Thursday, December 1, 2011

Developers urged to do research before opening more malls

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 1): The Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA) has urged developers to do extensive research before opening additional
shopping malls, saying there is an oversupply.

Retailers have had difficulty in differentiating product offerings and in finding staff, said association secretary-general Valerie Choo.

She said it would be hard for retailers to continuously change product offerings due to too many shopping malls with the same positioning, and the lack of talented staff.

Certain recently-opened malls have an occupancy rate of below 50 per cent, which would be bad for retailers, she said.

Ten more shopping malls are set to open in the Klang Valley alone next year, which is too high for the population, she added.

"Before setting up a mall, developers need to do in-depth studies whether it is appropriate in terms of consumer needs and demographics," she said at a press conference on 'Malaysia's Most Outstanding Retailer-Chains: 50 Success Stories' book here on Thursday.

The book will be officially launched at a banquet on Dec 12 at Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa Ballroom.

MRCA council member and the event organising chairman, Datuk Liaw Choon Liang, said the book honours the contributions of outstanding MRCA members in the development of the retail-chain business in Malaysia and abroad.

He said the association aims to inspire and drive the Malaysian retail business towards greater success, adding the book would serve as a guide to the
who's who of the retail and services industry.

Copies will be placed in government agencies and corporate companies locally and globally, while limited copies will be sold at the banquet for charity, he
added. - Bernama

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