WEBVTT 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:13.550 Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, 00:00:13.589 --> 00:00:16.329 Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my students and 00:00:16.329 --> 00:00:18.870 I bring you content that's informative, positive, 00:00:19.010 --> 00:00:21.809 fun, and uplifting. This podcast is created and 00:00:21.809 --> 00:00:23.969 produced with the help of students from the International 00:00:23.969 --> 00:00:28.210 Community School of Bangkok. Welcome back to 00:00:28.210 --> 00:00:30.789 the show, everyone, and you're listening to Students 00:00:30.789 --> 00:00:33.049 Incorporated, brought to you by the High School 00:00:33.049 --> 00:00:35.149 Marketing Class at the International Community 00:00:35.149 --> 00:00:38.189 School of Bangkok, Thailand. Why did I just introduce 00:00:38.189 --> 00:00:41.090 this episode like that? Well, if you've driven 00:00:41.090 --> 00:00:44.689 down Sukhumvit Road or taken the BTS to Prongpong, 00:00:44.770 --> 00:00:47.590 you know that the landscape of our city has completely 00:00:47.590 --> 00:00:50.250 changed. We aren't just talking about a new mall 00:00:50.250 --> 00:00:53.310 anymore. We are talking about a district, a massive 00:00:53.310 --> 00:00:57.049 interconnected ecosystem of luxury, dining, and 00:00:57.049 --> 00:00:59.789 nightlife that has redefined how Bangkok lives. 00:01:00.070 --> 00:01:02.170 I'm talking, of course, about the M District, 00:01:02.450 --> 00:01:05.829 the Emporium. M. Courtier, and the game changer 00:01:05.829 --> 00:01:09.670 that completed the trilogy, M. Sphere. But who 00:01:09.670 --> 00:01:11.590 are the visionaries driving this transformation? 00:01:12.049 --> 00:01:14.549 It's not just about the buildings, it's about 00:01:14.549 --> 00:01:17.709 the people who curate these experiences. Today, 00:01:17.790 --> 00:01:19.930 we have a very special guest who represents the 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:22.769 next generation of this retail empire. He is 00:01:22.769 --> 00:01:26.010 a facilitator for the entire mall group, bringing 00:01:26.010 --> 00:01:28.569 a fresh international perspective to a family 00:01:28.569 --> 00:01:32.109 legacy. He studied in the UK and the US, and 00:01:32.109 --> 00:01:34.569 now he's back in Bangkok, bridging the gap between 00:01:34.569 --> 00:01:37.010 traditional business and modern lifestyle trends. 00:01:37.349 --> 00:01:40.269 Please join me in welcoming the Assistant General 00:01:40.269 --> 00:01:43.189 Manager for Leasing and Property Management at 00:01:43.189 --> 00:01:46.329 the mall group, Kun Jin. We'll get to hear from 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:48.829 him in just a bit. Before we get into our first 00:01:48.829 --> 00:01:51.150 segment with Kunjin, let's hear our quote of 00:01:51.150 --> 00:01:53.349 the day and get some headline news. Thanks, Mr. 00:01:53.450 --> 00:01:55.930 Jason. To set the stage for our chat for Kunjin, 00:01:56.069 --> 00:01:58.209 I chose a quote that I think really captures 00:01:58.209 --> 00:02:01.030 what the mob group is doing. The quote is, the 00:02:01.030 --> 00:02:03.290 secret of change is to focus all of your energy, 00:02:03.409 --> 00:02:05.670 not on fighting the old, but on building the 00:02:05.670 --> 00:02:08.469 new. Now, most people think this was said by 00:02:08.469 --> 00:02:10.969 the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, but fun 00:02:10.969 --> 00:02:13.629 fact, it's actually from a character named Socrates 00:02:13.629 --> 00:02:15.729 in Dan Millman's book The Way of the Peaceful 00:02:15.729 --> 00:02:18.270 Warrior. Regardless of who said it, I think it's 00:02:18.270 --> 00:02:20.810 perfect for today. Kun Jin and his team didn't 00:02:20.810 --> 00:02:23.370 just try to fix the old retail model, they built 00:02:23.370 --> 00:02:25.789 something completely new, a district that blends 00:02:25.789 --> 00:02:28.449 shopping, dining, and lifestyle into one massive 00:02:28.449 --> 00:02:30.870 experience. It reminds us that innovation is 00:02:30.870 --> 00:02:33.389 about creation, not just correction. And that's 00:02:33.389 --> 00:02:35.030 our quote of the day. Now on to some headline 00:02:35.030 --> 00:02:37.689 news. Thank you for our quote of the day. It 00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:39.849 is a busy start to the year. Here are your top 00:02:39.849 --> 00:02:41.689 three headlines for the beginning of February. 00:02:42.650 --> 00:02:45.430 Headline one. According to Retail Asia Calendar, 00:02:45.750 --> 00:02:48.789 the mall group seasonal forecast. The year of 00:02:48.789 --> 00:02:51.169 the horse is galloping in, with the Lunar New 00:02:51.169 --> 00:02:54.349 Year coming up on February 17th. Retail districts 00:02:54.349 --> 00:02:57.030 across Bangkok are launching their massive... 