The document proposes several ideas to enhance Langham Place mall in Hong Kong:
1. Implement a "hands-on" approach where leasing staff work directly with tenants to improve business performance and source new tenants.
2. Develop an animated character, "Lady Nadia", to build emotional connections with patrons and promote a sense of community.
3. Launch a "Langham Label" to promote recommended products and tenants, building perception of superior shopping experience.
4. Organize regular fashion shows and large-scale events to attract patrons and stimulate sales.
5. Leverage mobile technologies and video communication to encourage return purchases from patrons.
6. Empower customer service and safety officers to directly promote tenants and
The document discusses 8 key retail trends to watch for in China in the Year of the Horse. These trends include: 1) the continued rise of e-commerce, with China becoming the biggest e-commerce market; 2) convenience retailers putting pressure on traditional retailers; 3) the growth of digital and mobile banking increasing transactions; 4) local retailers becoming more sophisticated and outperforming international retailers; 5) pressure on manufacturers to increase retail execution to drive growth; 6) the emergence of homegrown luxury brands gaining traction; 7) gamification being used to elicit meaningful consumer data; 8) international brands benefitting from higher perceived food safety standards but facing challenges if issues emerge. The document also provides background on the Chinese New Year.
Nottingham Entrepreneurship Forum 2011 - Pouring PoundsPouringpounds
This document provides practical tips for starting a business, including:
1) Consider the basic function of your product or service and how it meets customer needs. Determine your revenue model and identify potential suppliers and competitors.
2) Choose a domain name that captures your brand. Many common names will be unavailable so it may take time to find the right one.
3) Set up business email accounts using Google Apps for free or pay for a scalable email service from your web host.
4) Select the appropriate legal structure like sole trader, partnership, or limited company based on guidance from Business Link or an accountant.
5) Incorporate your company through an online service or agent and register with
200501 Suppose you are at a large Public Transport Interchangehkgpss
The document discusses opportunities for improving public transport interchanges (PTIs) in Hong Kong. Currently, PTIs lack real-time transport information and coordination, leading to wasted time for passengers. The document proposes a facilities management model where a private company would revamp PTIs, covering operations and earning revenue through advertising. This would improve the passenger experience while reducing costs for the government. The company, Kowloon Motor Bus, is well positioned to become the dominant facilities manager due to its existing transport services.
This document describes a proposed photo matching game called "PaintGain". In the game, a photo is covered by paint that the player can erase to reveal the photo. As more paint is erased, similar photos are injected for the player to choose the correct one from before time runs out. The challenge is to erase paint quickly to reveal more of the photo while still selecting the right photo from the pool. Business opportunities could involve promoting artists' albums or campaigns using their photos in the game.
This document outlines land leasing and development control in Hong Kong. Most land is leased from the government for terms of 50-999 years, with leases disposed of through auction, tender, or private treaty. Development is regulated by ordinances governing buildings, planning, streets, sanitation, and zoning, with applications reviewed and appeals processes available. Land use is controlled for commercial, industrial, residential, open space, and government/community purposes.
The document proposes that a REIT manage all the retail space across the 11 TKO government land sale sites in order to create synergy. It notes that individually, the retail spaces are too small to attract many tenants, but collectively under one management, the "Matrix" could unleash synergies. It suggests incentivizing developers to connect their sites with footbridges by adjusting lease modification premiums such that higher premiums mean SHKP charges lower profit rent. This would create a win-win by allowing footbridge connections if the opportunity arises in the future.
201310 Real Estate Business Management Systemhkgpss
The document outlines a planning master system with 26 layers of information across various development phases including planning, lands, building, sales/leasing, and finance. Each layer contains details, problems, and histories. Access and information rights are assigned based on management level and department. Level A has full access. Levels B and C have access to most layers relevant to their assigned projects. Levels D and E have more restricted access. The system aims to regularly information access for sharing while maintaining confidentiality.
The document discusses 8 key retail trends to watch for in China in the Year of the Horse. These trends include: 1) the continued rise of e-commerce, with China becoming the biggest e-commerce market; 2) convenience retailers putting pressure on traditional retailers; 3) the growth of digital and mobile banking increasing transactions; 4) local retailers becoming more sophisticated and outperforming international retailers; 5) pressure on manufacturers to increase retail execution to drive growth; 6) the emergence of homegrown luxury brands gaining traction; 7) gamification being used to elicit meaningful consumer data; 8) international brands benefitting from higher perceived food safety standards but facing challenges if issues emerge. The document also provides background on the Chinese New Year.
Nottingham Entrepreneurship Forum 2011 - Pouring PoundsPouringpounds
This document provides practical tips for starting a business, including:
1) Consider the basic function of your product or service and how it meets customer needs. Determine your revenue model and identify potential suppliers and competitors.
2) Choose a domain name that captures your brand. Many common names will be unavailable so it may take time to find the right one.
3) Set up business email accounts using Google Apps for free or pay for a scalable email service from your web host.
4) Select the appropriate legal structure like sole trader, partnership, or limited company based on guidance from Business Link or an accountant.
