That Luang Plaza set to open doors by mid-year
That Luang Plaza set to open doors by mid-year
A new shopping centre, the That Luang Plaza, located in That Luang Tai, Xaysettha district, Vientiane, will open its doors by the middle of the year after project officials confirmed that it is now more than 80 percent complete.
�The earliest opening date would be in June while the latest would be in August,� That Luang Plaza Manager, Mr Maithong Khamvongthavee, told Vientiane Times yesterday.
The project comprises two zones and is expected to cost more than US$50 million in investment by the Chitchareune Construction Company of Laos and the Petrolao Company Ltd.
The US$32 million first zone (Zone A) is now nearly complete and will have seven floors of business units and two basement parking levels, Mr Maithong said.
The first floor will house a financial institution zone with banks and currency exchange units, a jewellery zone with gold and silver shops, a food and coffee zone with outlets selling pizza, ice cream, and coffee, international restaurants, a supermarket and a beauty zone. This will feature a supermarket, beauty and health stores, and a traditional goods store, according to the project plans.
The second floor will be a department store while the third floor will comprise a fashion zone with shops selling clothes, bags, shoes, gifts, sports items and fabric, an IT and mobile phone zone which includes an IT service centre, IT and mobile equipment shops, and a furniture and home decor zone.
The fourth floor will consist of a food court, more restaurants and beauty shops, a zone for children, more coffee and retail outlets, and a section that will include karaoke and games.
The fifth and sixth floors will be movie theatres and the seventh floor may house offices.
The US$20 million second zone (Zone B) is still under construction, but will be 12 storeys high and will be used mainly for parking, providing easy access to the facilities in Zone A.
As the number of shopping centres in Laos, and especially in Vientiane, increases, That Luang Plaza must formulate a plan and strategies to compete with other investors, said Mr Maithong.
As a main strategy, the project will focus on the quality of its products with attention to reasonable prices for popular brands from neighbouring countries and providing accommodation for the businesses and entrepreneurs that sell their products at the plaza, he added.
The project will employ highly experienced managers from neighbouring countries to manage services and marketing systems in order to keep business sustainable and create confidence among consumers.
�At present, there are many businesses interested in booking sections of the zones but we cannot confirm the rental prices yet because we are awaiting the final pricing calculations which we expect to get in the next few weeks,� Mr Maithong said.
He believes the That Luang Plaza will attract more foreign visitors and help to reduce the number of people going shopping in Thailand.
Other shopping malls and trade centres under construction or recently completed in Vientiane include Thongkhankham Market, the World Trade Centre, Vientiane Centre, ITTEC Shopping Mall and the That Luang Square Shopping Mall, while others are undergoing feasibility studies.
