CapitaLand to manage two more malls in China

Two new CapitaLand Retail-managed malls will be opening in China.

CapitaLand Retail CEO Wilson Tan says the firm has signed 10 such agreements in China since announcing in August 2016 its intention to expand its existing retail footprint via management deals.

CapitaLand China’s new contract in Guangzhou will see the firm managing The Grand City in a Wanbo CBD-based project owned by Guangzhou Wan Shun Investment Management Co. Ltd. CapitaLand itself already owns two properties in the Guangzhou area, including CapitaMall SKY+ and also CapitaMall Rock Square, which it acquired last January. The three malls now constitute part of CapitaLand’s southern Chinese retail network that includes five malls comprising a GFA of 3.6 million sq ft.

In Chengdu, CapitaLand China will manage an open-lane, low-rise mall located in the commercial and cultural district of Qingyang. The property is under the ownership of Chengdu Lide Commercial Industrial Co. Ltd. It is CapitaLand’s second managed mall in the city out of seven CapitaLand projects.

The firm owns and manages a total of 11 malls, covering 11.3 million sq ft in retail GFA, across the Chinese west.

“With these new contracts, CapitaLand will further strengthen our leasing synergies across the portfolio of malls and increase our reach to the high-growth retail markets in Guangzhou and Chengdu,” Tan said.

“Including these two managed malls, 47 of our 51 malls in China are located in first- and second-tier cities. This is in line with our commitment to grow our retail portfolio with a focus on dominant assets located in core cities clusters.”

Tan says CapitaLand remains positive about China’s retail sector, which is experiencing growth both offline and online.

“Our expansion strategy enables CapitaLand to seize growth opportunities with agility while reaping economies of scale. We will continue to identify opportunities to grow our retail operating platform, reinforcing our position as the region’s leading mall operator and complement CapitaLand’s core business of owning and developing shopping malls.”

The two new contracts will be added to the company’s expanding portfolio of projects in the southern port city of Guangzhou and the central provincial capital of Chengdu. CapitaLand plans to open five of its own malls across China with a combined Gross Floor Area (GFA) of around 4.2 million sqft, comprising CapitaMall One in Changsha, CapitaMall Tiangongyuan in Beijing, CapitaMall 180 in Foshan, and CapitaMall LuOne and Alibaba Shanghai Center in Shanghai.