5) Incorporate your company through an online service or agent and register with
200501 Suppose you are at a large Public Transport Interchangehkgpss
The document discusses opportunities for improving public transport interchanges (PTIs) in Hong Kong. Currently, PTIs lack real-time transport information and coordination, leading to wasted time for passengers. The document proposes a facilities management model where a private company would revamp PTIs, covering operations and earning revenue through advertising. This would improve the passenger experience while reducing costs for the government. The company, Kowloon Motor Bus, is well positioned to become the dominant facilities manager due to its existing transport services.
This document describes a proposed photo matching game called "PaintGain". In the game, a photo is covered by paint that the player can erase to reveal the photo. As more paint is erased, similar photos are injected for the player to choose the correct one from before time runs out. The challenge is to erase paint quickly to reveal more of the photo while still selecting the right photo from the pool. Business opportunities could involve promoting artists' albums or campaigns using their photos in the game.
This document outlines land leasing and development control in Hong Kong. Most land is leased from the government for terms of 50-999 years, with leases disposed of through auction, tender, or private treaty. Development is regulated by ordinances governing buildings, planning, streets, sanitation, and zoning, with applications reviewed and appeals processes available. Land use is controlled for commercial, industrial, residential, open space, and government/community purposes.
The document proposes that a REIT manage all the retail space across the 11 TKO government land sale sites in order to create synergy. It notes that individually, the retail spaces are too small to attract many tenants, but collectively under one management, the "Matrix" could unleash synergies. It suggests incentivizing developers to connect their sites with footbridges by adjusting lease modification premiums such that higher premiums mean SHKP charges lower profit rent. This would create a win-win by allowing footbridge connections if the opportunity arises in the future.
201310 Real Estate Business Management Systemhkgpss
The document outlines a planning master system with 26 layers of information across various development phases including planning, lands, building, sales/leasing, and finance. Each layer contains details, problems, and histories. Access and information rights are assigned based on management level and department. Level A has full access. Levels B and C have access to most layers relevant to their assigned projects. Levels D and E have more restricted access. The system aims to regularly information access for sharing while maintaining confidentiality.
Remodista RetailSource Paper - A New Chapter in Customer EngagementRemodista
Imagine a brand as a story told through the many channels that we, as marketing leaders, weave together to make a marketing strategy. Just like a novel from a best-selling author, your story needs to be cohesive. The arc needs to span the chapters, and the characters need to be fully fleshed out. Many marketers attempt to be captivating, relatable storytellers, but it too often feels as if they skipped something important from print to screen, or from store to tablet.
Today’s consumers, no matter where, when, or how they connect with your product, expect stories to be personalized and consistent. Strategizing a marketing approach can be as simple as reconsidering the journey of your main character—the consumer.
Red Bull has done what very few other brands have been able to do successfully - become a media company. If you go to RedBull.com, put your thumb over the logo and scan the page you’ll see that their site looks just like CNN.com. It’s filled with flashy headlines, visual imagery with both videos and photos of epic sporting events. That’s what Red Bull is known for. That’s their brand story.
How to best manage a retail program through the design and rollout phases.
For more white papers and webinars, go to http://www.sldesignlounge.com
Or visit us at http://www.sld.com
1) Urban theorist Jane Jacobs argued that neighborhoods need more than one primary use to succeed. They need people on the streets at different times to provide safety and interaction.
2) The document analyzes Alamanda Shopping Complex based on Jacobs' theory. It finds the complex fulfills her ideas by having diverse facilities that attract different groups at various times, including shops, restaurants, sports, entertainment and offices.
3) By including amenities for different social classes and wealth groups, the complex also aims to bring people from various backgrounds together and foster interaction, as Jacobs advocated.
This document discusses the benefits and considerations for opening an Allocacoc pop-up store. It outlines key reasons such as leveraging an online presence with offline exposure, customer education, and creating a sense of scarcity. Goals of a pop-up include revenue generation, brand exposure, and customer engagement. Other sections cover budgeting, location selection, store types, legal requirements, in-store experience, promotion, follow-up communication, and resources. The overall document provides a comprehensive overview for planning and executing a successful temporary pop-up retail event.
The document summarizes how public libraries in Northamptonshire, England have established Enterprise Hubs to support entrepreneurship in their communities. Some key points:
- Enterprise Hubs located in libraries provide resources, workshops, and one-on-one advising to help people explore business ideas and start their own ventures. Over 650 people have participated and 30 businesses are now operating.
- Libraries are well-suited to host Enterprise Hubs as they have space, resources, and staff with knowledge to support entrepreneurs. Hubs have been expanded to additional library locations.
- Future plans include a business "hatchery" space for entrepreneurs to rent affordable workspaces, and partnering with the British Library to expand
Shaping seamless retail with unique Experience SignaturesFITCH
The search for the elusive seamless retail offer should begin with an understanding of the Physical, Human and Digital (PHD) dynamics of each and every shopping experience.
FITCH believes that retailers and brands need to look beyond ‘just digital’ in order to create a ‘unique experience signature’ to build competitive advantage.
This document provides information about an assignment for an MBA course on Mall Management. It includes details about the semester, subject code, credits, and marks. It also includes 6 questions related to the topic of shopping malls and mall design. Students are instructed to answer all questions, with answers to 10-mark questions being approximately 400 words. The questions cover topics like the definition and features of malls, the historical development of shopping malls, different models of malls, factors for lessees and lessors to consider in agreements, components that influence mall design, and key factors of tenant mix plans. Students are given contact information to submit semester details to receive fully solved assignments.
