Market Info
22
Ikano Centres Continues to Expand in Malaysia and Thailand Ikano’s shopping centres are spearheading futureproofing strategies driven by an omnichannel approach and strategic commercial developments kano Centres, part of Ikano Retail, continues to accelerate its omnichannel approach to retail amid a year marred by Covid-19 closures for its shopping centre business. As shoppers begin to return to physical visits, a key priority remains to enhance its IKEAanchored destinations to adapt to evolving consumer expectations. With five meeting places under its portfolio – IPC, MyTOWN, Toppen, and Batu Kawan in Malaysia, as well as Megabangna in Thailand, Ikano Centres have maintained a healthy lease rate of 92% at its shopping centres throughout the past 18 months. During this time, the group introduced enhancements to address safety, improve customer experience, pilot digital partnerships, and create innovative shopping platforms for customers to connect, engage, and learn. “We are optimistic about our
I
Development of Shopping Centre Multi-Storey Carpark with the lifestyle RoofTopp.
Malaysia Retailer Vol 9 No 3
McDonalds at Ikano Centres Batu Kawan.
recovery as we see more visitors returning to our centres,” said Adrian Mirea, Ikano Centres’ Shopping Centre and Mixed-Used Director. “To strengthen the shopping experience across our centres, we continue to sustainably invest in both physical developments to our assets and also digital platforms to elevate the experience that shoppers
have at our centres, all this while ensuring that our centres continue to be safe meeting places for our customers.” Ikano Centres introduced digital innovations aimed to support its tenants throughout closures while giving its visitors multiple ways to engage with their favourite centres. Initiatives include personal shopper services through GoGet, livestreams supported by social commerce, campaigns powered by GrabFood and Foodpanda, and optimising its shopping centre apps to facilitate convenience to shoppers through the order and collect services. As community-centric shopping destinations, each meeting place is growing through sustainable means, with each development plan designed to cater to the needs of its surrounding community: IPC Shopping Centre: Damansara’s favourite neighbourhood shopping centre strengthens its familyfriendly offers At the heart of Mutiara Damansara,
