kuala lumpur's changing face of retail and leisure in an iorma world
DESCRIPTION
This article was written for the Global Consultancy IORMA (www.iorma.com) and reflects on the changing patterns of retail and leisure in Kuala Lumpur. Along with Paris, Vancouver and London, Kuala Lumpur is one of my favourite cities. Each of these cities has its own character and even if I were dropped blindfolded into the centre of any one of them, there could be no mistaking where you are. My current stay in Kuala Lumpur is the longest continuous time I have ever been outside the UK. I’ve taken the opportunity in my daily routine to try to capture the essence of retail and leisure activities in KL city centre and make a subjective assessment for IORMA on how it compares to the UK and elsewhere.TRANSCRIPT
Kuala Lumpur’s Changing Face of Retail and Leisure
in an IORMA World
See https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwortley/sets/72157644509785385/ for full Image Set
Introduction and Background
Along with Paris, Vancouver and London, Kuala Lumpur is one of my favourite cities. Each of these
cities has its own character and even if I were dropped blindfolded into the centre of any one of
them, there could be no mistaking where you are. My current stay in Kuala Lumpur is the longest
continuous time I have ever been outside the UK. I’ve taken the opportunity in my daily routine to
try to capture the essence of retail and leisure activities in KL city centre and make a subjective
assessment for IORMA on how it compares to the UK and elsewhere. The above map and link to
photos shows my main areas of interest which is by no means comprehensive but gives a snapshot
of what is now and what is likely to be.
The first thing to hit me when I got here this time after being a fairly regular short term visitor over
the last 10 years is the level of construction activities going on at this time. Apart from the skyline
dominated by cranes that seems to be a feature of many Asian cities I have visited, KL is engaged in a
rapid underground transit project similar to the London Crossrail. The whole city centre seems like a
construction site with the whole of the main retail areas affected by roadworks.
KL under construction
For my stay here, I used the airbnb web site for the first time and am staying in an apartment in a 20
storey condominium with 24 hour security and a rooftop swimming pool and gym very near to Bukit
Bintang and the Golden Triangle. If my experience is typical of airbnb, I can’t recommend it highly
enough.
Street life on Jalan Bukit Bintang
My daily life takes me along Jalan Bukit Bitang past all the old shops and street sellers that are
symptomatic of the entrepreneurial culture and street market practices offering all manner of goods
and services not available on any UK High Street I know of.
BB Plaza and Sungei Wang Plaza
Walking along Jalan Bukit Bintang you come to the old established BB Plaza which merges with
Sungei Wang Plaza and is typical of historical retail practices based mainly on micro enterprises with
small units that give the feel of an indoor market on multiple levels but with one major department
store (Parkson) and several familiar names in Asia such as the Guardian and Watsons pharmacy
chains.
Flourishing Mobile Technology Enterprises
The most common type of unit sells mobile phones and other consumer technologies with very keen
prices. I was able to buy a fully functional dual sim android smartphone with 2 cameras for under
£40 and my “pay as you go” call and text charges are minimal compared to the UK.
Low Yat – Malaysia’s Largest IT Mall
Just a few metres from BB Plaza is the vibrant Low Yat IT Mall with several floors filled with small
units selling mobiles, laptops and every manner of digital device along with repair services and like
Jalan Bukit Bintang, you run a gauntlet of sales staff desperate to attract your attention.
Berjaya Times Square Mall
Close to Low Yat is Berjaya Times Square, the biggest traditional mall in KL which also includes two
large blocks of offices and a hotel. What differentiates Berjaya Times Square from the other two
malls is the inclusion of substantive leisure facilities which includes the only indoor theme park
complete with massive roller coaster and a multi screen cinema. Despite these extensive facilities,
the main retail attractor in Kuala Lumpur seems to be food outlets which take usual form of massive
food courts or collections of familiar global names like Starbucks, Macdonalds etc.
The Berjaya Times Square Roller Coaster
Selection of Food Courts in Kl City Centre Retail Outlets
Most malls seem to operate from 10 am to 10 pm seven days a week and even on a Sunday evening
at 9pm, the malls are buzzing.