The document discusses the growth of pop-up retail stores and the opportunity it presents for ABC Real Estate. Pop-up stores allow retailers to test new concepts and products in a low-cost, temporary way. Both retailers and landlords see the benefits of pop-ups. ABC Real Estate proposes launching a pop-up retail real estate services group to broker pop-up deals and become a market leader in this new niche. An initial analysis shows the opportunity for growth and financial gain with limited risks.
The document discusses how the rise of internet shopping and new models of retail distribution require a rethinking of shopping center design. It argues that shopping centers need to become more fluid, flexible spaces that can quickly accommodate changing merchants and products. Specifically, it advocates for highly adaptable building structures and spaces within malls that allow for rapid rearrangement like "plug-and-play shops" in order to cater to varying consumer and business needs over time. Successful future shopping centers will also incorporate more community gathering spaces and integrate retail, entertainment, culture and art.
Coalición will be a lounge and pintxo bar in Seattle offering small Spanish-inspired bites, drinks, and live music. The business aims to create a social atmosphere where customers can enjoy food, drinks, and dancing. It will focus on quality products and good customer service to attract repeat customers. The owner also wants to incorporate a philanthropic element, like donating leftovers or supporting local causes. The business will help fill a gap in the market by providing this unique combination of pintxos, music, and lounge space in an accessible location.
This document provides an analysis of the China HK City (CHKC) shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui and makes recommendations for its revitalization. Some key points:
1) CHKC has high vacancy rates on the lower floors due to its detached location from transportation hubs and fragmented retail development in Tsim Sha Tsui.
2) Existing users like ferry passengers and office workers are not sufficient to support all retail space.
3) Recommendations include transforming the lower ground floor into a "stylish shopping community" for youth focused on a unique shopping experience over specific products. A pub/cafe area and live music are suggested to attract patrons.
The document outlines digital and luxury marketing strategies for Pray watches. It discusses focusing on mobile strategies as most interactions now occur on mobile devices. It emphasizes understanding the customer purchase journey across channels to better target affluent customers. The document also stresses the importance of an omnichannel approach to connect online and in-store experiences. Location-based technologies and apps can help close the gap between digital and physical stores. Luxury brands must create engaging content and experiences across all platforms to connect with new customers.
"Though economic times and emerging technologies are prompting consumers to change their buying behaviour, and smart retailers are responding with innovative in-store offerings."
The document discusses how businesses can better connect with local customers by taking a more localized approach to marketing, similar to how small, independent local stores operate. It provides examples of how hardware stores, outdoor outfitters, and non-profits can deliver locally relevant content, services, and events to specific cities and towns to develop deeper connections with local audiences rather than just temporary campaigns. Taking this localized approach can help any business, both online and offline, become a more valuable resource for customers in their area.
This is an outline of my branding studies, I will be summarizing all the information I learn throughout my studies and researches into small presentations hoping it will make good and easy references for people who are looking to understand and learn more about branding.
In this presentation I will talk about the Brand basics and I will cover the following:
- What is brand?
Stay tuned and engage with me on twitter on: @YazanTamimi
How can publishers do more for their customers? This summary from the 2015 Future book Forum captures the key learnings and activities from the event looking to answer that question. Four opportunities for publishers and printers emerged to help turning declining industry into a booming one.
More Related Content
Similar to 20050226 Letter Proposal for Langham Place
Remodista RetailSource Paper - A New Chapter in Customer EngagementRemodista
Imagine a brand as a story told through the many channels that we, as marketing leaders, weave together to make a marketing strategy. Just like a novel from a best-selling author, your story needs to be cohesive. The arc needs to span the chapters, and the characters need to be fully fleshed out. Many marketers attempt to be captivating, relatable storytellers, but it too often feels as if they skipped something important from print to screen, or from store to tablet.
Today’s consumers, no matter where, when, or how they connect with your product, expect stories to be personalized and consistent. Strategizing a marketing approach can be as simple as reconsidering the journey of your main character—the consumer.
Red Bull has done what very few other brands have been able to do successfully - become a media company. If you go to RedBull.com, put your thumb over the logo and scan the page you’ll see that their site looks just like CNN.com. It’s filled with flashy headlines, visual imagery with both videos and photos of epic sporting events. That’s what Red Bull is known for. That’s their brand story.
How to best manage a retail program through the design and rollout phases.
For more white papers and webinars, go to http://www.sldesignlounge.com
Or visit us at http://www.sld.com
1) Urban theorist Jane Jacobs argued that neighborhoods need more than one primary use to succeed. They need people on the streets at different times to provide safety and interaction.
2) The document analyzes Alamanda Shopping Complex based on Jacobs' theory. It finds the complex fulfills her ideas by having diverse facilities that attract different groups at various times, including shops, restaurants, sports, entertainment and offices.
3) By including amenities for different social classes and wealth groups, the complex also aims to bring people from various backgrounds together and foster interaction, as Jacobs advocated.
