to Theia and Maicee, was also enjoying a bit of shopping with her two girls, ahead of a planned pamper night for the three of them.
First up on their shopping list was a visit to Primark for face masks, nail varnish and lip gloss, which also gave them the opportunity to enjoy a meander in the new look store and pick up some new joggers and sunglasses, in the hope of sunnier climes soon.
Gaynor said: “One of the great things about The Centre, Livingston is that everything is all under one roof – it makes it so easy to wander and walk into any store that takes our fancy.
“The girls are really looking forward to their pamper night, which we often do as a little Friday night treat – which I always enjoy too!”
It was great to catch up with Niamh Bajai, an administrator from West Calder, who was out with her family enjoying a browse of the shops and taking a little bit of time out to refuel at her favourite café, Starbucks.
“I really enjoy popping into The Centre, Livingston which is handy as I live locally, especially if I don’t have a checklist and it is more of a stroll around with my Starbucks coffee to see what catches my eye.
“I particularly like nipping into H&M to check out any new arrivals, and I also enjoy a bite to eat and some downtime in Nando’s, when we have time to stay even longer.”
Like many families out enjoying the school holidays, we caught up with nurse Laura McCorisken from Whitburn and her two sons, Cody and Riley, who were taking some time out for a day of shopping, with plans to pick up some presents for family members – but no visit would be complete without a trip to JD Sports for the boys!
Laura said: “With it being the school holidays, we’ll definitely be popping into Costa which we all love, for a nice treat.
“I’m also planning to head to M&S too, which is one of my favourite stores – they always have something nice that grabs my attention!”
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “February is always a busy month for us at The Centre, Livingston, especially for those picking up some Valentine’s Day presents and enjoying family time together during the school holidays.
“With so many of us counting down to the arrival of spring next month, it is also a great time to give your wardrobe a lighter and brighter refresh and add a splash of colour to boost your look, though still layering up for extra warmth in the meantime.”