This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on July 17, 2023 - July 23, 2023

The town of Kluang in Johor is famous for its coffee and local cuisine. But it also boasts a shopping centre — ­Kluang Mall — that has enticed international brands like H&M, Uniqlo and Cotton On to open outlets in the second-tier town. This is something that Tenaga Nusantara Sdn Bhd CEO and executive director Tey Fui Kien is proud of. Tenaga Nusantara is the developer and mall manager of Kluang Mall.

For their efforts and keen attention to detail, the mall won Gold in the 10 Years and Above — Non-strata Retail category.

“We are incredibly humbled that we are able to win this award. More so, it is our first attempt … This win is a form of testament and validation of what the team has gone through in the last 15 years; all the hard work they have put in to manage the mall, to make sure we contribute positively, not only to the growth of the mall but most importantly to the growth of the town,” says Tey.

“We are bringing in retailers that maybe in the past would never have considered Kluang. But now with Kluang Mall, they are making their presence in the town and we feel really grateful for this opportunity.

“Another thing I would like to share is, by winning this award, hopefully it will give a different perception of secondary towns. So we hope to bring a positive impact and get more retailers to come to Kluang, [get] more shoppers to visit secondary towns. And it all boils down to the hard work the team has put in through the years,” she adds.

Kluang Mall, the largest shopping centre in central Johor, is the first 100%-owned and purpose-built mall in Kluang. It sits on 6.5 acres of land and features five levels with a net lettable area of 360,468 sq ft. There are 138 retail lots with anchor tenants such as Pacific Hypermarkets and Department Store, GSC, H&M, Uniqlo, Popular Bookstore and Ampang SuperBowl. There are 930 car park bays.

“Right now, we are happy to share that as of May, our occupancy is at 99.5%, which is definitely wonderful. We are also in the midst of planning for some enhancement and upgrading work, and we are constantly looking at how we can improve our tenant mix,” says Tey.

The secret to the team’s success seems to stem from data collected from exit surveys, which helped align the mall’s offerings with the community’s needs.

“The first exit survey was done in 2013, the second one in 2016 and we recently completed the third one this year (in March). We are in the midst of analysing the data, so hopefully in July, we can share [the results] with our targeted retailers and tenants. And it will be interesting to see how things have changed, more so post-Covid … and what happens now, moving forward,” explains Tey.

She shares that they are looking to include more retail categories, including the Muslimah sector and those catering to a younger market. More F&B offerings are also being looked into, she adds.

Effort has also been put into creating a sustainable yet comfortable mall. To reduce energy consumption, LED lights have been installed, reducing its electricity bill substantially by 54%; the parking system is now cashless and ticketless; and, most recently, the air-conditioning system has been upgraded.

“What we did was look at the air conditioner’s chiller operations and we have upgraded it to a system where it is controlled by an automated panel that can regulate the temperature to find a balance between ensuring shopper comfort and reducing utility costs,” Tey explains.

She adds that enhancement work on the mall will be executed in 2024–25. The enhancements will include having more universal design elements that cater to customers of all ages and abilities. “We are still in the midst of planning but we want to make the mall more accessible for people from different walks of life and with different abilities. At the end of the day, the heart of what we do is serving the community. So, how do we create memorable and enjoyable experiences for all the families in Kluang?”

Also in the pipeline is a new interactive space for children and their families. “Preliminary results from the recent Exit Survey 2023, in which 1,499 shoppers were interviewed, reveal that the playground is the most desired new amenity. We are looking at an inclusive play space that offers a variety of physical and sensory experiences aimed at creating memorable moments for children of all ages and abilities. We are in discussions with potential vendors and hope to finalise a design that will be implemented next year. We are targeting up to 4,000 sq ft for this project, subject to planning and authority approval. We hope to open this space in 2024,” says Tey.

Community is important to Tey and the team, hence running the mall is not only to earn revenue but also to serve the people of Kluang. “Ultimately, whatever we do, we need to benefit the community. We truly want to be a mall that blesses the community and we want to continue to have the heart to do what we do, to lead with truth, competence and care. These values are very important to us,” she says.

As the interview draws to a close, Tey expresses thanks to the judges and also to the awards’ evaluation process. She explains that it has helped them see a different perspective on managing the mall.

“We are very thankful for the entire (award) process because it helped us relook at our SOPs. It is like a mini-audit. So these are the things that we have; how do we make it better? What are the areas we can improve on? If not (for the process), we would have just gone on with the status quo.

“So, with the opportunity to submit for this award, we looked at areas to fine-tune or [do] some housekeeping, and [it] continues to motivate us to do better,” she says.

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