Shopping Dead Zone

Build and they don't come -- empty stalls and no shoppers at The Boxes

 What a disaster.

A few years ago when local residents were complaining about mainlanders crossing the border and snapping up all kinds of things from baby milk powder to cosmetics, clothing and handbags in shopping malls in Hong Kong, there was an idea to prevent them from coming into town and shop right at the border.

This way some entrepreneurs could make some money, and the shoppers could save time coming into town to get what they needed.

However, San Tin Shopping City -- also called The Boxes -- for the container-style shops -- didn't finally launch until this February and the tenants there have been losing lots of money ever since.

The site where San Tin Shopping City is located

Project advocate and lawmaker Wong Ting-kwong, who represents the import/export sector, admitted business at The Boxes was stagnant, with losses of HK$2 million a month -- or HK$18 million in total in the past nine months.

Business is also slow because some tenants haven't even opened for business yet and may not even bother, as the mall is seeking a three-year renewal from the Town Planning Board, which will be made on Friday.

Wong says currently only 47 tenants had signed contracts with the mall, which has 216 shop lots, and only 27 shops had opened their doors due to uncertainty of the temporary land-use permit, which will expire on September 16.

As a result tenants' rents we waived until this month, hence the HK$18 million loss.

On a recent weekday, only a handful of places were open. One of the tenants, Mrs Liu of Lan Hang Kitchen said they were told some 200 coaches would come here, but this transportation arrangement was never made.

"Honestly, we are disappointed, she said. "We have spent a few hundred thousand dollars on the facilities and decorations based on the belief the mall would attract at least 5,000 visitors a day. But it didn't happen."

Mainlanders want to shop in malls like these, not containers

To save money, Liu has been handling the business by herself.

"At the worst times, there is zero business, a situation we often come across. A few days ago I only sold one can of coke worth HK$8," she said.

Hardly a good situation. Wong will be getting a lot of heat for this disastrous attempt at diverting mainlanders to an open air space filled with container-like shops. Who wants to shop in a place like that?

There are so many convenient transport links to get people into town that San Tin Shopping City is a joke.

Anyone else have other brilliant ideas?