Taiwan's biggest mall Kaohsiung Dream Mall opening soon:
Kaohsiung's new Dream is the nation's biggest
A group of cheerleaders yesterday perform in front of Dream Mall in Kaohsiung to celebrate the trial opening of the biggest shopping mall in Southeast Asia. The shopping mall, featuring a special Hello Kitty-themed ferris wheel, is operated by the Uni-President Group.
PHOTO: HUANG CHIH-YUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
NEW BLOOD: The mall has attracted Japan's Hankyu Department Store and its largest home-furnishing brand, Nitori, both of which are new to Taiwan
By Jackie Lin
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Mar 31, 2007, Page 12
Advertising Hoping to steal some of the limelight from fashion outlet-packed Taipei, the Dream Mall (夢時代購物中心) in Kaohsiung launched its trial operations yesterday, with a mega-sized shopping space and a Hello Kitty-themed Ferris wheel.
The new shopping mall is the nation's largest, with a floor space of 121,000 ping (399,300m2), the sixth-largest in Asia and the 11th largest in the world.
The mall rises nine stories and has three basement levels and has roped in Japan's Hankyu Department Store; Japan's largest lifestyle and home-furnishing brand, Nitori; the UK's Marks & Spencer; and a sub-zero temperature playground introduced from Japan so subtropical Taiwanese can experience a winter wonderland.
All of these retailers will make their Taiwan debut at the Dream Mall.
However, Hankyu Department Store, Marks & Spencer and Nitori will not open their doors for business until May 12, when a grand opening ceremony is scheduled.
Dream Mall president Paul Chang (張國光) said nearly 90 percent of its stores would participate in the trial operations and he expected revenues for the remaining nine months this year to hit NT$9 billion (US$270 million) and NT$12 billion next year.
Chang predicted that the mall, which took an investment of NT$18.5 billion, would break even within three years and start pulling in profits in ten years.
Another much-anticipated feature is the mall's NT$200 million rooftop Ferris wheel, whose 36 carts are painted with Sanrio Co's famous cartoon figures, including Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll Dog and Badtz-Maru penguin.
The firm said it is the only Ferris wheel in Taiwan with a view of the ocean.
Taipei's Miramar Entertainment Park (美麗華百樂園) in Dazhi District also banks on its rooftop 48-cart Ferris wheel, the second-largest in the world after the wheel atop the Hip Five shopping center in Osaka, Japan, as a draw for those curious to get a bird's eye view of the greater Taipei area.
Statistics show that Kaohsiung's department store and shopping mall market is worth about NT$22 billion per annum. Hanshin Department Store takes the lion's share with sales of NT$10 billion a year.
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