This document discusses the benefits and considerations for opening an Allocacoc pop-up store. It outlines key reasons such as leveraging an online presence with offline exposure, customer education, and creating a sense of scarcity. Goals of a pop-up include revenue generation, brand exposure, and customer engagement. Other sections cover budgeting, location selection, store types, legal requirements, in-store experience, promotion, follow-up communication, and resources. The overall document provides a comprehensive overview for planning and executing a successful temporary pop-up retail event.
The document summarizes how public libraries in Northamptonshire, England have established Enterprise Hubs to support entrepreneurship in their communities. Some key points:
- Enterprise Hubs located in libraries provide resources, workshops, and one-on-one advising to help people explore business ideas and start their own ventures. Over 650 people have participated and 30 businesses are now operating.
- Libraries are well-suited to host Enterprise Hubs as they have space, resources, and staff with knowledge to support entrepreneurs. Hubs have been expanded to additional library locations.
- Future plans include a business "hatchery" space for entrepreneurs to rent affordable workspaces, and partnering with the British Library to expand
Shaping seamless retail with unique Experience SignaturesFITCH
The search for the elusive seamless retail offer should begin with an understanding of the Physical, Human and Digital (PHD) dynamics of each and every shopping experience.
FITCH believes that retailers and brands need to look beyond ‘just digital’ in order to create a ‘unique experience signature’ to build competitive advantage.
This document provides information about an assignment for an MBA course on Mall Management. It includes details about the semester, subject code, credits, and marks. It also includes 6 questions related to the topic of shopping malls and mall design. Students are instructed to answer all questions, with answers to 10-mark questions being approximately 400 words. The questions cover topics like the definition and features of malls, the historical development of shopping malls, different models of malls, factors for lessees and lessors to consider in agreements, components that influence mall design, and key factors of tenant mix plans. Students are given contact information to submit semester details to receive fully solved assignments.
The document discusses the growth of pop-up retail stores and the opportunity it presents for ABC Real Estate. Pop-up stores allow retailers to test new concepts and products in a low-cost, temporary way. Both retailers and landlords see the benefits of pop-ups. ABC Real Estate proposes launching a pop-up retail real estate services group to broker pop-up deals and become a market leader in this new niche. An initial analysis shows the opportunity for growth and financial gain with limited risks.
The document discusses how the rise of internet shopping and new models of retail distribution require a rethinking of shopping center design. It argues that shopping centers need to become more fluid, flexible spaces that can quickly accommodate changing merchants and products. Specifically, it advocates for highly adaptable building structures and spaces within malls that allow for rapid rearrangement like "plug-and-play shops" in order to cater to varying consumer and business needs over time. Successful future shopping centers will also incorporate more community gathering spaces and integrate retail, entertainment, culture and art.
Coalición will be a lounge and pintxo bar in Seattle offering small Spanish-inspired bites, drinks, and live music. The business aims to create a social atmosphere where customers can enjoy food, drinks, and dancing. It will focus on quality products and good customer service to attract repeat customers. The owner also wants to incorporate a philanthropic element, like donating leftovers or supporting local causes. The business will help fill a gap in the market by providing this unique combination of pintxos, music, and lounge space in an accessible location.
This document provides an analysis of the China HK City (CHKC) shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui and makes recommendations for its revitalization. Some key points:
1) CHKC has high vacancy rates on the lower floors due to its detached location from transportation hubs and fragmented retail development in Tsim Sha Tsui.
2) Existing users like ferry passengers and office workers are not sufficient to support all retail space.
3) Recommendations include transforming the lower ground floor into a "stylish shopping community" for youth focused on a unique shopping experience over specific products. A pub/cafe area and live music are suggested to attract patrons.
The document outlines digital and luxury marketing strategies for Pray watches. It discusses focusing on mobile strategies as most interactions now occur on mobile devices. It emphasizes understanding the customer purchase journey across channels to better target affluent customers. The document also stresses the importance of an omnichannel approach to connect online and in-store experiences. Location-based technologies and apps can help close the gap between digital and physical stores. Luxury brands must create engaging content and experiences across all platforms to connect with new customers.
"Though economic times and emerging technologies are prompting consumers to change their buying behaviour, and smart retailers are responding with innovative in-store offerings."
The document discusses how businesses can better connect with local customers by taking a more localized approach to marketing, similar to how small, independent local stores operate. It provides examples of how hardware stores, outdoor outfitters, and non-profits can deliver locally relevant content, services, and events to specific cities and towns to develop deeper connections with local audiences rather than just temporary campaigns. Taking this localized approach can help any business, both online and offline, become a more valuable resource for customers in their area.
This is an outline of my branding studies, I will be summarizing all the information I learn throughout my studies and researches into small presentations hoping it will make good and easy references for people who are looking to understand and learn more about branding.
In this presentation I will talk about the Brand basics and I will cover the following:
- What is brand?
Stay tuned and engage with me on twitter on: @YazanTamimi
How can publishers do more for their customers? This summary from the 2015 Future book Forum captures the key learnings and activities from the event looking to answer that question. Four opportunities for publishers and printers emerged to help turning declining industry into a booming one.
Similar to 20050226 Letter Proposal for Langham Place (20)
1. Room 604, Block E
Wang Fuk Court
Tai Po
N.T.
