1 Utama launches RM1m retail stimulus package

PETALING JAYA (March 16): 1 Utama Shopping Centre has launched a RM1 million Retail Stimulus Package last Friday, its next marketing initiative to continually boost and stimulate shoppers spending in the mall.

The first phase of the package will cover a series of weekly promotions in the form of tenant vouchers and cashback via their ONECARD loyalty programme fully funded by 1 Utama. These rewards will be channelled to shoppers to entice them to spend from March 13 to April 26.

1 Utama and Bandar Utama City Centre director Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok (pictured) said that with every post-festive period (especially when Christmas and Chinese New Year was back to back this year), there is an acknowledged low season, which is a normal cyclical trend for all shopping malls and retailers.

“On this note, 1 Utama is taking immediate action to address this. We are prepared to push sales and increase footfall for the mall in the coming months to drive sales and benefit both tenants and shoppers in 1 Utama.

“By forecasting results of a similar mall-wide campaign back in 2019, we target that our new Retail Stimulus Package will achieve a multiplier effect to increase sales by 45% for ONECARD retail transactions,” said Teo in his statement.

To date, 1 Utama has approximately 500,000 ONEACRD members and is the first Malaysian shopping mall to develop its own retail E-wallet called 1PAY and E-commerce platform (ONESHOP.com.my) to drive the nation’s digital economy and digitalise cashless shopping.

Meanwhile, Teo added that in view of COVID-19, so far its impact on 1 Utama is not discernable as the mall does not rely on foreign tourists to make up foot traffic.

“Our shoppers are regular locals with a large number of office workers who patronise the mall daily so we still continue to attract a fairly strong crowd,” Teo noted.

However, Teo explained that since the start of the outbreak globally, 1 Utama has been committed to staying vigilant in constantly monitoring COVID-19 developments with a sense of urgency.

Among them are

a) maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene through increased frequency of thorough cleaning for the entire mall using hospital grade sanitisers and disinfectants, increasing the number of complimentary hand sanitising stations at Customer Service Centres, baby rooms and at various washroom and lift service points;

b) providing a clean air-conditioning environment through a comprehensive air treatment and filtration system;

c) UV lights being installed inside AHU’s (air handling units) to kill harmful microbes, bacteria and viruses; and

d) And screening all mall employees, suppliers, vendors and contractors at points of entrances and loading/delivery bays by conducting temperature checks and providing immediate medical assistance to anyone who is not feeling well.