Filipino mall developer and operator SM Prime has opened SM City Chongqing in Southwest China – its fifth mall in the country.

The new mall in the Yubei District, has a gross floor area of 149,080 sqm, 85 per cent of which has already been leased to tenants including Vanguard supermarket, SM department store, Wanda cinema, Vero Moda, Only, Jack & Jones, Starbucks, Watsons, and Kidswant.

The five storey mall has an immediate catchment of approximately 30 million. Its exterior design features fish scale panels accentuated by lighting while the interior has slanted glass panels that define lobbies helping create a ‘grand entrance’ ambiance.

“We believe Chongqing is a significant market given the city’s huge population and its attractive growth prospects,” said SM Prime president Hans Sy.

“As we learn more about the market and gain acceptance in China, we intend to penetrate other cities that show promising economic progress,” added Sy.

The company says it will open sixth and seventh malls in Zibo and Tianjin in 2014.

SM City Chongqing is the sixth mall opened by SM Prime this year, after SM City Olongapo in Zambales, SM City Consolacion in Cebu, SM City San Fernando in Pampanga, SM City General Santos in South Cotabato and SM Lanang Premier in Davao in the Philippines.

The new mall has taken SM’s total network to 51 in the Philippines and China.

SM’s other malls in China are SM City Xiamen, SM City Jinjiang, SM City Chengdu, and SM City Suzhou.

GB