BATU KAWAN, Malaysia, Feb. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Klippa Shopping Centre is pleased to announce further expansions with the commencement of the construction for Decathlon's northern standalone Flagship and the introduction of the Soccer Experience @ Klippa Batu Kawan, Powered by IKEA, marking yet another milestone for the Ikano Centres meeting destination in North Malaysia.
From left to right: Anthony Thanasegaram – Commercial Manager at Klippa Shopping Centre, Atul Gupta – Head of Business Development of Decathlon Malaysia, Jiao Li – Chief Executive Officer of Decathlon Malaysia, Takeshi Murai – Store Manager at IKEA Batu Kawan, Arnoud Bakker – Commercial Director at Ikano Centres.
In 2023, Ikano Centres revealed the addition of their third Decathlon to its portfolio after MyTOWN Shopping Centre and Toppen Shopping Centre. The ground-breaking ceremony held two weeks ago marked the start of the construction of Decathlon's 20,000 sq. ft. store at Klippa Shopping Centre, with Ikano Centres investing RM 20 million in its development. This outlet is Decathlon's second store in the state of Penang and its first venture on the mainland of North Malaysia.
In addition, Klippa is also introducing its Soccer Experience @ Klippa Batu Kawan, Powered by IKEA, a community driven project in collaboration with Soccer Experience. Similar to Decathlon, this initiative is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle within the North Malaysian communities and fostering connections among football enthusiasts of all ages. Spanning approximately 170,000 sq. ft. of land, the space includes two pitches with an 11-aside open airfield and a 7-aside covered field, complemented by a clubhouse with ample facilities. Both Decathlon and Soccer Experience @ Klippa Batu Kawan, Powered by IKEA align seamlessly with Ikano Centres' strategy in developing destinations that are heavily focused on families and healthy lifestyle.
Arnoud Bakker, Commercial Director of Ikano Centres said "We are thrilled to kick off this phase of our development with the commencement of Decathlon's construction and the introduction of our latest addition, Soccer Experience @ Klippa Batu Kawan, Powered by IKEA , to our destination. This inclusion diversifies our retail offering, specifically tailoring our offer to cater to the needs of Batu Kawan's fast-growing community. The ground-breaking ceremony marks the beginning of another chapter in Klippa's development, contributing to our aim of being the heart and hub of the Batu Kawan township, located in Aspen Vision City– poised to become the first smart city in North Malaysia and one of the most exciting growth areas in Malaysia. Our commitment to expanding our portfolio and Klippa itself is unwavering. We are on a continuous journey of growth, adding new dimensions to our centres to enhance the experience for our community."
Jiao Li, Chief Executive Officer of Decathlon Malaysia added, "This ground-breaking symbolizes our shared dedication to providing an enriching experience for the Batu Kawan community and beyond. At Decathlon, our purpose is to move people through the wonders of sports. We believe in creating spaces that can bring the pleasure and benefits of sports to as many as possible the local citizens, and our partnership with Klippa exemplifies this commitment. We are truly honoured to contribute to the happiness and health of the growing Batu Kawan community and look forward to becoming an integral part of this community's journey."
The Klippa mixed-use development covers 51 acres of land, with a Total Gross Build Area (GBA) of 6.5 million square feet and a Total Gross Development Value (GDV) of RM3.5 billion. Future mixed-use developments are underway and will include 800,000 square feet of shopping centre, expanding on top of the current 660,000 square feet of retail space.
With an estimated RM1 billion in Gross Development Value, the retail component of the development is expected to feature approximately 300 tenants, on top of the existing tenants. This represents a significant step towards enhancing Klippa Shopping Centre as a meeting destination for the community to create meaningful connections.
Bakker added, "At Klippa, we've already opened a wide array of offerings, including a full-fledged grocery store, soon a petrol station with an F&B drive through concept, more F&B outlets, and other amenities that have become integral parts of the community's daily life. In line with Klippa's phased-development approach, this expansion focuses on creating offerings that are relevant to the growing community, rather than constructing spaces solely to fill vacancies. With a 99% occupancy rate in the initial phases of Klippa, we are confident in moving forward with the next phases of development. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to introducing more diverse and innovative offerings in the future to create a destination for the many."
Additionally, alongside the mixed-used commercial elements, Klippa's master plan development also includes components comprising residential units, with plans for approximately 4,000 to 4,500 units to be developed. The total development is expected to be completed over a period of 6 to 9 years. The Gross Development Value for the mixed-use components is projected to be between approximately RM2 to RM2.5 billion.
Klippa Shopping Centre invites the public to join the celebration of this significant milestone and looks forward to unveiling more exciting developments soon. Stay connected with us at @klippashoppingcentre on Instagram and be on the lookout for our expansion plans into other Southeast Asian countries throughout 2024, as we continue to strengthen our growing portfolio.
About Ikano Centres
Our portfolio of shopping centres is the heart and hubs of our communities, creating a better everyday life for the 100 million visitors who visit us every year. Together with our IKEA stores, we create meeting places for friends and families to have a safe and fun day out. We also develop land and invest in residential, office and other types of real estate to create vibrant destinations where people can live, work and play. With strong ambitions to grow our portfolio, we currently operate five meeting places in Malaysia and Thailand including IPC and MyTOWN in Kuala Lumpur, Toppen in Johor Bahru, Klippa, the first phase of our shopping centre in Penang, and Megabangna in Bangkok. We are part of Ikano Retail, the only IKEA franchisee in the world owned by the Kamprad family that founded IKEA. To learn more, visit our Ikano Centres WEBSITE or LINKEDIN page.