Lot 10 Mall Bukit Bintang
Across the street and Bukit Bintang Monorail station is the Lot 10 Mall which perhaps gives the first
clue to the changing face of retail and leisure in Kuala Lumpur. In this mall you will find the
ubiquitous multi-floor Department store – in this case iSetan alongside more familiar High Street
brands such as H&M. Here you will find very few small “market units” that characterise BB Plaza,
Low Yat, Sungei Wang and Berjaya Times Square.
Parksons and iSetan Department Stores
The Parkson and iSetan department stores that form the backbone or foundation of most of the
malls (Parksons seems to be the dominant player) seem to reflect the age of the malls in that the
stores in the older malls look very dated with heavy discounting and unimaginative merchandising
whilst the newer malls can match John Lewis and other leading modern department stores.
The Modern Pavilion Mall
The first real indication of the direction of retail and leisure in Kuala Lumpur is found in the very
modern Pavilion Mall which along with Suria KLCC under the Petronas Towers is stacked full with
leading global brands and a total absence of the small micro enterprises. In the Pavilion there is an
excellent choice of restaurants to cater for every taste from the massive basement Food Republic to
al fresco dining outside the Pavilion along the new “City Walk”, a covered walkway that can take you
from Bukit Bintang to Suria KLCC.
Suria KLCC Mall under the Famous Petronas Twin Towers
All the malls in KL seem to incorporate a central atrium feature that gives a glimpse of the scale of
the shopping experience.
Berjaya Times Square Atrium
Nu Sentral – the latest development with KL Sentral Station Complex
Away from KL City Centre, the latest retail development is called Nu Sentral which is about to open
in the heart of the city’s commuter transport system at KL Sentral station. Nu Sentral will be
dominated by global brand names but within the KL Sentral station complex and also the central bus
station Pudu Sentral, the small units remain selling snacks, mobile phone services and novelty goods.
KL Sentral Railway Station and Pudu Sentral Bus Station
Little India Retail Scene
Away from the buzz and aspirational lifestyle of the latest malls there are run down areas that seem
similar to me to the ones you find in India and Thailand with many tiny units selling everything under
the sun within the same unit. My impression is that there is likely to be a growing gulf between the
latest modern developments and the old world which tends to cater for the poorer elements in the
community. Street beggars are common everywhere in KL.
Leisure Facilities in KL
Selection of Entertainment Attractions Linked to Retail
Food and Leisure play a big role in bringing consumers into the city and food seems to be the biggest
attraction that brings in families into the large malls.
Jalan Alor Street Food
In the Bukit Bintang area is a very vibrant street scene with a very busy outdoor street food scene in
Jalan Alor which is a “must see” at night.
Changkat Bars and Restaurants
The Changkat area is just a stone’s throw from Jalan Alor and is one of the most popular tourist
haunts for its fantastic selection of bars/restaurants all with large screens showing the latest sports
programmes.
Jalan P Ramlee Bars and Restaurants
The other tourist nightlife area is Jalan P Ramlee which is not far from the Petronas Towers and the
Golden Triangle. Here there is the best live entertainment in KL but the drinks prices are much
higher than the UK, especially after 9pm.
Kuala Lumpur Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park
Very close to the city centre is a beautiful park with many attractions and a great place to get some
fresh air and clear the mind of the city fumes and traffic. I visit the park most days now but it seems
empty during the week.
Conclusions
This is just a snapshot of my experiences over the last 6 weeks spent in KL. It remains one of my
favourite cities and may well become a second home if I can set up a base here. Its retail scene is
undergoing a transformation which seems to be focused on very aspirational lifestyles and the new
developments are targeting those with money.
Aspirational Marketing
The new retail developments are very lively and buzzing but the older “market stall unit” malls also
have a place and it would be a great shame if all the investment in global brand based new
developments marginalised the smaller entrepreneurial traders whose base seems now to be in
question.
David Wortley
GAITSS
May 2014