GCH Retail to set up first Giant hypermarket in Miri, Sarawak

KUALA LUMPUR: GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd will be spending RM12 million to set up its first Giant hypermarket in Miri, Sarawak within Permy Mall in Bandar Baru Permyjaya.

Its chief operating officer Tom Herriott said the hypermarket is expected to open in 3Q2010 when the mall opens.

He said Giant (the anchor tenant) and the array of trade mix at the mall such as a food court, international fast food franchises and fashion outlets would be pull factors for the mall.

He was speaking to reporters after a Tenancy Agreement signing between GCH Retail and Naim Realty Sdn Bhd on Tuesday March 30. Also present was Naim Holdings chairman Datuk Abdul Hamed Sepawi.

Naim Realty, which will be managing the mall, is a subsidiary of Naim Holdings Bhd, while GCH Retail is the operator of the Giant chain of hypermarkets. Permy Mall is a contemporary 2-storey shopping mall with a gross floor area of 269,000 sq ft spread over 8.5 acres and 560 internal car park bays. It has a net lettable area of 159,000 sq ft, of which 65,000 sq ft will be occupied by Giant. The building also houses 128 retail shops with sizes ranging from 200 to 12,000 sq ft.

Developed by Naim Holdings, Bandar Baru Permyjaya has a population of around 50,000. The township is about 15 minutes drive from the Miri town centre, 10 minutes drive from Lutong Town and about 20 minutes drive to the Sungei Tujuh immigration check point, Miri's gateway to Brunei.

Asked on plans to open new stores in Sarawak over the next 12 months, Herriott said: "We are always looking for sites. Nothing is finalised yet and everything is subject to approval. We would like to have at least another two stores in Sarawak."

There are currently 103 Giant stores in Malaysia.