Taiwan’s first outlet mall to open this year

Among the first stores to be opened are many brand names including Tod’s, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani, Loewe, Hugo Boss, Versace, Polo Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Michael Hors, Coach, Mothercare, Jimmy Choo and Zegna.

The mall is located at the A18 HSR Taoyuan Station on the Taoyuan International Airport MRT. The line is scheduled to start service at the end of this year. The A18 station is a 19-minute ride from Taipei Main Station.

The outlet mall, which is a joint venture between Gloria Hotel Group (華泰大飯店) and Cathay Life Insurance (國泰人壽), will be selling apparel that is not in season.

The outlet will be opened in three more stages over the next couple of years: 60 stores will be opened in the spring of 2016, another 60 stores in the winter of 2016 and the last batch of 40 stores in 2017. The discount mall will encompass 260 stores in total.

It is estimated that the first 100 outlet stores will generate NT$5 billion in sales, doubling the revenues of LEECO Outlet in Taichung and the E-Da Outlet Mall in Kaohsiung. Given the increased competition, LEECO plans to open another mall in Taipei’s Neihu District in the second quarter.

Outlet Park, another international outlet, is scheduled to be launched in the second half of this year in New Taipei City’s Linkou District. It is a joint venture between Japan’s Mitsui Fudosan Co. and Farglory Group (遠雄集團).

The NT$5.8 billion project is expected to drive up local consumption. The discount outlet can be reached through the Taoyuan International Airport MRT. It is only a five-minute walk from the A9 Linkou Station.

With theaters, food courts, and supermarkets, Outlet Park will be the largest shopping and entertainment center in Northern Taiwan. Up to 220 stores, including brands from Japan, Europe and Taiwan, will make their way into the outlet. Japanese food festival will also be held in the mall.

In an effort to bring more business to the surrounding commercial district, the government has allocated a budget for the purpose of beautifying nearly landscape, and making improvement to local pedestrian walks and storefronts.