I can see that there are not many shades and trees. Yes, it is still under construction, but I hope that they can add in shades and hopefully plenty of trees when construction is nearing completion. Our weather is hot. I’m wondering whether people will go to this place is there is no “free” air conditioning…

Looks like factory

Ah Chai no more sapu sapu? gg Ah Chai also complaint…

Doesn’t have the Premium Outlet feel at all, look like school. WTF.

I thought it’s going to open this coming November?
With this progress, I wonder they could really make it..It seems that there are still too many unconstructed / built up yet….

Hmm…Looks like it’s going to be behind schedule…

@Ah Chai
No more further update from you how many condos projects totally nowadays in BW,BM and BK?

Not completed yet wat. Just like painting when not completed spectators will have alot of comments like why no this and why no that. The artist may have this and that but is not painted yet cause incomplete painting. Wait till open la then only talk.

Anyway, really can’t say it can complete in time. Drove past last weekend, structure wise is completed but details and ID is not. Retailers will still need to renovate and furnish the lot before they can operate. Landscape is still minimum. Hope got a new place to shop by year end

Katak di bawa tempurong.

Looking forward. Will do well with its strategic location.

Looks like a “Penang Dead Village” … it s gonna be a failure outlet !!!!!!!!!!!!!

@MJ

You Raja Bomoh?

All these aerial videos on this website makes me tempted to get myself one of them drones to play with. Nice work Ken!

looking forward to this one……. throwback last year May pass by still an empty land, now 1 year n half pass already can see the picture. At least batu kawan start to grow…… suka tak suka design village already here…cheers!!!!!

Sure fail…even CM already lame duck now

I wonder what kind of store do they attract ? Do they have big name like Polo Ralph Laurent , Brooks Brothers , Nike , Adidas , Coach and other bigger name ? I think if they can get all the big name in then the success rate will be higher.

Maybe big store are BrandOutlet, Padini, FOS, H&M, UniQLo, BodyGlove, Giodano, etc that we are familiar with…….

Brand tesco and giant or PDI, Uniglo, Sunshine, most propabaly will be there. Look at the lousy building design, have you been to the real Premiun Factory Outlet?

What design ? Looks more a factory than anything !

I went to factory outlet near KLIA, the mix is not as good as Johor’s. But a lot of people. Hopefully this one better than both.

The one in Melaka is nice. Got water feature, dutch windmill. All in all, the landscaping is nice….The one in Batu Kawan looks like factory layout…i know it is not yet complete. Hopefully when it is done, it will be nice…

Aiya landscape nice for what? Most important thing, price must be cheap, goods must be nice. Then surely a lot of people will come. Simple. Ralph Lauren polo-ts at RM80 surely good business. The store looks like factory or toilet or market also nevermind.

Correct correct correct…..

lol ur think like old man, try ask starbuck use design like normal kopitiam see gt ppl will go or not? nowadays design most important even price expensive, more expensive more ppl will go show as high class like autocity or iconcity.

from comment above u can see alot complaint the design, hokkien say bo la lu, see design already no mood, how cheap also no ppl will go unless those poor uncle aunty.

The building design looks like wet market. This one already spoilt the shopping mood.

Ikea is a warehouse, but long q at the cashiers… those naysayer can keep on complaining… don’t quietly check out this “wet market” once open for business okay?

This is suppose to be a factory outlet. “The more expensive the better” means boutique at upscale malls like Gurney Plaza or Paragon. In US, each serves (outlet vs boutique) a different market. Boutiques sell only “in” season goods at premium price, whereas outlets sell “out” of season goods at a discount.

Unfortunately, premium market is too small in Penang, not justifying a boutique at premium malls. The so-called upper middle income group in Penang can afford and only willing to pay for outlet stuff. What to do? We’re still stuck in the mid-income trap.

@jizzy
Thanks to Ah Jib Gor…Making our RM depreciate so much over a year..hahaha..

@edisongan

Even without the recent depreciation, it’s still mid-income for Msians judging by the kind of jobs we do, but no doubt it has exacerbated the situation.

However, if you’re savvy with your money, you should take this episode positively and make lots of money out of this currency swing.

@jizzy
Dude, due to currency dropped more than 20% plus 6% GST imposed, it has directly caused many imported products price hike if you have noticed of that, even milk powders..

However, so far I haven’t really learnt about “mid-income” in Malaysia..How much is considered mid-income and how much is considered low income? The range is too wide if you compare Penang VS Kedah / Penang VS Perak (both are our neighbouring state) ..I guess they have different definition of it..

Last but not least, I feel that this Design village will be more on like “Outlet” style..Like 东涌 in HK near to airport..BK is not the downtown in Seberang Prai so I suppose it will not be like Gurney / Paragon those high end concept but more to affordable one..

Maybe each piece of branded clothes are selling at average price below RM100…haha..
Then, all Penangites are affordable to consume and purchase…

@edisongan

Yes, currency depreciation is the main contributing factor for price increase in milk powder. But taking a non-essential item like “vitamised” imported milk powder as example is probably not wise, as that is the biggest con I have ever seen in consumer products. You guys should stop paying through your nose for these imported milk powder as they don’t really make your kids any smarter. Intelligence is genetic, can go for gene alteration if you’re not smart and desperate to change things.

