A shopping mall operator yesterday vowed to tap the hidden consumption power of eastern Kowloon by adopting extended shopping hours.
APM, a new shopping mall in Kwun Tong managed by Sun Hung Kai, began nearly around-the-clock operations yesterday, seven weeks after it opened.
Shops will operate from 11am to midnight, restaurants will stay open until 2am, and entertainment outlets such as karaoke until 6am. The new hours will run on a trial basis for seven weeks.
The Kwun Tong community represents a big opportunity for retailers, said Maureen Fung Sau-yim, a deputy general at Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency.
Many retailers report that their branches in the new Kwun Tong mall have the highest sales figures of any in the city - even compared to major shopping areas such as Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay, she said.
'But no one has explored this area,' she said. 'There aren't enough shops in this district. People had to travel to Kowloon Bay, Mongkok, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui.'