00:02:57.240 --> 00:03:00.039 prosperity campaigns. The mall group is expected 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.919 to turn the M district into a landmark for the 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:06.240 celebrations, targeting both locals and the influx 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.280 of tourists expected this month. It's shaping 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.379 up to be one of the biggest spending seasons 00:03:11.379 --> 00:03:14.419 of the quarter. Our next headline comes from 00:03:14.419 --> 00:03:17.650 the Ministry of Commerce 2026 Outlook. It states 00:03:17.650 --> 00:03:20.349 that the wellness economy will take center stage. 00:03:20.689 --> 00:03:25.050 New economic forecasts for 2026 show a major 00:03:25.050 --> 00:03:27.930 shift in Thai consumer behavior. Analysts are 00:03:27.930 --> 00:03:31.370 calling it the year of health is wealth. We are 00:03:31.370 --> 00:03:34.569 seeing a surge in spending on wellness -focused 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:38.270 retail, from organic food to activewear. It seems 00:03:38.270 --> 00:03:41.870 shoppers this year are prioritizing their health 00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:44.629 just as much as their fashion, or prioritizing 00:03:44.629 --> 00:03:47.139 their fashion because of their health. We will 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:50.639 see. And finally, according to the Bangkok Post, 00:03:50.900 --> 00:03:54.280 Bangkok's green push continues. As we deal with 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:56.919 the seasonal haze or pollution, there is good 00:03:56.919 --> 00:03:59.979 news on the sustainability front. Major retailers 00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:03.460 are doubling down. on their zero waste goals 00:04:03.460 --> 00:04:07.199 for 2026. We are seeing more brands launching 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.620 refill stations and plastic -free zones, proving 00:04:10.620 --> 00:04:13.259 that luxury and sustainability can actually go 00:04:13.259 --> 00:04:16.000 hand in hand. And that ends our headline news 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.459 for this episode. Thank you for the update, James. 00:04:19.579 --> 00:04:22.579 The retail landscape is moving fast. Today, we're 00:04:22.579 --> 00:04:24.279 going right to the source of that innovation 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:27.259 here in Bangkok. We have Khun Jean with us to 00:04:27.259 --> 00:04:30.379 discuss the M District and the future of lifestyle 00:04:30.379 --> 00:04:33.750 retail. and so much more. Esther will kick off 00:04:33.750 --> 00:04:36.449 our first segment. Welcome to the podcast, Kunjin. 00:04:36.569 --> 00:04:40.009 For our listeners who might know only the buildings 00:04:40.009 --> 00:04:42.449 but not the people behind them, could you please 00:04:42.449 --> 00:04:44.790 introduce yourself and tell us a little about 00:04:44.790 --> 00:04:48.029 what you do? Yeah, of course. So I'm Jin. I'm 00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:50.009 technically third generation of the mall group. 00:04:50.750 --> 00:04:52.870 The mall group has been built since before I 00:04:52.870 --> 00:04:55.050 was born and it's been passed on from generation 00:04:55.050 --> 00:04:59.709 to generation. Retail as a whole has been it's 00:04:59.709 --> 00:05:01.689 been around for quite some time but what's interesting 00:05:01.689 --> 00:05:04.790 about m district it was that emporium is actually 00:05:04.790 --> 00:05:07.689 the first luxury shopping mall in thailand so 00:05:07.689 --> 00:05:10.449 before that most of the luxury brands were not 00:05:10.449 --> 00:05:12.269 ready to come to thailand or they were actually 00:05:12.269 --> 00:05:15.209 in hotels before so emporium was the first big 00:05:15.209 --> 00:05:18.680 jump in retail for luxury as a whole It's amazing 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:21.100 to hear about the scope of your responsibilities. 00:05:21.620 --> 00:05:25.040 You spent a significant amount of time studying 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:28.339 abroad in the UK and US. With that international 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:31.839 perspective in mind, what inspired you to return, 00:05:32.060 --> 00:05:34.399 join the mall group, and take on your current 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:37.740 role? So I was sent to boarding school, pretty 00:05:37.740 --> 00:05:40.060 much sent to boarding school when I was 12. So 00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:44.220 I developed my own independent skills there, 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:46.660 really. And I think it's... quite nice because 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:49.860 I grew up here very well and I had a lot of people 00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:52.139 always looking out after me but going there you 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:54.180 get to experience the world completely different. 