KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Times Square, a shopping mall under Berjaya Assets Bhd, has returned to full occupancy following its post-Covid-19 pandemic recovery, supported by repositioning towards family-oriented and value-driven retail.
Assistant general manager for marketing and operations Alex Liew said footfall has largely returned to normal, with crowds during the Christmas 2024 and Christmas 2025 periods exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
“We’ve achieved 100% occupancy, and we’re excited for visitors to come and experience the changes at Berjaya Times Square,” he told SunBiz.
Before Covid-19, he said, Berjaya Times Square was driven primarily by tourist traffic, and was among the hardest hit when travel came to a halt during the pandemic.
“At that time, there were no tourists. That was when, together with changes in management and senior leadership, we agreed and decided to change our focus not just on tourists, but on locals as well.”
He said the shift is reflected in the mall’s tenant mix, which now places greater emphasis on family-oriented attractions aimed primarily at local shoppers, while still catering to tourists.
“If you look at our tenant mix, we have a lot of family attractions aimed at both tourists and locals, but primarily to attract locals,” Liew said.
These include attractions such as Jungle Gym, Go-Kart BTSKL, Berjaya Times Square Theme Park and PadelKu, as well as retail brands like Top Toy and Miniso.
Liew said the expanded mix of attractions, together with a wider food and beverage offering, has helped drive visitor engagement and social sharing, supporting overall mall performance.
Berjaya Times Square saw per capita spending double by the end of last year compared with a year earlier, supported by higher average trans-action values.
Liew said average shopper spending has increased to about RM100 to RM150 per visit, up from RM50 to RM80 previously.
“We’ve seen a pickup in shopper behaviour. We track this through our redemption system, where shoppers submit receipts, and the data shows an increase in overall spending.”
On Visit Malaysia 2026, Liew said Berjaya Times Square is positioning itself as an accessible mall within Kuala Lumpur’s main shopping ecosystem.
“We’re very fortunate to be located along Jalan Imbi, right at the gateway to Bukit Bintang. We are slightly removed from the congestion along Jalan Bukit Bintang and is easily accessible by monorail.”
On tourist arrivals, Liew said, the visitor profile has remained relatively consistent, comprising tourists from the Middle East, Singapore and Indonesia, as well as India and China.
“Indonesia is important because culturally we are quite similar, while Singaporean visitors benefit from the strength of the Singapore dollar, which encourages spending,” he said.
Liew said the mall’s long-standing positioning as a mid-market destination continues to support performance across the property. “We’ve never positioned ourselves as ultra luxurious or incredibly affordable. We’ve always been right in the middle.”
He said the mall does not compete in the luxury segment, but instead focuses on affordable offerings for a broad demographic. “You’re not going to find RM50,000 designer bags here, but what you will find is affordable shopping that caters to everyone from families, teenagers and all kinds of visitors.”
Berjaya Times Square’s Chinese New Year preparations are in full swing, with festive decor installation beginning earlier than usual to accommodate a packed calendar of events leading into the new year.
Liew said the mall’s creative focus this year centres on the Year of the Horse, with a theme inspired by the animal’s symbolism of strength, movement and success. “The horse is a very majestic animal, and we wanted to feature the spirit of the horse in our decor.”
The ground floor has been transformed into an imperial palace setting, imagined as a scene where an emperor hosts a grand Chinese New Year feast, with the horse positioned as the central symbol.
The concept is inspired by a Chinese saying that means “success arrives with the horse”, with the word “success” also mirrors the meaning of “Berjaya”.
Visitors are greeted by a horse carriage at the entrance, depicted as bringing carts of gold and wealth, while the interior unfolds into an imperial court where ministers and officials gather for the celebration. At the end of the installation sits the emperor’s throne, completing the narrative journey.
Berjaya Times Square has titled this year’s celebration “Palace of Abundant Prosperity”. The festive transformation follows the mall’s well-received Christmas decor, which Liew described as one of its strongest in recent years.
Instead of a traditional Christmas tree setup, the visual merchandising team opted for an enchanted forest concept.
“We sat down, discussed and brainstormed ideas. We got a bit bored of putting a tree in the middle and decorating around it, so we changed the whole thing,” he said.
The same approach is now being carried forward into Hari Raya Aidilfitri preparations, which have already received internal approval. “We’re working on all the details now. Hari Raya will be another fun one,” Liew said.
As part of the Chinese New Year campaign, Berjaya Times Square is rolling out its annual festive redemption programme. Liew said the mall’s Chinese New Year ang pao packet has become a collectible item over the past 15 years, with some shoppers returning each year to complete their sets.
Shoppers who spend a minimum of RM98, across no more than two same-day receipts, can redeem Golden Horse ang pao packets. Those who spend RM218 across four receipts are eligible for a RM50 cash voucher, while shoppers who spend RM288 across five receipts can redeem a Tea Cup Set with Leather Bag.
