Batu Kawan becomes hotspot for new retail

BATU KAWAN – Once full of plantations and coconut tree estates, Batu Kawan has become a new growth locality for Seberang Prai.

Following the decision by the Swedish retail giant Ikea to set up shop here, together with Design Village Outlets’ Mall developed by Sarawakian PE Land Sdn Bhd, the township is now poised for more growth prospects.

With a location very near to the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge (Second Penang Bridge) that connects to Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone on the island, Batu Kawan is now also home to a major shopping centre.

Recently, Ikano Centres Malaysia, the holding company of Ikea outlets, unveiled a new shopping centre called Klippa, which will be built around the Ikea Batu Kawan outlet.

It will become an integrated shopping centre, complemented by Design Village and other nearby retail outlets - all within the Batu Kawan Free Industrial Zone which is now rivalling its counterpart in Bayan Lepas in terms of new foreign direct investors. 

In a press release, Ikano Centres has unveiled Klippa as the name of its new retail centre with the ambitious aim of becoming the retail, cultural and arts scene for Batu Kawan.

Klippa will have a retail space of 1.6 million sq ft in gross leasable area (GLA), housing over 300 brands. 

Ikano Centres is also exploring additional commercial and residential opportunities to add to its meeting place, which will be developed in a phased approach to meet Batu Kawan’s growing community of students, families, and professionals.

Adrian Mirea, shopping centre and mixed-use director at Ikano Centres said: “As we continue to strengthen our presence in Malaysia, we want to introduce the Ikano Centres retail experience to communities in the northern region to mirror the success of our meeting places in central and southern Malaysia. Klippa means rock or friend in Swedish, and is the perfect wordplay to describe Batu Kawan.”

Klippa will also create 5,000 job opportunities for the residents up north.

Ikano is working closely with the Batu Kawan master developer Aspen Vision City to ensure that the development will mirror sustainable practices, together with the need to grow the housing, industrial and commercial potential of the location.

Meanwhile, Ikea here has launched its own Swedish Cafe serving freshly baked and brewed treats to satisfy the cravings of customers. – The Vibes, May 20, 2022.