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:56.899 You're on your own pretty much and you have some 00:05:56.899 --> 00:05:59.220 sort of guidance but you get to really explore 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:02.319 and for in retail being able to explore at a 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.639 very young age is very important because you 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:07.319 get to absorb information and all people from 00:06:07.319 --> 00:06:09.620 all over the world and you get to see new things 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:13.160 especially in the UK where retail there is quite 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:16.750 strong already. And then in the U .S., you pick 00:06:16.750 --> 00:06:18.730 up on things on department stores and trends 00:06:18.730 --> 00:06:21.689 in the world quite nicely as well. So having 00:06:21.689 --> 00:06:25.790 that, M -Sphere, actually when I graduated, M 00:06:25.790 --> 00:06:28.170 -Sphere was about to come up. So I didn't have 00:06:28.170 --> 00:06:31.310 much of a choice, sadly. So I had 10 days off 00:06:31.310 --> 00:06:34.250 after I received my diploma. I flew back. My 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:36.459 mom gave me 10 days of just... go to the beach, 00:06:36.579 --> 00:06:39.699 go to her house in Phuong An for 10 days. And 00:06:39.699 --> 00:06:41.920 then that's it. I came in straight to work. And 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:45.040 my first meeting was with IKEA and Prada. And 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.279 it was a great first day. So it was when IKEA 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:49.899 already signed with us and they came to first 00:06:49.899 --> 00:06:52.160 have a look at the M -Sphere project as a whole. 00:06:52.740 --> 00:06:55.639 So when I came in, it was the perfect timing. 00:06:55.779 --> 00:06:59.000 The first foundation already went in. We were 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:02.060 constructing now. So I just saw going in with 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:04.240 my bare hands and everything with a helmet on 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:06.569 site with the leasing team. preparing to start 00:07:06.569 --> 00:07:10.970 selling and and um it was just a very fun experience 00:07:10.970 --> 00:07:14.029 so not much not much of a choice but i really 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:17.470 i was groomed to to understand retail at a very 00:07:17.470 --> 00:07:19.269 young age because it's passed on from generation 00:07:19.269 --> 00:07:22.329 i used to sit in when i was like six seven years 00:07:22.329 --> 00:07:24.430 old they would just show me a couple plans around 00:07:24.430 --> 00:07:26.550 so i got into interior design because of this 00:07:26.550 --> 00:07:29.149 as well and then i came to understand how circulation 00:07:29.149 --> 00:07:32.730 works and how people come to malls not just to 00:07:32.730 --> 00:07:35.009 shop but it's a way of life in thailand as well 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:38.399 Seems like you had quite the childhood going 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.939 to different continents just to study and figure 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:44.759 out like sort of your entire life. And in the 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:48.300 UK, especially saying that you found like quite 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:50.540 a lot doing having to do everything yourself, 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.839 you know. And that's sort of global perspective 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:56.800 having, you know, studied for in many places. 