Core features 24-hour services

Taipei's newest mega-mall opened yesterday with the complex's chairman vowing to woo customers with a combination of shopping, entertainment and around-the-clock services.

"The mall is designed to be a comfortable and convenient environment, and in addition to shopping, our customers can enjoy a variety of entertainment activities such as movie, disco and concerts," said Shen Ching-ching (沈慶京), chairman of the Core Pacific Group.

The futuristic mall launched its three day soft-opening yesterday, with the grand opening scheduled for Friday. The complex -- located near the intersection of the Civil Boulevard and Pateh Road -- has seen its share of bad luck prior to opening its doors.

Back in September, Typhoon Nari flooded six of the mall's lower levels. Though the losses were covered by insurance, the incident delayed the opening by about a month.

"The lower-level supermarket won't open until next month," said Goh Chai-khim (吳財琴), executive vice president of the venture.

The 24,420m2, 19-floor facility has signed on nearly a thousand retailers, some of whom will be open 24 hours a day.

"While most clothing, accessory and cosmetic retailers will close up shop at 10:30pm, our movie theater, supermarket, food court and drugstore never close," Goh said.

Covering a total of six floors, the 24-hour shops include a 13-screen Cinemark theater, an Eslite Bookstore (誠品書店), a Watson's (屈臣氏) and a Wellcome Supermarket (頂好超市).

"In addition, we will hold a variety of events, such as shows, exhibitions, concerts and parades to attract traffic," Goh said.

Located a few blocks from the recently opened Breeze Center (微風廣場) on Chunghsiao E. Road, the two malls differ in their customer targets. "Breeze tries to exclusively attract female customers, while we focus on men, women and children and try to create a spot for family activities," said Juan Hsin-nang (阮信囊), spokesman for Core Pacific.

Sheer size alone is expected to be an important factor.

"Core Pacific is triple the size of the Breeze Center and is three-times larger than Pacific Sogo Department Store (太平洋崇光百貨)."

According to Juan, for the first three days after the official opening, the company estimates sales will reach NT$450 million. The mall hopes to attract more than 300,000 visitors per day.

Those numbers may be wishful thinking.

Breeze Center took in NT$32 million per day over the first week and reported 200,000 customers on opening day.

But Core Pacific City has NT$24 billion on the line and some big promises to fulfill.

"Three years ago our investors were told the mall would earn NT$20 billion in its the first year, so we have to do our best to make that happen," Shen said.

He plans to entice customers with combination shopping alternatives and entertainment options.

"We estimate that 35 percent of total sales will come from entertainment," Shen said.

And in a city of 2.6 million, competition is fierce.

There are 26 shopping centers in Taipei, with annual sales totaling NT$60 billion, according to statistics compiled last year by the Department Store Association of Taiwan.

One economist said it remains to be seen whether public consumption can sustain the market.

"People still seem willing to buy, as long as prices are reasonable," said Kung Ming-hsing (龔明鑫), a director with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.