The South China Mall in Dongguan is CHINA’s largest shopping mall and also the largest in the world. It has leasable space for over 1,500 stores within 892,000 sqm of total floor area. This mall has seven zones modelled on these international cities, nations and regions: Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, the Caribbean and California. The mall opened in 2005 but has suffered from lack of retailers due to its location in the suburbs. JAPAN does not have big malls but it is known for its large speciality department stores like Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku and Yodobashi Camera megastore in Akihabara. Tokyu Hands focuses on hobby, home improvement and lifestyle products and many of the goods are only available in Japan. Yodobashi’s Akihabara branch is nine- storey- tall and sells a wide selection of toys, videos, computers, laptops, cameras and audio equipment, including high-end items.The Berjaya Times Square is MALAYSIA’s biggest mall with 700,000 sqm in floor area. It includes over 1,000 stores, 45 restaurants, a theme park and 3D Digi IMAX theatre.
The PHILIPPINES’ largest mall is the SM Mall of Asia comprising of four buildings connected by walkways. Its gross land area is 386,000 sqm and features several cinemas, movie theaters and an ice skating rink.
COEX Mall, an underground shopping mall in SOUTH KOREA, is the largest shopping centre in Seoul. It is also the largest underground mall in Asia with an area of about 85,000 sqm. The place is a popular hangout for Koreans on weekends and some of its attractions aside from the usual shops are two food courts, a 16-screen multi-cinema complex, a world-class aquarium attraction, a mega-scale bookstore and the Kimchi Museum.
In 2006, the renovated and improved Central World Plaza was unveiled in Bangkok, THAILAND. Measuring 244,000 sqm in gross land area, the mall has 21 cinemas, bowling lanes and restaurants. It also has a convention centre (not included in its gross land area). The Thai capital’s other popular mall is Siam Paragon with 230,000 sqm gross land area and home to luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, among others.VivoCity is the largest shopping mall at the HarbourFront precinct in SINGAPORE. The mall’s name is derived from the word vivacity as it “evokes a lifestyle experience that is modern, stimulating and accessible to everyone, a place bubbling with energy and flowing with vitality”, says operator Mapletree chairman Edmund Cheng. The five-storey mall has a total retail floor area of 96,600 sqm.
Plaza Senayan in Jakarta, INDONESIA is described as elegant and sophisticated. It is well-known among the upmarket community and offers diverse high-end shops and services. As far as youngsters go, this mall is currently one of the most popular spots to see and be seen in Jakarta. It is also popular among the expatriate community.
