Neighbouring Hong Kong has ventured into the creative industries earlier than Macao and some of the creative hubs are quite well-developed. D2 Place, located in Lai Chi Kok, is one of them. We visited this place and found the following are something Macao perhaps can learn from:
1. Mall-style Management and Introducing Unique Brands to Hong Kong
D2 Place is a creative project run by Lawsgroup, an enterprise with a foundation in the garment industry. The group revitalised an industrial building in 2012 and turned it to a mall. But unlike other “cookie-cutter” shopping malls that have an array of chain stores, D2 Place boasts local creative brands and is the sole agent of certain foreign brands in Hong Kong. The first two floors are shops while the third floor is a food court. The fourth floor consists of shops for home accessories, and from the fifth to the eleventh floors there are offices and private function rooms. With more than 20,000 square feet of space, D2 Place can easily entertain you for a half day.
2. With a Young-people-oriented Market and Offering a Wide Range of Quality Products
We visited D2 Place on Saturday and Sunday. A weekend market is held there weekly in an air-conditioned room on the second floor. The market boasts over 100 shops. It was not yet 12noon but the venue was already jam-packed with visitors. The market offers a range of products like clothes, handicrafts, toys, home accessories and snack, etc., and the quality and variety on average are better than those in Macao. Apart from the market, the mall also organises creative exhibitions. On the day we visited the market, there was an Emoji-themed exhibition in the venue. Lightboxes were decorated with different Emoji icons and had attracted young people to take selfies. This is an effective means to attract more visitors and to promote the venue.
3. Good Location and Facilities
Although D2 Place is not located in the heart of the city, it is very close to the D2 exit (hence the name) of Lai Chi Kok MTR station and is easy to reach. Road signs showing directions to the mall can be seen easily. Moreover, Phase Two of D2 Place will be opened in the second half of the year and is adjacent to the existing Phase One. There are 110 parking lots, allowing more office workers, families and residents living in other districts to drive to the mall.
