At this point, everyone in the Klang Valley will agree with us that there are way too many malls – and not all have the privilege of successfully drawing in a crowd. But perhaps, the key to reviving a dead mall lies in the stores.
Twitter user @/brgsjks first started the discourse when he posted, “The way to revive a dead mall: 1. Put a Suki-ya. 2. 1.” with a photo of a Suki-ya branch with a sizable crowd of people queuing to enter the restaurant. The tweet referenced the recent hype about the shabu-shabu restaurant that got many people queuing for hours just for a taste. The suggestion had many netizens in agreement, even hoping for their neighbourhood mall to take note.
The tweet then got more netizens to share what stores they think can help bring more business to an empty mall. The suggestion was any fast food restaurant, with the best option being a McDonald’s. One user shared an example using 1 Shamelin Mall, where an outlet of the fast food joint recently opened, bringing a significant crowd.
Another commonly suggested store was Family Mart, the Japanese convenience store. One netizen from Kuantan attested to this, saying that the three Family Mart branches in the city are always packed, even at midnight. Bookstores could also do well because one netizen said she would travel the distance to check out a good bookstore.
Users also recommend opening thrift stores like Jalan-Jalan Japan or 2nd Street because they are popular with young shoppers. Hardware and home essential stores like MR DIY and Eco-Shop also do well in drawing in crowds as they are well-established brands.
However, not all these stores are guaranteed to draw in more patrons. Some netizens did note that even with a Suki-ya or MR DIY, malls like Klang Parade cannot be saved – but what do you think about these suggestions? Could they potentially work?
Source: Twitter
Adleena contributed to this article.
