Savvy Shopper

Retail disruption does not mean the death of the shopping mall. CapitaLand Retail’s Managing Director Chris Chong tells Grace Ma what it takes for malls to stay relevant in the age of online shopping and a “woke” generation

- Grace Ma

For a man who oversees a property management platform that comprises 20 shopping malls, including Funan and Jewel Changi Airport, one would think that CapitaLand Retail’s managing director Chris Chong would avoid the stores on his days off and vacations.

Yet, he cannot resist visiting them even at the weekends, in addition to checking out what’s new on the retail scene while holidaying with his wife and two teenage children in his favourite European destinations such as France – where he used to study and work – and Italy. It’s easy to assume he’s a workaholic, but the truth is actually more straightforward: “It helps that I like to shop,” explains Chong during our chat, before bursting into laughter.

Love for retail therapy aside, Chong believes in walking the ground for a first-hand feel of what shoppers are looking for and to understand the challenges mall tenants face – something he started doing while managing ion Orchard from 2013 to 2018 in his previous role as ceo of Orchard Turn Developments Pte Ltd, a joint-venture company between CapitaLand and Sun Hung Kai Properties.