Timothy Jones, Senior Vice President of Retail at Sands China Ltd, oversees one of Asia’s most expansive and prestigious retail portfolios. In this exclusive interview, he discusses the evolution of Macau’s luxury market, the strategic vision behind Sands’ retail offerings and how consumer behaviour is shaping the future of destination shopping.
Sands Retail is a leading player in Asia with over 2.8 million square feet of lettable retail space in Macao and Singapore. Sands Shoppes Macao, the largest network of interconnected malls in Macao, offers approximately 850 retail stores with a total of 2.2 million square feet of opulent retail space spread across Shoppes at Venetian, Shoppes at Parisian, Shoppes at Four Seasons, and Shoppes at Londoner. Sands Shoppes Macao features some of Macao’s first-to-market luxury brands and with its unique design theme, is an unmissable experience for visitors.
“We spent $2bn in revitalising Sands Cotai Central into The Londoner Macao which brought new brands and experiences to the market in the form of The Londoner Hotel, Londoner Court, as well as the incredible Shoppes at Londoner, in Phase I completed in 2024. Phase II sees Sheraton Grand Macao being rebranded into the Londoner Grand hotel, which become Macao’s first Marriott International Luxury Collection hotel.”
Within Shoppes at Londoner, guests can discover over 150 boutiques within 600,000sq ft of premium retail space catering to luxury-minded shoppers who can indulge in a quainter London shopping experience. The retail space has an extraordinary range of brands including Apple, Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Rolex accompanied by the first and only stores in Macao for the likes of Alexander Wang, David Culow, Jil Sander, Moodytiger, SandBox, The Cheesecake Factory and Shake Shack.
The Shoppes at Londoner is a milestone project for the company with its unique design lending itself to a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, akin to being transported to London’s classic shopping districts and chic boutiques with its sun-lit thoroughfare and charming lanes.
“Its design was inspired from London’s Oxford Street, one of Europe’s busiest shopping districts, with unique elements such as the feature elevator inspired by Victorian-era metalwork incorporating a Tudor rose, a traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and the eight replicas of London’s blue plaques, featuring names of famous individual’s from England’s past,” explains Jones.
Shoppes at Londoner has a distinctive shopping experience for all members of the family as it encompasses not only a wide array of luxury brands but also lifestyle components in the form of VR entertainment, entertainment and more, catering to all ages. Its latest additions bolster the offerings within Sands Shoppes Macao and continue to reinforce Macao as a global retail destination.
Each mall within Sands Shoppes Macao portfolio boasts its own unique theme providing distinctive offerings that bring together a creative blend of retail and entertainment with Streetmosphere performers lighting up the ambience with shows and appearances, allowing shoppers to be transported to different cities in Europe throughout their shopping journey.
Shoppes at Venetian allow guests to be treated to an unparalleled sensory experience featuring the romantic atmosphere of the legendary city of Venice. Shoppes at Four Seasons is a shopping mall that exudes an air of sophisticated elegance whilst Shoppes at Parisian is set amidst the iconic sights of the Eiffel Tower and Les Jardins. Finally, the newly transformed Shoppes at Londoner, charms a new generation of luxury clientele with a full British heritage experience. All these experiences are interconnected and linked by an air-conditioned footbridge allowing shoppers to easily access different malls within a walking radius.
“Post Shoppes at Londoner, Shoppes at Four Seasons is now entering its next innovative and evolutionary stage, a complete brand upgrade and expansion project that will transform this mall from a luxury one into a super luxury mall, offering an unrivalled experience for shoppers,” Jones highlights. “We have just re-opened Louis Vuitton with a duplex spanning over 1,960sq m. This global store, designed by Japanese architect Shohei Shigematsu (OMA), promises a unique shopping experience for customers, featuring a full array of Louis Vuitton curated products and this is just the beginning.”
Sands Shoppes Macao portfolio is part of Sands China Ltd.’s integrated resorts on the Cotai Strip featuring leading hotel properties such as The Venetian® Macao, The Plaza™ Macao (includes Four Seasons Hotel Macao and The Grand Suites at Four Seasons), The Parisian Macao and The Londoner® Macao (comprising of The Londoner Hotel, Londoner Court, The St. Regis Macao, Conrad® Macao and The Londoner Grand). Sands Shoppes Macao specialises in integrated resort retail, tailor making its products to match the guest segments across the different businesses within the resorts such as MICE, Leisure & Gaming.
As our time with Tim comes to an end, we ask him what challenges face the company and what comes next?
“Macao is well positioned to attract tourists with visitation reaching approximately 35 million in 2024, an increase of 23.8% compared to 2023. We believe visitation will continue to experience long-term growth, and together with the unique resort offerings and retail experiences, provide a strong proposition for travellers to visit our properties in Macao. Sands Shoppes Macao is in a strong position to keep innovating and developing new concepts for the malls through collaborations with our retail partners in order to drive continued success and establish Macao as a global retail destination,” Jones concludes.
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