Toppen Centre in Johor Bahru sets opening date

Toppen Centre in Johor Bahru – the giant 1.1 million sqft shopping mall attached to the city’s Ikea store – will open in November.

Ikea Southeast Asia, which is developing the centre, this week previewed upcoming tenants for the new mall during a key-handover ceremony. Almost 85 per cent of the development’s retail space has now been leased out.

Arnoud Bakker, Head of Leasing, Southeast Asia of Ikano Centres, part of IKEA Southeast Asia highlighted the ‘retaintainment’ concept to provide a shopping experience that fit the lifestyle of today’s consumers.

The tenant portfolio already confirmed at Toppen include are new-to-Johor brands such as Ben’s Independent Grocer, The Pantheon, which will be debuting its second eSports arena in Malaysia, 9 to 9, a first-in-Malaysia flagship online-to-offline (O2O) by Hush Puppies, and Concept Haus, a premium streetwear and athleisure retailer. They will join brands including TGV Cinemas, Harvey Norman, Sports Direct, Burger King, Marrybrown, and local concepts including 7 Oaks.

Christian Olofsson, Shopping Centre and Mixed Use Director of IKEA Southeast Asia shared how Toppen Shopping Centre will be a new retail landmark in South Malaysia

“We are committed to creating market-relevant shopping experiences that fit our consumers’ lifestyles,” said Arnoud Bakker, head of leasing, Southeast Asia, at Ikano Centres, part of Ikea Southeast Asia. “We do this by consistently identifying opportunities to improve the customer journey with new and in-demand tenants that reflect a well-curated mix of retail, dining and entertainment concepts.

“Co-creation is something that we strongly believe in, not only for external relationships but for the mall space as well. It allows each tenant to work together and create a cohesive experience for the customers while remaining diverse in shopping selections.”

The eight tenants present at the Toppen’s first key handover event. (From Left to Right) Michael Liew, Business Director of Marrybrown; Yeoh Oon Lai, CEO of TGV Cinemas; Dato Chen Yeon Hao, Director of 7 Oaks; Chew Soo San, Managing Director of 9 to 9, Christian Olofsson, Shopping Centre and Mixed Use Director of IKEA Southeast Asia; Brian Lim, Founder and Project Director of Concept Haus; Arnoud Bakker, Head of Leasing, Southeast Asia of Ikano Centres, part of IKEA Southeast Asia; Franky How, Managing Director of The Pantheon Group; Wendy Tan, Area Manager of Sports Direct; and Ng Lee Tieng, CEO of Burger King Malaysia.

The four-storey Toppen Centre in Johor Bahru will feature a rooftop community hub called The Topp, and a myriad of fresh retail, dining, e-sports and entertainment experiences. It is being billed as “a complete ‘retailtainment’ offer for the people of Southern Malaysia”.

“We are passionate and driven to develop meeting places that become the heart and the hub of the surrounding communities,” said Christian Olofsson, shopping centre & mixed use director of Ikea Southeast Asia.

“With the community at the very heart of our strategy, we are confident that Toppen together with Ikea Tebrau will be a new retail landmark in South Malaysia, a true meeting place where customers and businesses alike can flourish and grow.”

The Topp features four distinct zones tailored for shoppers from all walks of life. These interactive outdoor spaces will be complemented by more than 30 food-and-beverage operators and alfresco outlets, a rooftop garden, multipurpose courts, skate parks, an event piazza, kids’ playgrounds, a cinema, e-sports arena and a water-play area.

The Toppen Centre in Johor Bahru is expected to attract 15 million visitors next year, drawn from Johor and its neighbouring states as well as Singapore, just across the causeway.

Featured image: Slated to open in November 2019, Toppen Shopping Centre is now close to 85% of its retail space being leased out.

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