26 February 2005
Dr Lo Ka Shui
Deputy Chairman and Managing Director
The Great Eagle Group
33rd Floor, Great Eagle Centre
23 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Dear Dr Lo
Being a patron as well as an aspirant of Langham Place (LP), I am writing to express my interest in
contributing to your team for the LP.
To be hands-on to tenants’ businesses
Conventionally a “hands-off” approach would be adopted in the leasing of retail space for shopping
malls, from as selective as Swire to as receptive as Henderson. Once the tenant is in, the lease or
the shop unit would not be bothered until the lease is going to expire, and the “connection/network”
with prospective tenants would be lost or vary from one leasing staff to another. It is mainly
because most of the shop units are only viewed as a horizontal sub-division of the lettable area
over that floor, and apart from their location difference reflected in rental and void period, they are
basically treated “the same”.
The Spiral deserves higher-valued trade – each shop as a profit centre
But for LP, many of the shops could in fact be viewed as individual “profit centres”, unique
in their location and attractiveness due to their specially designed layout/spatial condition
against the circulation space. I consider many of the retail shops at the Spiral deserve
higher-valued trade which could more seriously utilize the layout/spatial condition to
attract more patrons to “walk into” the shops for the desire of “shopping” and not only
“visiting” the shops. On the other hand, LP is certainly able to share the popularity of
Mong Kok with the street shops and shopping centres at Sai Yeung Choi St South etc, but
I wonder how much the existing tenants of LP could share the patronage from that
location which has the gifted popularity. As the Mong Kok fans are well aware that many
of the tenants at LP are clones from those Streets, would they pay for a mark-up at LP
without hesitation if they could and are willing to find the competitive choices in a street’s
distance ? I dare to say that if some of the tenants at the Spiral keep going in their current
direction, they would soon find most of the patrons just “visiting” and not “buying” at their
shops, which would then affect LP as well. That’s why introducing a “hands-on” approach
is necessary for LP. The leasing team should not only be autonomous to fill in the shops
with tenants and leases, but be inspired to explore the many new and exciting businesses
so far with few merchandisers or unique positioning in HK like those that have been
discovered by local media. If the tenancy agreement permits, the leasing staff of LP
should directly involve in reviewing the tenants’ business performance e.g. turnover rate,
profit margin & stock for individual type of items, average spending per patrons and timing
etc, and recommend improvement and act as coordinator between the tenants and the
shopping mall as to how helping hands could be offered by LP on a mutually beneficial
basis. Results of increase in turnover/net profit could then be shared between the tenants
and LP or reflected in next rent review. On the other hand, since Mainland travellers
would continue to create physical and psychological support to the confidence of
spending in HK people, Great Eagle would be in a more direct position to benefit if it could
consider a sole investment or partnership in a hybrid daily living store with the concept of
“PAIRS” carrying the message of “finding, giving and perfecting your life with another”
targeted at lovers, peer groups and young couples/families. The products and services
could be sourced from the selective merchandises of Japan’s Tokyu Hands, Loft, Beams,
Hong Kong’s Ikea, Amazon, Homeless and like.
www.bibianna.com|www.ceramics.com.hk|
www.geoexpat.com/resources/janique-janices-unique-craft/view/art-classes|
http://handicraft.no-ip.org:8000/front.htm|
http://hk.geocities.com/charlieloveall/index_link.html|
www.homelessconcept.com|
www.mythings.nl/art/yeungyukkan/y_yukkan_en.html|
www.porcelainpainting.com|ww.qminiatures.com/link.htm|
www.sellingpoint.com.hk|www.shycreation.net|
www.beams.co.jp|www.gardenfields.jp|www.loft.co.jp|
www.tokyu-hands.co.jp|
2. - 2 -
A leasing team with pride to visualise and create
To achieve the aforesaid business intelligence, it requires the development of a consistent and
continuing system for the leasing team to review the tenants’ business, market information and
methods to source new tenants. Continuous review of tenants’ businesses at the Spiral is
particularly important because Mong Kok is forever the king of crowd for it is born to accommodate
extremely high variety and mobility. Only would such a consistent, systematic and proactive way
of handling tenancy matters and retail space be developed, could a commercial landlord possess
a continuing success in its retail investment.
Redefine teamwork between marketing, leasing and management strengths
Conventionally, most developers have individual department/team for their leasing, marketing,
management and repair or project staff. It is not uncommon to happen that leasing team has
committed a date for handing over the shop to tenant with agreed user requirements and the
management staff/contractor could not have enough time to complete the agreed utility work by
that date for hand-over, resulting in delayed opening of an attraction for the shopping mall. Or, the
details of marketing run-down including presence of celebrity could not be confirmed with sufficient
time, thus resulting in poor manpower deployment for temporary access and crowd control, and
even poor quality of works for backdrop. It is admitted that in this game interests of many parties
are involved and it takes time to establish a culture of “teamwork” throughout the existing division
of work by separate functional departments. However, it may be possible for LP to form many
small temporary teams by floor level – while the functional staff remains in the family of their
functional department, each one of them have shared responsibility with staff of other departments
for the particular floor space. Each team could carry out the aforesaid continuous review of the
tenants’ businesses and patrons’ shopping behaviour for that floor space which may also reveal
new business opportunities for the non-retail areas/facilities of the mall. An example would be
illustrated later in this paper.
