AEON Mall Indonesia lords over the shopping experience in suburban areas

The fifth AEON mall opening in Deltamas City in March 2024 will be the largest in Southeast Asia.

In an effort to be close to their target market — upper middle-class families, PT AEON Mall Indonesia continues its expansion to select potential locations, all situated in suburban areas, rather than in city centres. The move positions AEON Mall as an integral part of the economic structure of its tucked-away environment.

Since kicking off its operations in 2015, AEON Mall Indonesia now operates four malls in suburban areas of Greater Jakarta or Jabodetabek: AEON Mall BSD in Tangerang, AEON Mall Jakarta Garden City in East Jakarta, AEON Mall Sentul in Bogor, and AEON Mall Tanjung Barat in South Jakarta.

The last one was opened in the midst of the pandemic in 2021, and now AEON Mall has started the process for ts fifth mall, scheduled to open  in March this year — the AEON Mall Deltamas in Cikarang

“Although each AEON mall has a unique identity, we share a common identity of ‘creating the future of life together with the local community,’” AEON Mall Indonesia President Director Takashi Okada told Retail Asia.

“In Indonesia, our goal is to realise global concepts, and to do so, we continue to provide new value to the community and locals, ensuring that each of our malls becomes an essential part for visitors. We believe that the sustainable development we undertake will lead to the growth of the surrounding area,” said the top boss of the Japanese-operated mall.

Family destination

For the benefit of Indonesian families, the retail giant prioritises customer comfort and safety with a simple mall layout design that well incorporates ample parking space and spacious toilets complete with powder rooms and facilities for disabled individuals.

In each of its malls, AEON Mall also meticulously curates a selection of retail outlets, restaurants, and entertainment every three to five years, aiming to make their malls the best destination for visitors.

“We aim to entertain the entire family,” said AEON Mall Indonesia Senior Operations Manager Juanita Rustandi when interviewed by Retail Asia.

This principle is exemplified by features that can entertain children as well as their parents. In this regard, AEON Mall consistently organizes events during major seasons such as Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Christmas and school holidays. One of the  events held by the mall is a badminton competition for children during the school holidays.

AEON Mall Jakarta Garden City, on the other hand, features a Ferris wheel and an ice skating rink. For the AEON Mall Tanjung Barat, a spectrum of choices for retail, entertainment and restaurants appeals to families, students, and young executives in the area.

In addition, Okada revealed that one of AEON’s strengths is the presence of a Sushi and Delicatessen section at the supermarket. It can be said that AEON malls pioneered this provision of fresh and affordable sushi.

 “We are a mall with Japanese roots, celebrating our 9^th year since we opened our first store in Indonesia, namely AEON Mall BSD. AEON Group has a department store operated specifically by one of the companies in our group as a tenant,” said Okada.

 “Although we faced challenges in sourcing merchandise when we first opened, we have now successfully created a special presence in the Sushi and Delicatessen section of the supermarket, which has become one of the strengths of our mall,” he added.

Online adaptation

Counted as another competitive advantage of AEON Mall Indonesia is its ability to adapt to retail trends, specifically the omni-channel that caters enhances the personalised shopping experience.

“Malls must be more than just shopping and dining places; malls must be places where visitors can spend enjoyable time. In this way, malls can survive,” Okada said as he expressed his commitment to continually adapt to changes in people’s preferences, especially with the shift to digital post-COVID-19.

This commitment is demonstrated by AEON Mall’s launching of live streaming events through their official Instagram several times a year. These online events aim to help mall tenants increase their sales.

From Online to Offline innovation, AEON is able to establish a strong campaign in live streaming sales, special promotions, and auctions where winners can collect their prizes at the mall.

AEON Mall Indonesia should also be lauded for designing its own mobile application as a loyalty programme for loyal visitors. The mobile app, with 196,256 users by the end of 2023, also serves as an e-wallet for transactions in AEON Mall's Food Court.

“Moreover, the application also provides rewards for customers with cash shopping, redeemable points for special gifts, and exclusive discounts at AEON Mall tenants. We are committed to providing a smooth and comfortable shopping experience for all our visitors,” Okada said.

Future plans

AEON Mall Indonesia has recorded an average monthly traffic of more than 1 million visitors for AEON BSD, more than 800,000 for AEON Jakarta Garden City and AEON Sentul City, and more than 500,000 for AEON Tanjung Barat. The total number of tenants is approximately 977 across the four malls.

With the anticipated opening of its fifth mall, the AEON Mall Deltamas in Cikarang this year, the retail giant will be strategically located in a new modern integrated township. Covering an area of 200,000 square meters, it will be the largest AEON mall in Southeast Asia.

Speaking of design, the new mall embraces the concept of “Nature, Entertainment, Future, and Japanese Ambience.” Okada said this three-story mall will accommodate 350 local and international tenants, with a vast parking area for 3,500 cars and 4,000 motorcycles.

 “We believe that AEON malls, including AEON Mall Deltamas, will set new standards in the retail sector and provide a shopping environment that prioritises the comfort and safety of our visitors,” he said.