SHOEperlucky!

I got there today just after the competitions kicked off at 10am but there was already quite a queue at the ‘Hook a Handbag’ stand, where loads of colourful bags were piled high.

To enter, you simply hooked a bag – inside were 5 envelopes, one of which had a winning message in (the others, although losing, still offered discounts and freebies at shops in the centre). If you got the winning message, you won the bag! By the time I got to the front of the queue I’d sussed the way to win – you needed to go for the bags that losing entrants had picked because there were less envelopes and a better chance of winning. I hooked a bag with 3 envelopes in and although I didn’t win, I got a free gift of a bath bomb. When I left the stand I whispered to the ladies behind me that the bag only had two envelopes left in, so hopefully one of them won it. There would definitely be an advantage in turning up early and watching which bags were picked before joining the queue! There were also two prize draws that didn’t involve queuing – one to win a Marc Jacobs bag filled with Urban Decay makeup, and one to win a Miu Miu bag.

Upstairs was an even better competition where you could try on a pair of shoes – and if they were your size, you won them! 

I was going to pick box 66 but the girl in front of me chose that – the shoes inside were indeed my size (six), but she was a seven! So when it was my turn I decided to let the compere choose by asking him his year of birth. And the shoes in Box 79 fitted me perfectly – just like Cinderella!

There were apparently a pair of Jimmy Choos amongst the 100 boxes – and whilst in the queue there was another prize draw to win a second pair of Jimmy Choos.

Whilst at the centre you could also spend £20 on a gift card at the Concierge desk and be entered into a draw to win a £250 Theatre Break voucher. The Capital FM team were also doing quick iPad surveys to win a cut and colour at a hair salon in the centre, and a lady at Sainsbury’s was selling Sport Relief £1 scratch cards (a prize every time!) and I spotted this draw to win £1000 of shoes at the Betta Living stand, so it was well worth the visit. I spend a lot of my time finding and entering competitions online and it makes a change to get out and about to find new promotions – shopping centres are always a prime target for me.

This was my first trip to Westfield Derby and I was really impressed with the friendly staff and the inspired idea for the competitions – one in five entrants was likely to win a prize, so it was generous and fun too. Good work Westfield!