Pop-up Hong Kong mall near border with Chinese mainland could open in August

A proposed pop-up shopping centre near the border could open in August now that the project has been approved by the Buildings Department.

Import and export sector lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong told the Post that construction work at the site in San Tin, New Territories is up and running and could be completed in late July.

The mall was meant to draw mainland visitors, but as local retail figures have been declining, Wong hopes that it will attract local shoppers too.

“I wouldn’t do it if I could not figure out a solution,” Wong said. “The rent will be really cheap, just HK$67 to HK$100 per square foot, which is a tenth of what it costs downtown.”

A bus company will run 50 cross-border round trips a day from a major train station in Futian, Shenzhen to the shopping centre, he added, while Hong Kong residents will be able to reach the mall via public buses or minibuses.

The proposed complex, which would run for at least two years, is expected to feature 208 stores selling goods ranging from electronic appliances to apparel. Wong anticipates some 9,000 to 10,000 daily visitors on weekdays and 12,000 on weekends.

The mall had been touted as a way to relieve pressure on the northern New Territories, which in recent years had been facing a massive influx of mainland shoppers and traders buying goods for resale across the border.

But the latest statistics showed Hong Kong’s retail sales fell 12.5 per cent in the first three months of this year, the poorest first-quarter performance since 1999. March retail sales were down 9.8 per cent, the 13th consecutive monthly drop.

During the “golden week” national holiday this month, mainland visitors continued to flock to the city, with numbers increasing by 7.1 per cent, although this was still a notable slowdown compared to last year.

Economist Andy Kwan Cheuk-chiu, director of the ACE Centre for Business and Economic Research, said the San Tin mall was unlikely to do much for the retail and tourism industries.

“It was mainly intended to divert travellers from the shopping districts, so I think its shops for mainland tourists will be busy and crowded,” Kwan said. “But some of its shops need to sell products with local characteristics ... otherwise I wonder if Hong Kong people will go there.”

In December last year, Wong blamed labour shortages and construction problems for the delayed debut of the San Tin shopping centre. Organisers had hoped to launch the outdoor shopping complex – converted from a car park site – by Christmas or January at latest, after it missed the National Day holiday in October.

(SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST)