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Christian Rojkjaer, and Christian Olofsson showcasing the progress of Toppen Shopping Centre, which is situated next to Ikea Tebrau.
Toppen Shopping Centre, the first mall in Malaysia to be anchored by an Ikea store outside the Klang Valley, is slated to open by the third quarter of 2019, reported The Star.
Nestled on a 10.22ha site in the heart of Tebrau, the new shopping centre is expected to boost the economic growth of Johor.
This comes as the new development could generate 5,000 employment opportunities for locals, said Ikea Southeast Asia Managing Director Christian Rojkjaer. Incidentally, Ikea Tebrau is set to be the biggest Ikea store in Southeast Asia.
“Jobseekers can expect employment opportunities from our 300 tenants or be part of the complex management team,” said Rojkjaer.
The completion of the mall will also open business opportunities for local suppliers.
Added Rojkjaer: “As we speak, Ikea Tebrau is currently obtaining its supply of chicken wings from a local supplier and we believe more such opportunities will come with the completion of the shopping centre.”
In a bid to live up to its name, Toppen – which means fantastic in Swedish – wanted to be more than just a place to shop by creating a vibrant environment where people can meet and socialise with family and friends, noted Rojkjaer.
As such, the four-storey mall features retail shops, a rooftop with a community garden, sporting and play areas, a large multipurpose piazza as well as entertainment and dining facilities.
Ikea Southeast Asia shopping centre and mixed-use director Christian Olofsson explained that the new mall, which has achieved a 40 percent take-up rate, would offer a new and improved shopping experience for locals.
“There are certain changes that have to be made in the retail industry in order to catch up with the rise of e-commerce, and for us it is by creating a comfortable and lively meeting place for people rather than just a place for them to shop,” he said.
“It is not so much about e-commerce versus retail but more on how we can successfully merge them together and provide an improved shopping journey for customers.”
Among the upcoming tenants are TGV cinemas, Harvey Norman and Ben’s Independent Grocer, said Olofsson.
This article was edited by the editorial team of PropertyGuru Malaysia. To contact them about this or other stories, email editorialteam@propertyguru.com.my
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