A sleepy Vällingby commercial center has now become a modern shopping haven offering a variety of choices in fashion and accessories, restaurants and fastfood, and big grocery stores. When it was inaugurated last March 27th, the focus of publicity was K:Fem - a brand new two-storey department store that will compete with NK and Åhlins in the inner city. Vällingby, located in the west of Stockholm city was once a busy hub of business until it was overtaken by age and neglect. When other suburbs began sprucing up their commercial centers, a decision came to reconstruct the Vällingby to the tune of 3 billion Swedish crowns. There are around 20,000 inhabitants in the area but counting the close neighbors Hässelby and Bromma, one sees a potential 200,000 customers who will patronize the new shopping center.
Aside from K:Fem, there is Velinghus which opened earlier and houses top companies like H&M, Åhlins, Kapphal, Dressman, Indiska, Wedins as well as big footwear shops. It has a fastfood, much like Kista's which offer a variety of international cuisine. Aside from the big clothing and shoe companies, there are even smaller specialty shops that sell home decor and gift items.
Three major food shops - Hemköp ( owned by Åhlins), Coop Konsum and the German Lidl compete in both prices and food varieties. At the opposite street is a row of known companies like Telenor and further on is also a new area that houses big stores like Onoff, Clas Ohlson, Folkhemmet and Lidl. There's an open air parking space as well as an underground one, enough to house the expected number of new customers coming to Vällingby. All major banks - Nordea, SEB and Handelsbanken have branch offices.
The developers business concept is to attract not just high-end buyers but also those looking for low-priced affordable trendy clothes such as in H&M and Gina Tricot. Even in food, the target is to have competitive prices for a variety of fresh and dry goods, especially organic which is Coop Konsum's ad line.
Since Vällingby's inauguration in Thursday, people have been streaming in until Sunday when there was special discounts on all goods purchased. The mood was festive and the crowd was from all ages. The new Italian restaurant Massagotti in K:Fem is a welcome treat for health- conscious people who love real fresh salad plus small additions of different sauces like artichoke with beans. And the lunch price which includes drinks is only 90 crowns. One level below, is a cafe by the same owner. It is elegantly-located and one can watch people outside through its glass wall.
We who live nearby can really enjoy the new shopping center that has taken on a new life, from a being drab housewife to a glamorous celebrity. Welcome to Vällingby city!
