Taubman Asia Brings Home ICSC Marketing Prize for Zhengzhou Mall

The Asian arm of US mall operator Taubman Centers has won recognition for the launch of its second Chinese shopping centre, which drew on everything from magic shows to partnerships with mobile ride-sharing platforms to lure shoppers to the new property in Zhengzhou.

Taubman Asia won a Gold Award for marketing at the 2017 ICSC Asia Pacific Shopping Center Awards in Bangkok for the opening campaign for its CityOn.Zhengzhou mall in northern China.

Taubman Asia Rolls Out Second China Mall

The marketing drive for the 1 million square foot (92,903 square metre) property included themed promotional events, online and offline member recruitment drives, and partnerships with ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing and bike-sharing platform Ofo, to draw crowds to the new mall in the capital of Henan province.

“Receiving this recognition is a great encouragement and motivation, and we will continue our efforts in setting new standards for retail experiences for the people of China,” commented Peter Sharp, president of Taubman Asia in a statement.

The six-level retail property in the centre of Zhengzhou’s Zhengdong New District features a mix of up to 200 mid- to high-end domestic and international brands, anchored by a four-level Wangfujing department store. The mall is owned and managed by a joint venture between Taubman Asia and Beijing-based Wangfujing Group, one of the country’s biggest department store chains.

Taubman Asia also partnered with Wangfujing on its first mainland project, CityOn.Xi’an, which opened in April 2016 in the northwestern city of Xi’an. The 975,000 square foot (90,600 square metre) shopping centre is part of a mixed-use development that also features office towers, apartments, and two international hotels.

US Retailer Operator Builds an Asian Presence

The subsidiary of the NYSE-listed mall operator has also teamed up with South Korean retailer Shinsegae Group to develop a shopping centre in the city of Hanam, Gyeonggi province, and is providing leasing and management services for the retail portion of Studio City, an entertainment and gaming resort in Macao.

Taubman says it has recently been reviewing the development of the SKYCITY Hong Kong Airport shopping mall project and the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) in partnership with Hong Kong and international firms.

“From our Hong Kong regional base, we are well-positioned to grow our business in Asia and deliver high quality shopping malls and extraordinary shopping experience to shoppers of this region,” Sharp noted.

The ICSC has over 70,000 members in more than 100 countries as the leading global trade association for the shopping center industry. The association reviewed thousands of projects across the Asia Pacific region for this year’s awards.