ISKANDAR PUTERI: After an 18 year hiatus, the first mega sale in Johor will be back from May 27 to June 5.
In a collaboration between Tourism Johor, Johor Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Johor Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism and shopping malls, the event called the 10-day Grandeur Fiesta will see the state having a midnight sale once more.
Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Executive Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the event, organised at a cost of RM2.5 million, would see 23 shopping complexes participating.
“The aim is to make Johor a tourist destination for fashion, food and entertainment and offer small and medium enterprises the opportunity to promote their products on the global stage,” Tee said here yesterday.
Among the highlights of Grandeur Fiesta is the Johor Mega Sale which will be launched on May 28, following which shopping malls can extend their operating hours until 3am with prices slashed by as much as 70 per cent throughout the shopping fiesta.
From May 27 to June 2, the field of Angsana Mall will feature local celebrities, including Grandeur Fiesta ambassador Didie Alias.
“Johor has not had a midnight sale in a long time.
“We believe the campaign will enliven the economy of shopping malls,” he said, adding that the event may be held annually if there was good response.
Tee said that in 2014, tourists spent RM21.6 billion on shopping nationwide, signifying a nine per cent increase compared with RM19.8 billion in 2013.
Spending in the sundry sector also increased by 30 per cent in the same period, he said.
“In Johor, the services sector of the wholesale and retail industry as well as hotel and restaurant industry increased by 13 per cent last year. Iskandar Malaysia contributed 11.7 per cent to the gross domestic product of the state in 2014.”
The national-level events include the 1Malaysia Grand Prix Sale in March, the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (June to September) and the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale (November to January).
On a separate matter, Tee said a special patrol team will be introduced at the Second Link during Grandeur Fiesta to help ease traffic congestion.
“As the congestion is caused by cars using the bus lanes, we believe the police presence will deter errant motorists,” he added.