MALL BATTLE HEATS UP: RLC steps up game with massive makeover plan

The battle for mall supremacy in the country heats up as Gokongwei-led property giant Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) gears up to unleash its own massive makeover of its shopping centers.

- By RICHMOND MERCURIO

RLC president and CEO Mybelle Aragon-GoBio said the company is preparing to undertake a major mall redevelopment program, which is expected to be announced within the year.

“We're just finalizing the costings. Certainly, the more mature ones or flagship malls will be undergoing redevelopment. Watch out for it. It will be big,” Aragon-GoBio said.

“This will be the first of such a scale that we will be announcing. First, we intend to do one that’s of a significant scale, and then, in line with the premiumization, it will be a continuous one,” she said.

Aragon-GoBio said the plan may entail expansion as well as a refresh of existing malls.

“Where there is an opportunity to increase gross leasable area (GLA), then we do so. So that’s an expansion,” Aragon-GoBio said.

“Otherwise, it’s a redevelopment so that we're able to command better rates. It’s also because consumer preferences are evolving. So they’re becoming more discriminating. They’re looking for more experiential offerings. So that’s what we're trying to address through premiumization,” she said.