Make Your Dollars Go Further this Feel Good February
SHOPPING CENTRES HELP SHOPPERS MAKE THEIR DOLLARS GO FURTHER DURING ‘FEEL GOOD FEBRUARY’
Two Auckland shopping centre are launching ‘Feel Good February’ to take some of the financial sting out of the last week of the month, a month notoriously hard on the pocket as families face Christmas credit card bills and the costs of the new school year.
In an innovative move Botany Town Centre and LynnMall Shopping Centre are adopting ‘smart spending’ initiatives to help local shoppers better manage their money.
The two centres are teaming up with the independent money guide Sorted, run by the Retirement Commission, to help Kiwi shoppers focus on how they can manage their day-to-day spending and make better use of their money.
Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan says it’s not about stopping people spending. “It’s about encouraging people to work out their financial goals and a budget to achieve them. Your goals might be to get out of debt, pay off your mortgage faster or simply to have some money left at the end of the month to save or to spend on clothes,” she said.
Sorted.org.nz is full of calculators and information to help people manage their personal finances. It includes a tool called a spendometer to help shoppers work out the true cost of paying for things using different methods like cash, credit cards or a store card.
Senior Centre Manager Jennifer Manning says that teaming up with Sorted is driven by the view that everyone can take control of their spending and have the financial freedom they desire.
“Becoming more knowledgeable about money means people can still get what they want, while putting some savings away for bigger items like electronic appliances or next season’s wardrobe. There are many tools available, such as lay-bys and hire purchase with interest-free terms.
“What people need now is access to good, reliable information about money, of the kind Sorted provides. They can use this information to take control of their spending, so they can feel good about the purchases that need to be made. That’s what Feel Good February is all about.”
Sorted display stands will be set up in each shopping centre, providing free, independent information on topics like budgeting, managing debt, saving and KiwiSaver.
Botany Town Centre and LynnMall Shopping Centre (both managed by AMP Capital Shopping Centres) is also offering shoppers the chance to win back the value of their purchases to the value of $350 per reciept as part of Feel Good February.
About Botany Town Centre
Situated approximately 19km southeast of Auckland, Botany Town Centre is one of New Zealand’s largest retail developments, with 169 specialty stores. Its retailers range from Dick Smith Electronics to Rebel Sports and a full complement of banks, fashion stores, and New Zealand’s most popular café and restaurant chains. The centre includes one of Auckland’s largest Farmers stores and a New World supermarket. The centre provides diverse entertainment choices from the Circle Lounge at Berkeley Cinema to the award-winning Cock and Bull pub. In addition to its retail offering, Botany Town Centre is a community hub for other services including the Botany Library, the Community Constable, and a variety of medical and health providers.
About LynnMall Shopping Centre
LynnMall has more than 120 specialty stores. The centre is situated in New Lynn, West Auckland and is a short drive from Auckland’s CBD. LynnMall caters to all needs and interests, with major retailers including Foodtown, Farmers, JB HI-FI, Bond and Bond, Noel Leeming, Postie+, Stirling Sports, LynnMall Lollipops Educare and Whitcoulls.