00:07:57.740 --> 00:07:59.800 It's probably changed your aspect on a lot of 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:02.379 things. So looking at the bigger picture of the 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:05.129 whole entire industry. How do you think that 00:08:05.129 --> 00:08:07.569 shopping malls will be changing the next few 00:08:07.569 --> 00:08:09.949 years compared to, you know, what we see right 00:08:09.949 --> 00:08:13.050 now? Yeah, so there's definitely a dynamic shift 00:08:13.050 --> 00:08:15.949 right now with e -commerce and like Shopee, Lazada, 00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:19.029 you can name a bunch, right? But what's important 00:08:19.029 --> 00:08:22.449 is, what I solely believe is shopping malls in 00:08:22.449 --> 00:08:26.089 retail is very, it's actually very world -class. 00:08:26.290 --> 00:08:28.769 Not just us, I'm talking about Central Group, 00:08:28.910 --> 00:08:31.050 I'm talking about CMP World, the mall group as 00:08:31.050 --> 00:08:34.500 a whole is very strong. And when we go out overseas 00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:37.779 a lot, you'll be surprised how many more retailers 00:08:37.779 --> 00:08:41.059 come to us to talk about our innovation about 00:08:41.059 --> 00:08:42.740 retail in Thailand because the competition is 00:08:42.740 --> 00:08:47.419 very high. And also all these huge projects that 00:08:47.419 --> 00:08:49.259 you see in retail in Thailand have won global 00:08:49.259 --> 00:08:52.779 awards everywhere. So the trend, I must say, 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:56.220 e -commerce is disrupting a little bit. I would 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:58.279 say on the department side. So when I mentioned 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:00.539 earlier how you have the main retail side and 00:09:00.539 --> 00:09:02.159 then you have the department side. Department 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:05.340 is, you know, you have the, how would you describe 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:07.740 it? It's more of a department store. I don't 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:10.320 know the actual term, how you describe a department 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:12.659 store, but that one's getting more disruptive, 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:15.120 especially cosmetics. That one I'll be able to 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:18.100 honestly, because as a girl, I'm sure you buy 00:09:18.100 --> 00:09:20.000 your cosmetics online now. It's a lot because 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:21.740 you remember which one you have to try. But before 00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:24.529 that, you didn't really have a choice. A department 00:09:24.529 --> 00:09:27.330 store compiled all these brands together into 00:09:27.330 --> 00:09:29.590 one location. But now you can tap it on your 00:09:29.590 --> 00:09:32.789 phone. So that one's very clear. But the main 00:09:32.789 --> 00:09:37.289 retail is less disruptive because people still 00:09:37.289 --> 00:09:40.269 want to come test the product out. The service 00:09:40.269 --> 00:09:45.950 is there. You have your SAs. You have your VIP 00:09:45.950 --> 00:09:49.789 clients. Everyone requires that nice service. 00:09:49.950 --> 00:09:52.899 And then you have that. fmb program as well so 00:09:52.899 --> 00:09:55.820 it's a complete lifestyle and ecosystem as a 00:09:55.820 --> 00:09:59.220 whole but um the one thing i know that eventually 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:01.320 online can't even overtake is luxury business 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:04.039 because at the price you want to touch and feel 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:06.639 all that stuff before you really want to buy 00:10:07.070 --> 00:10:10.129 It sounds like the definition of a mall is really 00:10:10.129 --> 00:10:13.210 evolving into lifestyle center. With all these 00:10:13.210 --> 00:10:15.769 changes happening currently, what part of your 00:10:15.769 --> 00:10:18.289 work at the mall group excites you the most? 00:10:18.629 --> 00:10:22.590 So I actually get to dictate what a mall becomes 00:10:22.590 --> 00:10:25.269 lifestyle because I'm in the leasing team. So 00:10:25.269 --> 00:10:29.029 we get to plan the new concepts, new areas out 00:10:29.029 --> 00:10:33.029 for certain areas. For example, We wanted to 00:10:33.029 --> 00:10:35.809 change what we call the C building in M Quartier, 00:10:35.889 --> 00:10:38.750 where it used to be a space of Club 21 brands. 