Interview with Allen Duff part 2

This interview continues with Allen’s discussion of John Lewis and other retailers in the Shopping Building: the agreement with John Lewis was the starting point, he says: ‘John Lewis were the best retail anchor in the new shopping centre; … their presence there gave confidence to others’. Allen recalls the main reasons John Lewis chose MK rather than other options were access and parking. Allen comments that POSS Fund have been consistent in keeping their investment in CMK, despite their concerns that the MK establishment does not respond quickly enough to changing circumstances; they view MK as already slipping down the ‘league table’ of centres. Allen talks of the changing retail culture: he is concerned about some radical proposals for change in CMK and says: ‘What I … will not do, is support the rape of MK if I don’t believe that the outcome is worthwhile’. Allen recalls negotiations with Marks & Spencer and Dickins & Jones and a visit to CMK by Sir Hugh Fraser when the building was under construction, to agree the deal. Allen had responsibility for tenant, he says: ‘…I had to do a report to EMC on tenant mix. …no one challenged it’. He remembers discussions with Jock Campbell about types of retailer, and saying: ‘I’m trying to avoid it being a down market, stack ’em high, sell ’em cheap, sort of centre’.

Allen then discusses food supermarkets, recalling that ‘saying no to Tesco’ began in 1974/75 and continued for some years. Allen notes that pressure was exerted on MKDC Board by both Tesco and Sainsbury’s: he considered both were the wrong choice for the Shopping Building. The Board agreed to two small food supermarkets for those who lived nearby; Tesco declined a place in the Food Centre, CMK and chose Kingston, but Sainsbury’s accepted. Allen recalls Tesco making a TV programme against CMK, presenting it as a failure; however, a strike at Anglia Television cancelled it. Allen says: ‘The programme … went out months later …by which time the shopping centre was enormously successful! …I enjoyed that’.