NAME: Skott Keller

AGE: 34

BORN: Kitimat, B.C.
EDUCATION: SFU graduate
OCCUPATION: Manager of
Lynn Valley Centre

RESIDENCE: Crescent Beach

FAMILY: married to Karole;
three children

HOBBIES: Racquetball, occa-
sionally,

What was your vision for Lynn
Valley Centre when you first
became manager? ‘'! think it was
a question of finding some direc-
tion for a centre that is very small
among many, many larger shopp-
ing centres. To find and give it
some kind of identity. To do that,
I became a customer. [ had a look
around to see what others had,
and shopped the market carefully.
I looked at what | had to work
with, and made sure that we took
advantage of any opportunity that
presented itself. We made shine
what we already had."’

What are your priorities for the
mall? ‘“‘We’re constantly looking
for quality services...it’s difficult
when it comes to leasing space.
We like to say we're kind of picky
about who comes here. We want
to see what a business wants to do
before we decide to do business
with them. I try to pay careful at-
tention to market research to see
what my customers want, and see
if I can go out and get that.
Sometimes it’s not an easy thing.’’

What do customers want most

Keller keeps

From page 22

create an identity for it as a place
where merchants serve other
community members where
friends serve friends.

That's not bad for a small mall
Operating in a highly competitive
retail region.

Now in its 16th year of
business, Lynn Valley Centre con-
tinues to fare well financially, al-
though Keller is reluctant to reveal
annual sales figures. He assures it
is being well patronized, which is
borne out by the mall’s many
turnstile counters.

All of this comes as good news

NORTH VANCOUVER 986-0388
WEST VANCOUVER 926-5541

Sunday, October 7, 1990 - North Shore News - 23

AFFLUENCE & INFLUENCE

In his own words

from a shopping centre? “I think
they want the best service in the
least amount of time, as well as a
wide selection of goods."’

How did you feel about winning
the Maple Leaf Award? ‘It felt
good. {t's interesting because
you're running up against
everybody in Canada, It's become
a popular thing because it's one
way to make your mark in the in-
dustry."

What's the fautuce of the shopping
centre business?) ‘‘Generally, in
the shopping centre industry, what
you're seeing right now — al-
though | hear there's talk of a
new mall going in (Seymour-
Parkway area), but it’s been on
the drawing board for a while —
is less and less of that type of ac-
tivity. Acquisitions and develop-
ments will become a little flatter
than they were before. As a result
developers will be looking inward
and will try to capitalize on what
they already have. And that sim-
ply spells market share. Being able
to look at what you already have,
work with what you have, and be-
ing careful about how your opera-
tions go. Developers are paying
careful attention to that, to mar-
keting, to providing excellent ser-
vices, and at the same time are
tightening their belts."

What's the busiest time of year
for Lynn Valley Centre?
“Christmas, definitely, and so is
back to school. Interesting to see
that Easter is a big deal now.”’

it friendly

to Keller, who plans to continue
to improve the mall’s image and
the quality of services it offers.

New businesses hoping to set up
shop — Lynn Valley Centre cur-
rently houses over 65 stores and
services — must undergo Keller’s
close scrutiny.

‘*We like to say we’re kind of
picky about who comes here,’* he
says of prospective tenants.

a aan

NEWS photo Mike Wakelield

LYNN VALLEY Centre manager Skott Keller and staff were awarded the Maple Leaf Award for mar-
keting excellence by the International Council of Shopping Centres for their “Friends Serving

Friends’’ campaign.

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