When you talk about “income” + “designer goods”, you’re basically talking about the urban folks. And if you look at urban jobs, especially in Penang, you have mostly factory jobs, which can be easily moved out to a lower cost country. A major sign of “mid-income” is wage pressure from an upcoming developing country which has a lower wage structure. In today’s open world economy, as long as you’re still in this type of jobs, you are always mid-income as there is always pressure from another country.

So why bother about Kedah, Perak etc, and then going into a never ending meaningless debate about who is earning more!!

@jizzy
Hahaha..Alright mate, you are good..Even could mention about gene alteration…hahaha..
Taking milk powders was only one of the examples that has reflected in our currency depreciation. Not saying it represents all…Certain commodities have their own index to follow lah..

Just like the mid-income trap you have been mentioning…Who and how to define accurately,right? Not really meant to compare with Kedah or Perak but I think the developers in BK should have done their groundwork more than we do before they go ahead to build something like Design Village…Making sure the goods/products they are going to sell at Design Village are mostly affordable by average Penangites even Kedahans and Perakians who have easy access to BK..

Even modern city like HK/Spore also never manage to escape the mid income trap while the private properties already cost them lifetime and yet unable to repay …USD is getting stronger also doesn’t make the countries who trade/earn/spend in USD lower their operating costs / living costs..because they don’t feel the difference, only benefiting on export business…But Malaysia is still not self-sustaining country, many products still much rely on overseas import..so very soon will feel the heat and pain…

Thus, I support your points that this is gonna be outlets instead of high end premium boutique shops which are more sustainable to business runners as well as more affordable to average consumers..Cheerszzz….

I start to stop buying Polo shirt, couch bags n go for Malaysia brands after RM depreciated as well Penang factory are so unstable now, only fools will be slavery to branded good and pay for double tripple for those wearable, i would save more money for raining day. So this penang outlet will be a big failure at this time.

@Praveen
Hehe…Don’t be so pessimistic…Outlet prices could be way cheaper..really…So, it would be affordable..Else, developers will suffer more than us..

Sometimes, it is just not about “wearable” only…but more on quality…The T-shirts I bought from Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Puma took longer than 5 years to fade (colours and printings) compared to I bought at pasar malam one…Less than one year you can see the difference..

So, as long as it doesn’t go for high end one..I think this will attract many people from neigbouring state to patronize too…same as 东涌 near to HK airport…Many tourists purposely make a trip there during visit in HK..it’s not near to downtown ..

Hopefully VitaminWorld can open a shop here. Their supplements are cheap.

batu kawan is the only chance for penang to have a proper masterplan, let’s hope all will be successful over there

edisongan :
@Praveen
Hehe…Don’t be so pessimistic…Outlet prices could be way cheaper..really…So, it would be affordable..Else, developers will suffer more than us..
Sometimes, it is just not about “wearable” only…but more on quality…The T-shirts I bought from Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Puma took longer than 5 years to fade (colours and printings) compared to I bought at pasar malam one…Less than one year you can see the difference..
So, as long as it doesn’t go for high end one..I think this will attract many people from neigbouring state to patronize too…same as 东涌 near to HK airport…Many tourists purposely make a trip there during visit in HK..it’s not near to downtown ..

Only those ‘wanna be’ will talk about brand. I would rather buy RM20/pc shirt and change the fashion every 1 year rather than you buy n wear RM100/pc shirt repeatability for 5 years? Your wife will run away lolz.

@Praveen
Hahaha..Sometimes really nothing to do with the brands…but really the materials that make you comfortable..So if the outlets are selling at affordable prices, let’s say RM100/pcs below..Still many people will go for it..Won’t fail then…If selling high end one like Gucci, Prada, Amani, Versace and etc.. then that’s really worrying.. LOL

You try buy Adidas those “COOL” series t-shirt and wear..you will know what I meant…Especially living in Msia such hot weather country…always sweat like hell…those cotton one very good at absorbing your sweat and cause bad smell / odours..

I bought at Shenzhen HuaQiangBei many years ago for the fake one…Less than a year..the fluffs appeared and colour faded..hehe..where the authentic one can last till more than 5 years..I still keep a piece of it since I purchased in Singapore since 2007..Still comfortable and “wearable”..

Praveen :
I start to stop buying Polo shirt, couch bags n go for Malaysia brands after RM depreciated as well Penang factory are so unstable now, only fools will be slavery to branded good and pay for double tripple for those wearable, i would save more money for raining day. So this penang outlet will be a big failure at this time.

Failure or not failure, remain to be seen in 5 to 10 years time… Have you been to Setia alam and Glenmarie Ultrapolis? If not just stfu.

Tian :
What design ? Looks more a factory than anything !

So you all are flying to the outlet with plane? Just like the aerial view with drone. lol

the whole area still very dusty as of 3rd Oct. The road around Design Village really bad, like a road to a village somewhere in 3rd world country.

@tan32

Don’t worry, mainlanders no place to go, this premium outlet sure jam packed one…

in US they have presidential debate, here we have property debate… *eating popcorn*

coach is coming soon to design village…good one !

Good move.