Unleashing the fascination of the shopping mall
Now, given the over 95% tenants’ commitment to the retail space, there should be a “consistent”
(what I mean is consistent in style/tone) plan on marketing the shopping experience it can bring to
its patrons – belief in bringing various moments of love & happiness and preach this “Message” to
the patrons through (a) visual perception – placement of lines & images, projection of lights &
casting of shadows; (b) ambient sound – embracing “voices”; (c) human touch – the tenants and
staff of LP; (d) physical touch – the bricks and mortar, bolts and nuts of LP; and (e) memories
with LP – celebration, gathering, dating, events of various moments with LP, so that the patrons
would gradually associate their various moments of love & happiness with their shopping
experience at LP.
Build up a unique shopping community/identity
Conventionally, experience at shopping mall means mainly the tenant/trade mix, and in recent
years, gimmick performing facilities, promotional decoration, architectural features, etc. Despite
usually lagging behind the Japanese shopping trend, developers in HK eventually realise the
importance of injecting from time to time new ideas to the shopping experience of their malls,
where the competition is not only district-wide but extends to territorial-wide among large shopping
malls. While this kind of competition is becoming more and more severe, regular change of typical
decoration may just manage to offset the effect from competitors since HK people are easily
attracted away by new things. Therefore, it would be important for LP to cultivate as soon as
possible a shopping “community” with a clear and consistent identity as “Langham People” among
the patrons. They would then “feel like going home” while shopping at the mall. This would be a
long-term and effective counter-force against the becoming more and more severe competition
from other shopping malls e.g. the coming-to-town APM, recently renovated Pioneer Centre.
3. - 3 -
Bring the Patrons’ family member to life – “Lady Nadia"
One way to have the patrons come back and feel like going home is to
make them feel that they could always meet their lovely, cutie family
member at LP – Nadia, the CG spokesperson created for LP. We could
release regularly a few minutes’ Flash animation of Nadia’s “life &
experience” e.g. from baby to kid, school girl, university student, office
lady throughout her school days, office work and home life with parents,
classmates, colleagues through the TV screen display at the Grand
Atrium with the development story of LP (including removal of “Birds’
Street”) as background. Patrons coming back would gradually feel like
growing together with her and develop a sense of familiarity with LP.
Having got along with over hundreds of youngsters in 12 years, I must
say that the current young generation, while always crying for respect and
understanding from others, also always wishes to have a figure that they
could feel comfortably to attach their emotion to. Nadia could be a
healthy and positive figure who appeals to such youth groups to have LP
as a trendy yet healthy activity place for them and their parents.
Create a sense of superiority – “Langham Label”
Landlords of shopping malls are used to launch marketing
programme for the shopping mall as a whole, while tenants carry out
promotion for their own shops. This works well for most shopping
malls especially those with unfavourable location. But now for LP, it
is not the concern. Instead, its concern should be to build up a
perception that the shopping experience at LP is not the same as
others. If hands could be put on the business of tenants as
mentioned before, it is expected that the comparative strengths of
tenants would soon be identified, and bolded as “LP recommends”.
To draw a more complete picture, it would be to the co-existence of
LP’s logo on the staff uniform/name tag of tenants, on the labels of
tenants’ fashion/products recommended by LP, on the packaging/
handbag of tenants’ products, catalogue/packing sticker etc. To
some patrons, it would be like possession of memorable collectibles
which has been a trend in HK since the great response to
McDonald’s first snoopy redemption campaign a few years ago. The
strength of this strategy is that it could work well for the non-chain
stores as well as chain stores at LP since the former would benefit
from the patrons’ confidence in LP’s recommendations while the
latter would benefit from making “product” differentiation for their LP
store from other locations. Like an echo to the “Nadia” effect I
mentioned above, the chain store at LP could then be developed into
a place where the patrons could rest on for emotional attachment.
The longest catwalk for fashion show – the Xpresscalators
Since boutiques/fashion chain stores would be the core trade for the
retail mix and the large amount of retail space of LP, seasonal
preview of different shops/labels utilizing the architectural features of
the mall would create a synergy effect which stimulates the sales of
the tenants and becomes a regular attraction of the mall, from
Generation Y to Generation X, from OL to young couples/families. I
am sure it would arouse great “noises” in using the Xpresscalators at
the Grand Atrium as catwalk since it was never been available in HK,
and it would also only be available at LP in the foreseeable future
among HK’s shopping malls.
4. - 4 -
The largest party in the history of HK’s shopping malls – “Langham Night”
Even with the vision to revitalise the local community, it would still take years for LP to have its
surroundings to follow given the long established domestic features of Mong Kok district. The
streetscape would remain incompatible for any outdoor celebrating activities attracting mass public
which most shopping malls are following elsewhere. Whilst the objectives of doing so are blurred,
it is also an exhausting experience for the public as well as the shopping mall to bear during the
outdoor activities. Instead of letting the public embracing the Langham giant outside, why not let
them in and celebrate on the floor of Grand Atrium graced by the nine-storey high glass facades ?
With the “Langham Community” implemented as previously mentioned, the “Langham People”
meeting a pre-designed theme of patronage, say a particular group of shops or products over two
months, would be invited to attend the “Langham Night” party after close of the mall at night.
