Hong Kong malls test experiential concepts to sustain traffic in battle against e-commerce
Hang Lung Properties provides 9,000 square feet of space to start-up Strokes in Fashion Walk that features Hong Kong’s first indoor mini-golf course set within a restaurant
Hong Kong’s mall operators are going out of their way – from assisting start-ups in effectively executing their plans to offering them vast amounts of space – to accommodate and cultivate tenants that offer experiential consumption opportunities amid changing consumer tastes.
According to Katherine Lo, general manager of leasing and management at Hang Lung Properties, customers nowadays are looking for new and varied experiences when they go shopping.
“We have to keep enhancing our tenant mix, introduce new and upcoming trendy concepts, organise creative and diversified marketing programmes to excite and engage with our customers,” she said.
One tenant benefiting from the Hang Lung’s efforts is Strokes, which claims to be the first restaurant in Hong Kong with a mini-golf course. The 9,000 square feet concept in Fashion Walk on Kingston Street in Causeway Bay also includes a cocktail bar and a multi-purpose room.
Edwin Chan, co-founder of the start-up and formerly an actuary at Bank of England, hopes it can supplement the lack of indoor recreation at convenient locations in Hong Kong, as people have grown bored of karaoke, watching movies and dining only.