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Even before its official 'grand opening' later this year, the gigantic MegaBox mall in Kowloon Bay has become a new Hong Kong shopping and entertainment landmark.

How has it made such an instant mark despite being a 10-minute walk from the MTR and in a factory and warehouse district?

'The key to attracting shoppers from established malls has been thinking out-of-the-box and big, with both shopping and entertainment,' said Czarina Man,  general manager for marketing for MegaBox Development, the subsidiary of Kerry Properties which developed the new mall.

Embracing 1.1 million sq ft of retail space and developed at a cost of HK$2 billion, MegaBox is by far the largest mall in Hong Kong. It is also billed as the first 'vertical mall' - spread over 19 floors beneath two office towers at Enterprise Square 5.

With rents more affordable than in established shopping districts, it is introducing to malls a new concept of 'Big Box' tenants that require large outlets to showcase their wares.

About 60 per cent of MegaBox is taken up by tenants occupying more than 10,000 sq ft. The single largest is B&Q, Britain's leading home improvement retailer, showcasing 25,000 products over 120,000 sq ft and employing more than 200 staff.

CEO Steve Gilman said: 'We not only hope to introduce our products, but also to bring in a new concept of DIY home improvement to the Hong Kong market.'

Another notable new arrival to Hong Kong is Spotlight, the Australian chain of fabric, craft and home interiors superstores, with 40,000 sq ft and 120 employees.

MegaKids is Hong Kong's 'first energetic, family-friendly kids zone' showcasing more than 20 internationally renowned children's wear brands.

'Popular@MegaBox' is a 20,000 sq ft one-stop concept store for books, stationery, music and audio-visual and multimedia products, billed as 'the perfect place for parents and children to enjoy quality time together'.

'Stores of this size are very unusual in Hong Kong and deliver a totally new shopping experience,' said Ms Man.

According to the firm's market research, the public is hungry for new-to-Hong Kong international brands.

'Our surveys found people felt most malls were very similar, with limited brands,' she said. 'They are also looking for more entertainment and food and beverage outlets.'

Responding to the demand are more than 30 dining outlets at MegaBox, while entertainment options include Hong Kong's largest ice-rink. Another entertainment 'first' is at the HK$40 million UA MegaBox, which houses seven state-of-the-art cinemas, comfortably equipped with more than 1,000 high-backed and roomy reclining seats.

The multiplex also includes Hong Kong's first commercial IMAX theatre, described by company co-chairman Bradley Wechsler as 'simply the most powerful and involving cinematic experience in the world'.

With a location somewhat 'off-the-beaten-track', about 400 metres from the Kowloon Bay MTR,  MegaBox clearly had to resolve basic transport issues for its market.

One way of doing this is by providing parking for 1,000 cars.

Another is a free shuttle-bus from the MTR, running every three or four minutes from 9am to midnight. 'But surprisingly, a lot of people like to walk,' said Ms Man. 'This is why we have applied to the government to build a covered footbridge walkway, which will be built as soon as possible once all the application procedures are completed.'

In the longer term, Kerry Properties  has been talking about co-operating with the MTR Corporation to build an elevated light rail system linking the district.

Inside the mall itself, express escalators and elevators connect the four major zones,  and atriums allow natural light to flood into the building and open scenic vistas across Kowloon and Hong Kong.

To initially attract shoppers away from their traditional browsing grounds, MegaBox organised a host of performances and attractions for its 'soft opening' in early June, from Cantopop star Joey Yung Cho-yee to a Harry Potter costume exhibition.

On the first three opening days, more than 10,000 'Red Hot Gift Packs' of souvenirs, gifts and cash coupons were given away to shoppers dressing in red, or wearing red accessories.

'We will continue with a calendar of events changing almost every week,' said Ms Man. 'We have been working very hard to source a unique and attractive programme.'

These are still early days for MegaBox and Kowloon Bay. A date for the official opening has not even been fixed yet. 'We are still waiting for all the stores to come online and open,' said Ms Man. 'But so far shopper traffic is living up to our expectations. The ice-rink is already very successful.

'With the government's plans for the redevelopment of Kai Tak, MegaBox is helping to brand this area as an important new metropolitan district.

'East Kowloon is undergoing dramatic change with a lot of new office and commercial developments. The district is becoming a very famous hot-spot and MegaBox is well positioned to benefit from that.'

Kerry Properties is part of Kerry Group, the largest shareholder in the SCMP Group, which publishes the South China Morning Post.



MegaBox set to become a mega hit