Malls in Malaysia decked out for the festive season as COVID-19 curbs ease, crowds return

KUALA LUMPUR: With acquainted Christmas pop tunes and carols taking part in within the background, masked buyers lined as much as take selfies in entrance of the themed decorations on the primary concourse space of 1 Utama Purchasing centre, a well-liked mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

Themed “Christmas Is Gnoming”, the mall is adorned to appear to be a Christmas village with treehouses and cottages within the form of mushroom and pumpkin, the place 24 gnomes reside. 

“The concept was that we wished to do one thing that had a hyperlink to the troubles we’ve got overcome all through this yr, and gnomes in Western folklore, as useful and fortunate beings, was one thing we felt was fairly becoming,” 1 Utama’s visible merchandising supervisor Jefreey Jaafar stated. 

With a worldwide well being disaster halting enterprise and journey, this has been a very difficult yr for these within the retail trade. 

READ: Regardless of a 6-month mortgage moratorium, Malaysia’s SMEs fret over money circulation and uncertainty

A lockdown imposed earlier in Malaysia noticed purchasing malls – normally bustling with households and mates spending leisurely time collectively – go dim and quiet. From Mar 18 to Could 4, all non-essential retailers stopped working, apart from supermarkets and meals and beverage companies. 

Whereas retailers have been later allowed to function with strict commonplace working procedures (SOPs) in place, subsequent detection of COVID-19 instances in malls have stored most buyers at bay. 

1 Utama, for example, grew to become a cluster after a safety guard examined constructive. This resulted within the mall being shut for per week in October to deep clear and check round 6,000 staff, tenants and buyers. 

A number of festivals, equivalent to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali and the Mooncake Pageant, got here and went because the crowds stayed away. 

After which some excellent news got here. On Dec 7, the Malaysian authorities lifted normal inter-state and inter-district journey restrictions imposed to rein within the third wave of infections, simply in time for the Christmas and New 12 months festivities. 

READ: Putrajaya says 2 per household can go away house for important journey, as COVID-19 restrictions start to ease

Malls within the Klang Valley and past at the moment are decked out of their Christmas finest, bringing again the cheerful festive temper that has been lacking for a lot of this yr. 

Nonetheless, the decorations have been spaced out to make sure bodily distancing, whereas there might be no performances and Santa Claus appearances to stop crowds from gathering. 

Contractors employed to brighten the department stores informed CNA they have been relieved to have the roles simply earlier than the yr ends, whereas malls stated they’ve seen an encouraging hike within the variety of buyers after months of gradual enterprise, with folks unable to journey internationally. 

FOOT TRAFFIC AND SALES NORMALISING

For Sunway Malls and Theme Parks, foot site visitors and gross sales had normalised between 50 per cent and 60 per cent because the first weekend of December, stated its CEO HC Chan.

Though he hoped to see a V-shaped restoration on this last quarter of 2020, he additionally anticipated restoration to be gradual and gradual within the first half of 2021, because the COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, and for restoration to succeed in 90 per cent of normalcy within the second half.

For the festive season, Mr Chan stated the department stores underneath his firm have chosen a theme associated to overcoming the troubles of 2020. Sunway Malls and Theme Parks runs seven places in three states in West Malaysia. 

The theme of “Blessed Christmas” targeted on life’s positives, from nationwide solidarity to neighborhood and familial closeness in battling the hardships introduced on by COVID-19.

“Albeit a difficult yr for all, it’s equally an inspiring yr of selfless acts and braveness by peculiar Malaysians. 

“The principal distinction is that Christmas this yr is far more introspective versus earlier years of extrospective, it’s about giving thanks and counting our blessings,” Mr Chan stated.

According to the spirit of giving, Sunway Malls is internet hosting blood donation drives at its places, with a goal of 5,000 donors by the tip of 2020. 

Sunway stated its mall ornament budgets have been scaled down because of the have to adjust to the brand new COVID-19 protocols, quite than simply monetary considerations alone.

At Sunway Velocity Mall in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, stalls have been unfold out, and the theme stored near the normal North Pole motifs with Santa Claus and elves. 

“Decorations are put up with ample bodily distancing in thoughts, therefore there’s a have to de-concentrate for security causes,” stated Mr Chan, and the budgetary surplus was as an alternative channelled in direction of company social duty efforts to assist affected communities.

