At The Centre, Livingston there is always a great buzz in the air, which our Style Squad added to recently, when they popped in to catch up with shoppers about their reasons for visiting and the purchases they snapped up, and surprised some lucky customers with a £25 Gift Card to treat themselves!
Whether it was splashing out on something special or just meandering the shops looking for inspiration, the common theme from everyone they talked to was how great the variety and quality of stores are at the shopping centre, with the added bonus of them being indoors and all under one roof – especially good on chilly days!
Shoppers were still managing to pick up some fantastic bargains in the sales – with lots of them using their Christmas Gift Cards – especially in M&S which has 70% off selected items.
Others were either popping into the travel agents to start planning ahead for this year’s summer holiday or on a mission to ‘look the part’ in the gym as they embark on their New Year fitness regimes.
When it comes to activewear and fitness accessories, there is a wide selection of stores to choose from, including JD Sports for tracksuits, trainers and gym bags and Primark, which has just launched its stunning Rita Ora activewear collection. It features everything from the perfect Pilates top and bag to a cosy bolero wrap and joggers.
With over 150 stores to choose from, including River Island, Flannels, New Look and H&M, and a wide selection of places to eat out, like Nando’s, wagamama and Las Iguanas – there’s something for everyone at The Centre, Livingston!
First up to chat to on our walkabout of the shopping centre was business support officer Stacy Livingston and her husband, Graeme, who is a workshop director, from Mid Calder.
Every Saturday they visit The Centre, Livingston to catch up over a coffee in Starbucks, and then enjoy perusing the shops – sometimes with a checklist and other times just to pick up bits and pieces.
Stacy said: “We really look forward to our Saturday morning trip to the shopping centre. We tend to get here early, grab a coffee and then do a bit of browsing.
“Today I got a lovely top from Primark and Graeme got pyjamas. We always like to nip into M&S too for food treats and nibbles for the weekend ahead.”
The couple were also planning to pop into the travel agents to put the wheels in motion for their big trip to Orlando this year with their daughters.
Next up we spoke to Fiona Aitken from Bathgate, who was enjoying a shopping spree, thanks to thoughtful family members who gave her Gift Cards for her Christmas.
“I’ve been really looking forward to coming in today to spend some of the Gift Cards I received, and already I’ve picked up some lovely tops in H&M, and I’m now planning to pop into River Island and M&S to see what else I can get. It is such a nice way to spend a day out!
“I’m also planning to get a bite to eat but with so many great options it’s hard to choose where to go – my family love Wingstop so I am thinking I might just nip in there and try it out for myself.”
In Lush, which has a fantastic range of handmade products like fizzing bath bombs and shampoo bars, all with natural ingredients, we caught up with Louise Gemmell from Falkirk, who never misses the chance to stop by her favourite store when she visits.
“I love Lush – especially the body lotions and soaps.
“Today I treated myself to the Sticky Dates body lotions which has an amazing vanilla smell and the Cherry on Top fruity soap.
Other favourite stores for Louise include Primark, H&M and River Island, and when it comes to dining out it has to be Nando’s or Wingstop.
There’s a great selection of places to eat at the shopping centre, from burgers at Five Guys to the world-famous chicken wings at Wingstop, and independent eateries too, like NowNow Café, where we caught up with Kristi Sharp, Liam Lawson and baby Oban and surprised them with a £25 Gift Card to put towards their breakfast.
Kristi said: “I am regular visitor to the shopping centre and NowNow Café as I just absolutely love the food, and the service is always brilliant.
“After a full Scottish breakfast – which is our favourite dish on the menu – we were planning to head to M&S to look at the baby range for Oban before we were caught by surprise and handed a Gift Card from The Centre, Livingston to put towards our bill, which we couldn’t believe.
“It was such a really nice treat – thank you!”
We were delighted to chat to Calla and her Grandma, Ellen Lynch on our rounds, who were enjoying a special day out shopping – something they love to do together.
They were both admiring the new Rita Ora activewear collection in Primark when we offered to contribute to a new workout outfit for Calla with a £25 Gift Card.
“What a lovely surprise it was to get a Gift Card to treat myself to something nice – I’ve got my eye on a few different pieces from the new collection by Rita Ora – the range is amazing. I even love the padded bag.”
Last up on our walkabout was Julie Nicholls from Dunfermline, who works in procurement and visits regularly.
Julie was enjoying a day out with her parents, with plans to do a bit of shopping and enjoy a spot of lunch later.
“We visit the shopping centre quite a lot, as there’s such a great quality of shops – I always get what I’m looking for.
“Today I picked up some nice tops in H&M and then visited Superdry, which is one of my favourite shops, to check out the coats and jumpers. They have such a great selection of coats which are ideal for wrapping up just now.
“Thanks so much to the shopping centre for my Gift Card, which was a lovely surprise, it really made my day.”
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We love hearing about our shoppers’ experiences when they visit us, whether it is sales or holiday shopping or enjoying a bite to eat with family or friends – even more so when we can surprise them with a £25 Gift Card to treat themselves!”