During the party, that particular group of shops would be responsible for the party and the highest-
patronage Langham People would be announced and sharing of their recommended products,
preview of new products, priority access to purchase of cross-over/limited manufactures etc could
also be arranged. With the multimedia facilities, cafes and light refreshment shops surrounding at
the Grand Atrium, the party would make the invited patrons develop a community tie to LP. Each
party could be of different themes/lifestyle/shopping preference, thus building up different
groups/levels of Langham Community.
EMS and video communication as catalyst for “returned” purchase
The Spiral really brings a brand new experience to HK patrons by
shopping spirally downward instead of horizontally upward &
downward. It however also discourages climb-back shopping which
as a result may stimulate impulse purchase (for the fear of missing a
favourite product upstairs) as well as calm down impulse purchase
(due to the thought of finding a more favourite product downstairs).
To make up for the latter situation, mobile phone’s EMS can help.
LP could house in its central computer server tenants’ EMS
messages which contains photo, price and shop contact no. of their
products so that they could send to the patrons who are interested in
a product, but hesitate to buy it. The carrying of the EMS message
with a patron on his mobile phone will, in psychological terms,
reinforce his desire for “physical possession” of the product, thus
coming back to the tenants for it. If mobile transmission stations are
installed at LP, it is even possible to negotiate with the network
providers for privileged charge or shared profit for the consumption
of EMS given the considerable pool of patrons and tenants. Another
strategy is to reinforce the vision of the product in a patron’s mind.
Given information kiosks are already set up on some floors at the
Spiral, we can add the video communication facility on them so that
a patron who expressed interests in some products upstairs but
hesitated to buy at that time can now be free to communicate with
the tenant “face-to-face” to look at his favourite product again. This
provides the tenant another chance to sell the product to the patron,
and also reinforces the patron’s desire for “physically possession” of
it. Customer Services Officer could stand by the terminal to share
with the patrons the brand new shopping experience of using such
video shopping services. Since the services are to save the patrons
from going back to the tenant upstairs, the follow-up customer
services would be to allow the patrons to pay the bill and pick up the
product at the information counter downstairs.
Enhanced Messaging Services
(EMS) is a “coloured” version of
SMS for mobile phones to send and
receive messages which can contain
text, animations, pictures, icons and
sound effects on GSM, TDMA and
CDMA networks. Since EMS
message is sent over the
same infrastructure as SMS message,
thus keeping investment to a
minimum and allowing for quick and
easy deployment of the service yet
providing personal touch with tune
or picture added to the message.
5. - 5 -
Add the favour of “human touch”
In recent few years the relationship between a shopping mall and its patrons is mainly enhanced
through the customer service (or estate/property) officers standing by to serve the patrons’
enquiries or needs. The officers are like “Q&A” robots more than “human” who are in fact staff as
well as the patrons of the mall. They are the most frontier staff who in fact meet with the tenants
and “interact” with the facilities everyday. They deserve to be put on a more important role for LP.
The best promoter for the tenants – customer service officer
For example, the customer service officers should be encouraged to “shop” around the areas of
shops he/she is responsible for, and to have communication with the tenants in order to get
familiar with the shops and products sold. Since the officers meet with the tenants more frequently
than the patrons do, the interaction between the officers and the tenants would build up a
“partnership” which would show its power if the customer service officers could tell a wondering
patron not only where I.T. is located inside LP, but also which of its labels/lines has changed
season or where the customer service officers could share with the tenants any of his/her opinions
as a patron of the products displayed and sold.
The best promoter for the Mall – customer safety officer
Another example is that the customer “safety”
officers could be trained not only to safeguard
the patrons from risky activities at the featured
observation decks, but also to educate the
patrons on how to appreciate the architectural
features of LP and the views from where they
are standing. With such “personal touch”
established between patrons, tenants and the
shopping mall, the unparallel shopping
experience of LP would be able to be unleashed
further.
Provision of disabled passages can be financially beneficial
Being legally and socially responsible as to the provision of disabled facilities is not
necessary to be a painful experience as the architectural intelligence already tells us that
such communal facilities as the washrooms be put behind the u-turn of the disabled
passages at the Spiral. But what if we have to wait for others using the facilities ?
It would be nice if I could have a blendable chair beneath the railing on one side of the
passages, and on the other having some shopping information, nicely designed posters etc
to look at. The resulting in such human activities along the disabled passages reveals that
there would be many captive audience leading to the opportunities of advertising revenue.
6. - 6 -
The Grand Atrium’s jealousy of the Digital Sky
I don’t know whether you have tried to look at the Digital Sky continuously
for more than 10 seconds while standing at the Grand Atrium with your
family members for the grand opening. If you did, I think you would know
what I want to say. To those patrons, they may on one hand admire the
fantasy that the Digital Sky brings to them, but on the other they may wish
that the Sky be lowered to give their neck a rest. That exposes the
limitation of the system to projecting impression-type images only, which
contents requiring keeping the eyes on it would not be much appreciated.
The concept of the Digital Sky is not to blame, but the nine-storey high
headroom graced by glass facades is too magnificent to be ever thought of
for HK’s shopping malls.