1 Utama’s senior supervisor for promoting and promotions Chai Ai Ping additionally stated that the mall has seen a 70 per cent restoration in foot site visitors this month, contemplating its gradual numbers within the two earlier months because of the COVID-19 cluster. 

​​​​​​​

READ: Area of interest bookstores in Malaysia are holding their very own, whilst COVID-19 hurts companies

For Christmas, 1 Utama’s concept was to have decorations as lavish as earlier than. 

“We determined we’re not going to chop on something for the festive season,” stated Ms Chai.

“The best way we see it, it’s that we have to draw folks to come back to the mall, it’s our approach to assist the tenants to attract clients in, after all of the troubles we’ve got been by way of,” she stated.

All in all, 1 Utama laid out about RM2 million (US$496,000) for each decorations and a bunch of items and redemptions for buyers, Ms Chai stated.

WELCOME RELIEF FOR DESIGNERS, DECORATORS

The choice to proceed with decorations this festive season additionally means as a minimum, the designers and interior designers who missed out on earlier 2020 festivals because of the lockdowns, acquired a lift when it comes to cash-flow for what has been a largely disappointing yr.

In Penang, Mr Teh Po Cai, one of many administrators for Penang-based Visible Artwork Deco Sdn Bhd, stated successful the contract to construct the season’s decorations for the Sunway Carnival Mall in Seberang Jaya was a welcome reduction.

“No less than we’ve got some enterprise, and a few money circulation going into subsequent yr. The funds was lower than final yr, however that’s comprehensible as a result of this yr’s financial state of affairs has been dangerous.

“However we nonetheless acquired orders for giant constructions and all, as a result of malls want good decorations to attract the crowds, which suggests enterprise for them and their tenants, and this helps us in flip too,” Mr Teh famous.

Within the Klang Valley, Ms Jane Yin, advertising director for JNR Artistic Design, who was accountable for fabricating the gnomish constructions in 1 Utama’s concourse, stated when the Mar 18 motion management order was introduced, the sensation was all doom and gloom.

“That was initially. However after that you simply nonetheless should go on, so that you combat in your creativity and pricing, so perhaps beforehand we labored with a number of malls, subsequent yr we’ll strive for extra initiatives,” stated Ms Yin.

Organising the completely different constructions and 14-feet reindeer sculptures on the mall’s primary entrance was carried out up in 10 days.

Mr John Teo, spokesperson for three Level Eight Artwork & Artistic, which was contracted for Sunway Velocity’s decorations, stated regardless of the decrease ornament budgets, 2020 has been extra about survival than revenue.

“So long as we are able to try this, it’s already good,” Mr Teo stated.

And like the opposite contractors, fabrication work is already underway for Chinese language New 12 months.

“Christmas usually takes 6 months as a result of it’s extra advanced. Detailing, from design until completion, is essential for job, and on the finish of it, our decorations ought to evoke emotions that heat the guts and soul,” Mr Teo added.

This yr, he added, the decorations are extra for “viewing”, not like earlier yr when guests may each view and work together, as malls’ administration needed to minimise touching for security and hygiene.

“Decor can also be extra open, so the entire design pondering has to vary and match with this new regular, however what we attempt to do is to carry out the constructive, festive emotions by way of ornament regardless of this challenges,” Mr Teo stated.

One in every of Mr Teo’s favorite elements for his work at Sunway Velocity is the almost 10 metre-tall Christmas Tree.

“We additionally crafted 5 phrases – Hope, Pleasure, Want, Happiness and Well being, to ship blessings to everybody over a really robust 2020,” he stated.

READ: Extra Malaysians now allowed to faucet on retirement funds, withdrawal ceiling raised to RM10,000

For the contractors and mall operators, that is additionally a time to be wanting ahead to the subsequent huge pageant – Chinese language New 12 months.

“Really, at this level in December, we’re considerably late already.

“Take Chinese language New 12 months for example, the decorations are already designed and fabricated approach forward of the promotion season, as a result of malls have a really quick, very quick turnaround time for us to repair up the decor,” Visible Artwork Deco’s Mr Teh stated.

For three Level 8’s Mr Teo, every pageant is one thing to stay up for.

“We see ourselves not simply as designers and fabricators, but additionally guardians of cultures.”

“We’re fortunate as a result of we reside in a multi-cultural society, each pageant is essential for us as a result of they inform a unique story, and we really feel we’ve got the duty to proceed telling these multi-cultural tales, in any other case it would disappear,” Mr Teo stated.