A mall with fresh concepts each month

Tenants at a mall being developed next to Tampines MRT Station will have to refresh their concepts every five or six months - and this will be written into their lease agreements.

The move is part of Tampines 1’s plans to offer shoppers something new each month. The plan is to divide tenants into roughly five groups, and each group will have five to six months to come up with a new concept. Once they do, the next 20 per cent of the tenants will have another five-six months to refresh their offerings under a rolling programme.

‘The idea is that each month we’ll be able to advertise ‘This Month’s Specials’ for Tampines 1,’ said Michael Leong, CEO of AsiaMalls Management, which is responsible for the retail planning, marketing and later property management of the mall.

AsiaMalls is 50 per cent owned by Guthrie GTS and 50 per cent by Asian Retail Mall Fund (ARMF). A sequel fund, ARMF II, is developing the Tampines project.

AsiaMalls is also working with Architects 61 and Fitch Design to come up with some iconic features - such as water features, lighting or display - that will be regularly updated, to provide visual attractions at the mall.

Tampines 1, which will have about 260,000 square feet of net lettable space, will comprise two basement levels, including a carpark, and five levels above ground. The mall is slated for completion in early 2009.

It will have a food court/food hall, supermarket and gym and spa with a lap pool big enough for water aerobics.

It will have a cluster of double-storey restaurants on the upper levels. There will also be a bookstore and mid-to-upper-mid international and local fashion brands.

Source: The Business Times, 24 May 2007