Sunway Ipoh Mall 80% Leased Ahead of 2027 Opening, With 25 Brands Unveiled

Sunway Ipoh Mall has secured leasing commitments for 80% of its retail space ahead of its scheduled fourth-quarter 2027 opening, marking a major commercial milestone for the RM1 billion shopping centre within Sunway City Ipoh, Perak.

Sunway Malls announced the progress on 6 October 2026, alongside the unveiling of 25 major retail brands and concepts, including seven anchor tenants.

The development will offer approximately 1.2 million sq ft of net lettable area across four retail floors, accommodating around 400 shops. Its tenant mix is expected to include approximately 100 brands making their debut in Perak.

Sunway Ipoh Mall Secures Seven Major Anchor Tenants

The seven announced anchor tenants will play an important role in establishing the mall’s retail and entertainment offering.

They comprise Parkson Elite, Village Grocer, TGV Cinemas, Mr. D.I.Y. Plus, Sunway Ice Rink, Sunway Ipoh Exhibition Centre and Sunway Megalanes.

Six of these concepts, excluding TGV Cinemas, are expected to make their Perak debut.

The wider confirmed line-up includes MUJI, LC Waikiki, TopTen10, Brands Outlet, Decathlon, Harvey Norman, HOOGA, JD Sports, Padini, Popular, The Parenthood and retail concepts associated with Valiram Group.

Other announced participants include Estée Lauder Companies, L’Oréal Group and MAP Active.

This combination gives the mall a broader positioning than a conventional neighbourhood shopping centre.

Its anchors bring together daily groceries, department-store shopping, cinema entertainment, sports and family recreation, while the specialty retailers provide additional fashion, lifestyle and home-related choices.

Sunway Malls group managing director HC Chan expressed confidence that the mall could achieve full occupancy around its opening period.

Nevertheless, the 80% leasing figure represents commitments secured before opening, not an operating occupancy rate or evidence of completed retail sales.

Perak’s First Ice Rink and Major Family Entertainment Facilities

Entertainment is expected to be one of Sunway Ipoh Mall’s principal attractions.

The development will introduce Perak’s first ice-skating rink, providing an activity that has traditionally required residents to travel outside the state.

A 36-lane bowling centre under the Sunway Megalanes concept will complement the rink, alongside multipurpose sports facilities.

TGV Cinemas will operate a 10-hall cinema with approximately 1,500 seats.

The mall will also accommodate the Sunway Ipoh Exhibition Centre, creating space for exhibitions, commercial events and community gatherings.

Dining will form another part of the visitor experience through Gourmet Garden, a concept combining indoor and outdoor dining spaces with landscaped surroundings.

These attractions are intended to encourage longer visits and provide reasons for families to return beyond routine shopping.

For the retail property market, entertainment-oriented facilities can help differentiate a shopping centre from competitors. However, their commercial contribution depends on visitor spending, operating costs and the sustainability of individual tenants.

Sunway City Ipoh Provides an Established Development Setting

Sunway Ipoh Mall forms part of the approximately 1,350-acre Sunway City Ipoh integrated township.

The surrounding development already includes Lost World of Tambun Theme Park, The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Sunway Medical Centre Ipoh and Sunway College Ipoh.

Sunway has also identified plans for a university, additional hotel accommodation and convention facilities within the wider township.

The mall is located approximately five minutes from the North–South Expressway via the Tambun interchange, supporting accessibility for Ipoh residents and interstate visitors.

Its planned parking facilities include approximately 2,950 bays, with provision for 100 electric vehicle charging bays.

Public transport and shuttle arrangements were still being explored at the time of the October announcement.

The combination of existing hospitality, education, healthcare and tourism facilities gives Sunway Ipoh Mall access to several potential customer groups.

These include township residents, students, healthcare visitors, local shoppers and tourists visiting Tambun.

However, the presence of nearby attractions does not guarantee that their visitors will automatically spend time or money at the new mall.

Convenient access, tenant appeal and the quality of the shopping experience will ultimately determine how effectively the development attracts repeat customers.

What 80% Pre-Leasing Means for Ipoh’s Retail Market

Securing commitments for most of a large shopping centre more than a year before opening is a notable leasing milestone.

For a project offering 1.2 million sq ft of net lettable area, the reported 80% commitment represents substantial space already allocated to prospective tenants.

Sunway Malls has positioned the development as an opportunity to bring additional national and international retail concepts into Perak.

The group believes the state has room for a higher-tier retail destination, particularly as some residents currently travel to larger shopping centres outside Ipoh for certain shopping experiences.

The proposed 100 Perak-debut brands support that differentiation strategy.

Nevertheless, retailer participation alone does not establish how much additional consumer spending the market can sustain.

Existing shopping centres will continue competing for customers, while tenants must generate sufficient sales to support rental and operating expenses.

The first several quarters after opening will provide a more meaningful assessment of Sunway Ipoh Mall’s ability to attract visitors and maintain healthy retailer performance.

A RM1 Billion Retail Investment Within a Growing Township

Beyond the shopping centre, Sunway City Ipoh represents a longer-term integrated development strategy.

Sunway has indicated that the township currently carries approximately RM2 billion in gross development value, with another RM4 billion planned over the following 10 to 15 years.

This future development pipeline could introduce additional residential, commercial and institutional activity to the surrounding area.

The mall may become an important everyday amenity for the township, particularly as the local population and range of services expand.

However, any effect on nearby property demand or values will depend on actual occupancy, infrastructure delivery, population growth and competing developments.

For commercial property observers, the more immediate significance is Sunway’s commitment to establishing a major regional shopping destination outside the Klang Valley.

The operator reported a 98% occupancy rate across its existing mall portfolio and 5% year-on-year sales growth during the first half of 2026.

While this provides useful background on Sunway Malls’ operating experience, Sunway Ipoh Mall will still need to establish its own customer base after opening.

Sunway Ipoh Mall Moves Closer to Its 2027 Opening

With 80% of its retail space committed and seven anchor tenants announced, Sunway Ipoh Mall has established much of its intended commercial positioning ahead of its scheduled fourth-quarter 2027 opening.

Its large retail footprint, entertainment attractions and integration with Sunway City Ipoh distinguish the development from a conventional standalone shopping centre.

For Ipoh residents, the anticipated benefit is greater access to retail brands and recreational facilities within Perak.

For Sunway, the next challenge will be translating pre-opening leasing commitments into operating stores, consistent visitor traffic and sustainable retailer performance.

The 80% leasing milestone provides an encouraging foundation, but the mall’s long-term success will ultimately depend on how well its tenant mix serves Ipoh’s local market and the wider Sunway City Ipoh community.