Give the Digital Sky a magic cloth that can be changed into various hyperbolic paraboloids
Given the concept of Digital Sky has been invested, I would suggest
to step further to make it transformable by applying a layer of
structurally designed nylon/tetoron-cotton cloth under the ceiling.
While it is cost-efficient to install and can maintain the function of
serving as a Digital Sky for projection, various hyperbolic,
paraboloids forms can be easily changed into for various occasions,
events, etc. If the hanging system at the ceiling allows, I dare to say
that watching the process of transformation would become a very
enjoyable entertainment to the patrons.
If entertaining facilities have to be made, make it interactive – “The Artists’ Alley”
Another architectural feature to be made use of is the shallow
staircases serving as a shortcut between Levels 11 & 12 of the
Spiral. Given the unanimously good dimension for the staircases and
the guaranteed downward pedestrian flow for the Spiral, a very
innovative idea to capitalize on that “space” is to install some
pressure sensors into the floor finishes of the staircases which would
become a performing stage automated with spotlights shooting and
audio clip (”commercial”) playing at the pressured spots and the
patrons passing would become artists on stage taking the initiative to
enjoy the show for themselves. The provision of the above facilities
are centred on the same principle that the patrons should be
regarded as the “blood & soul” of the Langham giant so that their
interaction & response to the bodies (facilities invested) could then
be capitalized on for the sustainable reward to the shopping mall.
7. - 7 -
Memories with LP – Snow falling, Stars sparkling, Cupids flying, Lanterns rotating etc.
Given the structural framework and projecting installations on each
side of the glass facades, they could be further utilized to bring the
infinitude of entrancing visualizations down to the glass facades
which simply need a curtain to roll down on the outside:
“Want to know what’s up inside ? Walk in.”
「 想 知 入 面 做 緊 乜 ? 入 睇 咪 知 囉 !」
中起こっているものが知りたいと思うか? 步行。
With the above message appealing on the streets, passer-bys who
have never seen would be attracted to become patrons, and patrons
who have already appreciated would know it’s show time. Patrons
standing at the Atrium would then feel like being in the embrace of
LP. Snow falling and stars sparkling in Christmas’ time. Cupids
flying on the Valentine’s and lanterns rotating in the fifteenth of
August, and confetti streamers popped out at the end of countdown.
Strategic Alliance with the developer of Roppongi Hills i.e. Mori Building Co., Ltd.
Dr Lo you may have done business with Japanese before, and you know, having a long-term
relationship with them sometimes worth more than a one-off lion’s share from other native people.
Despite the commencement of the economic downturn in Japan since 1990’s, you could still see
their products and ideas are traded successfully in the global market. I would suggest inviting the
developer of Roppongi Hills, Mori Building Co., Ltd. to form a strategic alliance. According to the
business philosophy of Mori Building, it aims at engaging in such urban revitalization projects as
Roppongi Hills, and having Langham Place as a sister development with them will gain LP quality
referrals from the high spending Japanese tourists market, and we could make use of the synergy
effect to further invite other cities to form a ring of multiplex developments icons e.g. Changfeng
Commercial City of Shanghai, CCTV Headquarters of Beijing, Taipei 101 of Taiwan, Berjaya Times
Square Kuala Lumpur, Suntec City of Singapore, the Dome at the State Tower of Thailand etc. Details
like having “patrons referral” program to provide reciprocal benefits or purchase discount at the
shopping malls, advance booking of hotel room up to say one year at current rate/discount,
exclusive/tailor-made souvenirs to hotel guests from other cities e.g. premium postcards of HK
night scenes at various spots with location map and means of transport behind, etc (like an
extension of the Langham Club for local patrons) can be worked out. In the history of Japan’s
success, numerous occasions do we find of the fruits of learning and improving from others
including our motherland, and it’s time for us to rethink and learn back from them whom we must
admit are more service-/customer-centred.
To move forward your belief and philosophy
I learnt from media that part of the floors of LP’s office tower would probably be disposed of for
reducing the financial pressure on the company. I guess if you have the vision to rejuvenate Mong
Kok into a hybrid of retail-leisure-commercial comparable with Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay,
you would choose to dispose of the middle floors to recoup the capital for further acquisition and
refurbishment/redevelopment of neighbouring properties by centrifugation and eventually into a
community ring connected by overhead links. It is because retaining the ownership of the lowest
few floors and the top floors would enable the company to preserve the corporate identity of the
project and the possible integration with neighbouring properties in future.
While you must now be proud of your determined mind to put this bet yet excited to see whether
your bet would be eventually rewarded, I really appreciate that you would still, after the ceremony
with officials and authorities, stay for a while with your family among the patrons and observe their
response to what LP has prepared for them.
8. - 8 -
It would be my great pleasure if I could contribute with my various knowledge and experience and
more importantly my passion for LP, and work with your staff in making LP not only a vision to be
achieved for the company but also the dreams of many patrons who look for various memorable
moments with their lover, friends and family.
Look forward to having opportunities to work under you.
Yours sincerely
Ivan Tam
BSc, MSc, Postgrad. Dip.
MHKIS, MRICS
http://www.hkgp.com/
http://artfete.school.net.hk/
Mobile phone: 9462 4987