KUCHING: Sarawak’s very first supermarket to run for 24 hours daily has begun operating with Emart One Stop Shopping Mall’s (Emart) supermarket in Batu Kawa ready to serve Kuching’s shoppers.
According to Emart Group of Companies’ managing director Ngu Ting Sii, the opening of Emart Batu Kawa’s supermarket marks the entrance of a new type of supermarket in Kuching.
He said Emart aims to build a new shopping environment for Kuching in its bid to make shopping experience more convenient for consumers here by being a one-stop centre which provides everything under one roof, sold at reasonable and bargaining prices.
“Our vision for our staff, retailers and supermarket to have the same direction which is to give the best product and the best services to consumers,” Ngu told The Borneo Post yesterday.
In conjunction with the opening of the supermarket, Emart Batu Kawa is holding a one-month fair starting from today until end-September for businesses interested in being a tenant at the mall.
Group general manager Ling Tien Beng said, the fair; deemed ‘Emart Merdeka Fair’, is a collaborative effort, organised with Embun Kiara Sdn Bhd (Embun Kiara) to support local entrepreneurs and enterprises in building their businesses.
He further said participating businesses of the fair will get the chance to temporarily set up their businesses in Emart Batu Kawa as they do not have to pay rental fees during the duration of the fair which runs for a month.
“We’re holding this to provide a start-up platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses. This fair is to help small businesses build up their confidence in setting up a physical business in this area,” said Emart Batu Kawa project manager Trish Lui.
Apart from that, Lui noted that Emart Batu Kawa has 200 retail units. Currently, the occupancy rate is more than 90 per cent, inclusive of short-term tenants for the ‘Emart Merdeka Fair’. Out of this, Lui said, 70 per cent are permanent tenants.
Overall, the Emart Batu Kawa’s ground floor spans across 350,000 square feet of land. The mall also boasts a rooftop car park which houses about 1,000 parking bay.
Lui further explained, phase 2 of Emart Batu Kawa will see the completion of a departmental store located on the first floor (next to the rooftop car park area).
Emart Batu Kawa will also see the development of Sarawak’s biggest bowling centre; equipped with 40 bowling lanes.
Looking ahead, Ngu revealed that three more Emart branches are in the planning in Miri, Bintulu and Sibu. He also noted that currently, there are three Emart branches in Sarawak (two in Kuching, one in Miri).
Emart will hold the soft opening of its operations in Batu Kawa on August 28.
For more information, call 013-8373755 (Lui).