For shoppers and tourists, the opening of Hysan Place yesterday meant a new spot to relax, but for Hysan Development it marked a big step forward in its goal to create a new shopping hub in the city's busiest commercial area.
As Causeway Bay's biggest landlord, Hysan was busy formulating a series of shopping and parking promotions to connect Hysan Place, Lee Gardens and Lee Theatre Plaza into a hub, a company spokeswoman said. The hub would join existing shopping centres Sogo and Times Square.
'Each of the three areas is distinct - Lee Gardens focuses on high-end goods; Lee Theatre, One Hysan Avenue and the Leighton Centre are chic and stylish - while Hysan Place is a mixture of everything, with new lifestyle, dining and cultural brands,' said assistant manager of communications Alice Lo.
Renovation work at the Lee Theatre Plaza, which is due to be completed by the middle of next year, will complete the hub.
Thomas Lau Luen-hung - the managing director of Lifestyle International Holdings, Sogo's owner - said the company would rise to the challenge of competition by launching a sales and promotional campaign.
He said he was not worried the new Hysan mall would lure customers away, as it should bring more traffic to the district and 'create a larger cake for everyone'.