Jakarta Malls Transform: New Tenants Dominated by F&B, Outdoor Spaces Become a Trend
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The shopping mall industry in Jakarta is beginning to experience a shift in concept following the pandemic. This is not only about the tenants but also the design of the space and the experiences offered to visitors. The latest research from Knight Frank Indonesia shows that the food and beverage sector is the main driver of the growth of new tenants in the capital’s shopping malls.
“We see that 50% of the new tenants entering in the second half of 2025 are in the F&B sector,” said Senior Research Advisor at Knight Frank Indonesia, Syarifah Syaukat.
The expansion of F&B tenants has been very aggressive in recent years. The players entering are not only from local brands but also from various international chains.
“Not only from local players, but also global players such as F&B from China and Japan are also coloring the retail spaces in Jakarta today,” she said.
In addition to changes in tenant composition, shopping malls are also starting to change the way they attract visitors by presenting various entertainment activities. Mall managers are now more often holding hobby-based, community-based, and leisure activities to increase visitor traffic.
“Most retail managers in the premium and grade A segments hold leisure and hobby-based events to generate attraction from visitors,” explained Syarifah.
This approach has proven to increase the number of visits and extend the time visitors spend in shopping malls. On the other hand, changes in consumer preferences are also triggering a transformation in the design of shopping malls.
If previously the mall concept was dominated by enclosed spaces, the trend is now shifting towards more comfortable and green open areas. “After the various paradigm shifts that have occurred in the dynamics of the retail market, there is a transformation, namely outdoor is the new indoor,” said Syarifah.
Visitors now prefer areas that have natural elements such as open spaces and green spaces.
“We see that current retail visitor preferences are in biophilic areas or outdoor areas that are colored with green spaces and gathering areas,” she said.
These changes in preferences are also encouraging a number of shopping malls to carry out renovations to adjust the space concept to market needs. This renewal process is an important part of keeping shopping malls relevant in the face of changing consumer behavior.
“When a paradigm shift occurs, adaptation is not only carried out in management but also in design. To optimize existing retail assets, retrofitting or renovation is unavoidable,” said Syarifah.
(pgr/pgr)