EMPORIUM FACELIFT
Renovation to start in late 2021
The Mall Group plans to spend billions of baht on a remodel of the shopping complex to suit customers’ new lifestyles.
The Mall Group Co, the operator of The Emporium shopping complex, plans to spend billions of baht on a facelift for the mall next year so it will fit new lifestyles.
Onthira Bharksuwana, deputy managing director for retail leasing of The Emporium and The EmQuartier complex, said the company will start renovating The Emporium in the second half of next year.
The renovation will be divided into four phases, with all phases due to be complete in the first half of 2022.
“This is the first big renovation of The Emporium in five years, featuring a new retail style and design. All 250 shops at The Emporium will be reshuffled to fit customers’ new lifestyle after the Covid19 outbreak,” said Ms Onthira. The concept is to remain a luxury department store blended with a mall.
She said after the lockdown measures eased for retail on May 17, business at The Emporium and The EmQuartier is 90% back to normal, with 10,000 visitors on weekdays and 120,000 on weekends.
“Sales of some luxury brands are even higher than before Covid-19 because many Thais who normally shop abroad now spend domestically,” Ms Onthira said.
Suthavadee Sirithanachai, deputy managing director for marketing of The Emporium and The EmQuartier, said the company is investing 200 million baht to develop a new educational area called the “Emjoy zone” located on the second floor of C Building in The EmQuartier.
The zone offers learning experiences for the digital generation utilising modern methods of mixed-use edutainment, she said. The zone compiles a number of multi-practice learning institutions that cater to youth, decorated with a colourful concept covering over 6,000 square metres.
Mrs Suthavadee said the Emjoy zone offers multiple categories of institutions in 18 establishments along with retail shops and services.
The opening of the Emjoy zone will draw more family customers to The EmQuartier and boost family customers by another 10-15% by the end of this year, she said.
Some 50% of customers are workers, with family making up 30% and the remaining 20% are a mix including expatriates. Family customers usually spend about 16,000 baht per visit, higher than other customer groups.
The Emjoy zone aims to be fully operational by late October to accommodate customers during the school holiday. The company will spend 30 million baht to promote the Emjoy zone.
Sales of some luxury brands are even higher than before Covid-19. ONTHIRA BHARKSUWANA Deputy managing director for leasing, Emporium & EmQuartier