Aeon Thailand opens first mall in 18 years

Aeon Thailand has resumed its property development program – suspended in 1997 – opening a new shopping centre in Sriracha, Chonburi.

The Japanese property developer and retailer has extensive interests across Thailand and has continued to expand its MaxValu hybrid supermarket-convenience store concept. But this is its first mall property in 18 years.

The 7000 sqm, three-storey Aeon Sriracha shopping centre opened its doors on Wednesday, with a formal grand opening ceremony planned for October 21. It is anchored by a 24-hour MaxValu and features about 20 restaurants and specialty stores as well.

The Sriracha complex has a catchment area of about 78,000 people, including a growing number of Japanese expats managing manufacturing facilities in the region, located on the coast about 90 minutes’ drive from Bangkok.

“Major frequent customers will be Japanese housewives who have free time to shop and dine at our shopping centre,” an Aeon spokesman told the Bangkok Post. “They like shopping in a Japanese ambience.”

Aeon is opening new shopping malls in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia as part of a concerted focus on Asean as it looks to ways to maintain growth no longer possible in the mature Japan home market.