Few things are sweeter to the ears of a shopping centre developer than "More retailers want in - make it bigger." This is what has happened to Middleburg Mall, which is going to be 7000sqm larger than originally planned, thanks to confirmation that Edcon will open four stores in the centre under its various divisions. Scheduled to open in April next year, the mall will also include a Game store. But don't expect Game to suddenly be flying under Wal-Mart colours - that's just not the way the US superstore does things. So with Edcon raising the alarm about the competition Wal-Mart brings to the local clothing market, The ReDress Consultancy took a survey of the industry insiders to find out what they really thought about the retail giant's entry into the fray. And while unions and retailers in general grumble about the new player, Dave Nemeth offers some advice about how to stay in the competition.

Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor
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