KUALA LUMPUR (April 18): Aeon Co (M) Bhd is looking to strengthen and expand its presence to East Malaysia with its first Aeon mall in Kuching, Sarawak.

Aeon Mall Kuching Central, which will be open to the public on April 20, is located within 25 minutes from Kuching.

With the launch of the mall, the group will have a total of 27 Aeon malls and 35 Aeon stores nationwide.

In a statement today, Aeon said the new mall has over 1.6 million square feet of gross built-up area, housing more than 130 retail lots spread across three floors. In addition, the mall also comes with 1,800 car park bays spread over five floors of parking.

The first Aeon store in East Malaysia offers shopping experience with a wide variety of products and services such as its food and beverages (F&B) selections and Topvalu — Aeon's flagship private brand which consists of Japanese fashion, home appliances, household furnishing, groceries and garments.

"We are excited to finally cement our presence in East Malaysia. Our latest store in Kuching will bring forth a completely new shopping experience not only for the Kuching community, but also for our East Malaysian friends in general," Aeon managing director Shinobu Washizawa said.

He added that with three floors boasting different attractions, the mall is dedicated to being a one-stop destination to help shoppers find excitement with their mall offering — from grocery to fashion, lifestyle, F&B, and others.

"We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the local authorities and communities who have been very supportive throughout the pre-planning and construction phase of Aeon Mall Kuching Central. At Aeon, we are always mindful of our basic philosophy, which always emphasises on peace, people and community," he said.

From April 17 to 19, Aeon members are given the opportunity to shop and enjoy special discounts for products and services in Aeon supermarket and department stores before its official opening.

The launch of Aeon Mall Kuching Central will be officiated by Ministry of Domestic Trade Co-operatives and Consumerism Deputy Minister Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Aeon chairman Datuk Iskandar Sarudin, Washizawa, Aeon executive directors Poh Ying Loo and Hiroyuki Kotera, and representatives from the local community.

At the launch, the Malaysian Aeon Foundation will make a contribution of RM30,000 each to four charity homes — Lembaga Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim, The Sarawak Cheshire Homes, Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Pendidikan Nur Murni and Rumah Seri Kenangan Kuching.

At 11.33am, Aeon's share price rose to 1 sen or 0.5% to RM2.01 with a market capitalisation of RM2.84 billion.