Ikano Centres unveils 'Klippa', a mixed-use hub to be integrated with IKEA Batu Kawan

PETALING JAYA (May 19): Ikano Centres has officially unveiled Klippa – its new retail destination and mixed-use development – in a media event in Penang on Tuesday (May 17).

The development aims to be the cultural heart and hub for the growing Batu Kawan township – marking Ikano Centres' first foray into the northern region. Ikano Centres is a part of Ikano Retail, which owns the IKEA furniture stores in five countries and shopping centres anchored by IKEA.

With direct access to the Second Penang Bridge and a seamless connection to IKEA Batu Kawan, Klippa will offer a unique retail experience via an integrated shopping centre spanning 1.6 million sq ft of gross leasable area (GLA), housing over 300 brands including Mr DIY, A&W drive-thru and TMG Plus Supermarket.

According to Ikano Centres shopping centre and mixed-use director Adrian Mirea, Klippa means rock or friend in the Swedish language – which is a perfect wordplay of Batu Kawan.

“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.

"With Klippa, we aim to be the rock in this growing community and to transform Batu Kawan into a successful commercial and leisure hub in Penang. The emphasis of this meeting place development is to provide visitors in the region a holistic customer experience, enhanced with convenience for all their shopping, dining, entertainment and leisure needs," said Mirea, adding that Klippa is set to create 5,000 job opportunities for locals.

The first phase of Klippa was launched in December 2019 with 20 brands over 80,000 sq ft of GLA. Next, an F&B drive-thru space was introduced in November 2021 with McDonald's being the first tenant.

Additionally, Klippa also intends to drive the local arts and culture scene in line with the Penang state government’s vision to bring arts and culture to Batu Kawan.

“Since its opening, the first phase of Klippa has enjoyed a 98% lease rate, with established tenants such as IKEA, Harvey Norman and McDonald’s, which have given us the motivation to continue developing and creating spaces for our communities. As we grow, we will continue to evaluate the needs of our customers in North Malaysia and design our Klippa meeting place accordingly," said Ikano Centres commercial director Arnoud Bakker.

Bakker added that Ikano Centres is working closely in collaboration with Aspen Vision City and partners at the neighbouring Batu Kawan Industrial Park (BKIP) to position Klippa as "the place where people can live, work and create memories together”.

Meanwhile, Ikano Centres will also be exploring additional commercial and residential opportunities (to be developed in phases) to complement Klippa, meeting Batu Kawan's growing community of students, families, and professionals at the neighbouring BKIP.

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