Freshney Place Staff Member Celebrates 30 Years

A familiar face at Freshney Place Shopping Centre is celebrating an impressive milestone - marking 30 years of dedicated service at the shopping centre. Vivienne Alcoc, sales and service manager at Clarks, has spent three decades working in the heart of Grimsby’s retail community at Freshney Place, witnessing firsthand the many changes and evolutions in the shopping landscape.

Viv who has worked for numerous retailers throughout her career including Etam, Topshop/Topman, Dorothy Perkins/Burton and now Clarks reflected on her career saying:

“Retail was such a lively and vibrant environment when I first started. Shopping was an adventure, and everyone came out for the day. I’ve always thrived on being busy and challenged - it’s what makes retail so exciting.”

Over the years, she has seen the retail world transformed by online shopping, with many well-known names disappearing from the high street. Yet she remains positive about the future.

“The regeneration programme at Freshney Place is so important - it will bring new life and energy back into the centre. This shopping centre is still a vital part of the Grimsby community, offering essential services like the CDC and attracting new retailers. There are real positive shoots of growth coming.”

Among her proudest career moments are two standout achievements  - organising 33 bespoke suits for Cleethorpes Town Football Club ahead of their Wembley cup final and successfully campaigning to save her store from closure alongside colleague and store manager Amanda Elwis: “Through persistence and determination, we managed to get our store reinstated - that was a huge win,” she says.

Viv also credits her team for their continued support: “My colleagues are immensely proud of what I’ve achieved, but I’m equally proud of them. We really are like a family here.”

Elliott Andrews, Centre Manager at Freshney Place commented: “We’re so delighted to celebrate Viv’s 30 years of service. Her commitment and passion for retail embody the spirit of Freshney Place, we hope she will be with us for many more years to come!”