Aeon opens second mall in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH: Japanese retail giant Aeon Co's second mall opened in Cambodia's capital city on Wednesday, becoming the country's largest shopping mall.

Speaking at the grand opening, Seiichi Chiba, senior managing director of Aeon Mall Co, said the company was pleased to see how well the first Aeon Mall, built in 2014 in central Phnom Penh, was received by Cambodian shoppers.

Within three years of its opening, he said, it attracted more than 18 million people, which encouraged Aeon to open a second branch in the northern part of the capital.

The first one cost about US$205 million to build. The second one was built on cheaper land, but it cost a similar amount since it is bigger in size than the first.

Chiba did not reveal whether Aeon plans to open a third one anytime soon, though inside sources suggested that it has scouted out a potential site in the southern part of the capital.

Seng Sokha, 41, a real estate agent who came to the new Aeon Mall on Wednesday, said she was impressed with its huge size and cleanliness. "It is the best shopping mall in Cambodia," she said.