by S BIRRUNTHA / pic credit: www.sunwaymalls.com/sunway-big-box/

MALAYSIA’S first retail hybrid park, Sunway Big Box, has tenancy rate at 85% with 36 key partners ahead of its expected launch in Dec 18, this year.

Located in Sunway Iskandar, Johor, it is the seventh retail development under the Sunway Malls umbrella with aims to have 1,000 to 1,500 jobs creation.

The hybrid retail park which combines large retail formats and smaller retail formats is located on a 24-acre plot of land, with an open-air strip mall environment.

Sunway Malls and Theme Parks CEO HC Chan said the development began two years ago and it is intended to allow visitors to explore shopping and dining in a large and non-conventional ambience.

“We understand that Malaysia has too many shopping malls, so we are looking to innovate and refresh our development of malls.

“Supported by a hotel and an office component, Sunway Big Box is a unique retail development that is planned for the future, aligned to Sunway Iskandar’s masterplan to build Nature’s Capital City.

“Big Box originates from the concept of a warehouse and we are putting together a very strong phase of today’s lifestyle,” he told reporters during the media briefing in Johor yesterday.

Sunway Big Box is the company’s second retail development in Sunway Iskandar after Sunway Citrine Hub, which was opened last year.

With a development cost of RM250 million, Sunway Big Box has 36 key partners such as NSK, BookXcess, Golden Screen Cinemas, Caltex, SSF, MOX, Ace Hardware and many more.

According to Chan, the hybrid retail park is conducive to today’s environment because it is supported by lots of food and beverages, and offers people the lifestyle choices for their convenience.

Meanwhile, Sunway Bhd property division MD Sarena Cheah said the opening of Sunway Big Box is part of Sunway’s commitment to build the thriving RM30 billion township in Sunway Iskandar in the next 20 years.

“Since we first started, we launched and have in the pipeline close to RM3 billion in properties.”

“In the next five years, we will be building the Big Box hotel, the Big Box office tower and a Chinese school, as well as expanding the Sunway International School,” Cheah said.