00:10:38.990 --> 00:10:42.710 But then those long -term leases finished, and 00:10:42.710 --> 00:10:45.230 then we planned on renovating the whole area, 00:10:45.269 --> 00:10:47.470 which we've done successfully with bringing brands 00:10:47.470 --> 00:10:51.190 like Allo, more yoga wearings like Lululemon, 00:10:51.309 --> 00:10:54.990 and then Massimo Dutti. They're more of a lifestyle 00:10:54.990 --> 00:10:57.429 brand now. All these brands are shifting themselves 00:10:57.429 --> 00:11:00.070 to more lifestyle, so they connect with the customer 00:11:00.070 --> 00:11:05.220 base. Rather than being all very bland, not very 00:11:05.220 --> 00:11:08.419 outgoing with their customers, no initiative 00:11:08.419 --> 00:11:11.679 programs, etc. So I think as a whole, retail 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:15.200 is shifting to that way because we just don't 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.159 want our customers to come shop anymore. We want 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:20.600 them to spend their time there. Starbucks called 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:22.840 themselves the third place. We try to copy that 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:25.720 model as well. So that's home, work, and then 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:27.940 us, where you can come and complete your own 00:11:27.940 --> 00:11:30.389 lifestyle there. That sounds very interesting. 00:11:30.570 --> 00:11:33.350 And I imagine there's a lot of challenges when 00:11:33.350 --> 00:11:35.049 it comes to that and like sort of thinking about 00:11:35.049 --> 00:11:38.629 how to renovate things. So how do you bring new 00:11:38.629 --> 00:11:41.710 fresh ideas into a company with such like an 00:11:41.710 --> 00:11:44.210 established dominant history like the mall group? 00:11:44.429 --> 00:11:47.970 This comes with time, I would say. Like you might 00:11:47.970 --> 00:11:51.289 be a very young person seeing a lot of new things 00:11:51.289 --> 00:11:55.029 come in, but it's the way that you. want to accomplish 00:11:55.029 --> 00:11:57.490 these things how would you say it how would you 00:11:57.490 --> 00:11:59.669 project your idea as a young individual because 00:11:59.669 --> 00:12:02.250 in most companies young individuals will have 00:12:02.250 --> 00:12:05.690 something fresh something new that the the older 00:12:05.690 --> 00:12:07.649 generation may not have experienced but the most 00:12:07.649 --> 00:12:09.730 important thing is how you project and how you 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:13.429 plan all this out step by step so studying abroad 00:12:13.429 --> 00:12:16.210 that definitely helps i tend to see things before 00:12:16.210 --> 00:12:18.570 um and trends and then having friends globally 00:12:18.570 --> 00:12:20.629 they send me brands as well which one's doing 00:12:20.629 --> 00:12:24.240 well so it's important and Now with social media 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:28.139 and with the global networking, it's a lot quicker, 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:30.580 I would say. So people tend to fly to Thailand 00:12:30.580 --> 00:12:34.399 now and we kind of see brands before even Hong 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:36.980 Kong and Singapore now as well. So Thailand as 00:12:36.980 --> 00:12:40.740 a whole is actually very fashion forward. We're 00:12:40.740 --> 00:12:43.100 very quick on trends and we're actually one of 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:45.580 the leaders in social media. So all these big 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:48.580 brands and up and coming brands in the US, from 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:52.409 the UK, from Korea tend to like... picking thailand 00:12:52.409 --> 00:12:54.610 first as well so we get to experience all these 00:12:54.610 --> 00:12:57.409 new concepts beforehand yeah the balance between 00:12:57.409 --> 00:13:00.230 the old and the new is crucial from like what 00:13:00.230 --> 00:13:03.629 i see which leads us to the last question before 00:13:03.629 --> 00:13:06.610 taking a quick break on a personal level what 00:13:06.610 --> 00:13:08.509 have you learned about leadership while working 00:13:08.509 --> 00:13:11.460 within a family business structure Okay, this 00:13:11.460 --> 00:13:13.940 one's actually, it varies from business to business. 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:16.700 And like working in a family business environment, 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:20.100 it's completely different to how a professional 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:23.820 business would run. But what, like I said earlier, 00:13:23.860 --> 00:13:26.740 is how you say and how you project it. Because 00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:29.039 sometimes you may disagree. And sometimes the 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.960 second generation don't know your value yet or 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:33.820 they don't understand. Like they claim they have 00:13:33.820 --> 00:13:36.519 more, not they claim, they definitely have more 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:39.269 experience. But with retail, it's... ever -changing 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:42.429 you have to adapt with the times so we have to 00:13:42.429 --> 00:13:45.830 try implement our new ideas into their experience 00:13:45.830 --> 00:13:48.789 and find a great solution and when that solution 00:13:48.789 --> 00:13:52.230 comes it usually works very well so with leadership 00:13:52.230 --> 00:13:55.250 it's a matter of time but the most important 00:13:55.250 --> 00:13:58.470 thing is actually excluding the families actually 00:13:58.470 --> 00:14:00.690 having a very strong team and your team actually 00:14:00.690 --> 00:14:03.629 falls you've not because they work for you but 00:14:03.629 --> 00:14:05.330 because they're proud of what they want to do 00:14:05.330 --> 00:14:07.850 as well like for me when I work with my team 00:14:08.250 --> 00:14:10.289 I'm not the guy that would just dictate and say, 00:14:10.350 --> 00:14:11.909 all right, I want it like this, this, this, and 00:14:11.909 --> 00:14:14.570 that. No, I like having a team that tells me 00:14:14.570 --> 00:14:17.149 what's up and coming and they can pitch ideas 00:14:17.149 --> 00:14:20.250 with me. I'm not very structured, orientated. 00:14:20.309 --> 00:14:22.549 I'm more of a team -based. I play football my 00:14:22.549 --> 00:14:25.610 entire life. I know if one player is not performing, 00:14:25.730 --> 00:14:27.490 that doesn't mean the team is going to play bad. 00:14:27.649 --> 00:14:30.690 If one person dictates the whole team, that doesn't 00:14:30.690 --> 00:14:32.690 mean you're going to win. I feel like if we're 00:14:32.690 --> 00:14:34.450 going to do a project together, we're going to 00:14:34.450 --> 00:14:35.450 win together and we're going to lose together. 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:38.100 So this is where sports comes in kind of handy 00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:40.019 when you get to work with the team. All right. 00:14:40.059 --> 00:14:43.860 I love that analogy of team and and using just 00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:46.220 the idea of like team sports of helping that 00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:49.679 collaborative. The whole teamwork issue is a 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:54.000 21st century skill set. So it's a really important 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:57.419 skill set, especially now in our ever changing 00:14:57.419 --> 00:15:00.559 and things change so fast now. So especially 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.379 with retail. So thank you, Kunjin. We're going 00:15:03.379 --> 00:15:05.940 to pause right there for a moment. When we come 00:15:05.940 --> 00:15:08.360 back, we'll dive deeper into the specific vision 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:11.259 for the M district. So we'll be right back after 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:19.080 the short message. I want to take a pause and 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.000 talk about the other side of so many cities. 00:15:21.470 --> 00:15:23.269 We've been talking a lot today about massive 00:15:23.269 --> 00:15:25.409 developments, world -class architecture, and 00:15:25.409 --> 00:15:27.289 the future of retail. And don't get me wrong, 00:15:27.389 --> 00:15:29.649 those things are exciting. They put Bangkok on 00:15:29.649 --> 00:15:31.769 the global map. But if you really think about 00:15:31.769 --> 00:15:34.129 it, what is the true heartbeat of this city? 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:36.809 It is the auntie grilling muping at the entrance 00:15:36.809 --> 00:15:38.950 of your store earlier in the morning. It is the 00:15:38.950 --> 00:15:41.350 uncle fixing shoes on a sidewalk. It is that 00:15:41.350 --> 00:15:43.690 small family -run coffee shop that doesn't have 00:15:43.690 --> 00:15:46.149 an app, but remembers exactly how you like your 00:15:46.149 --> 00:15:50.059 drink. In Thailand, these micro -SMEs And street 00:15:50.059 --> 00:15:52.700 vendors aren't just scenery. They are a massive 00:15:52.700 --> 00:15:55.059 engine of our economy. They support families, 00:15:55.259 --> 00:15:57.720 send kids to school, and keep our neighborhoods 00:15:57.720 --> 00:16:01.460 vibrant and unique. So, as we move through 2026, 00:16:01.779 --> 00:16:04.620 here's my challenge. Enjoy the malls. Enjoy the 00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:06.700 air conditioning and luxury brands. But on your 00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:08.799 way there or on your way home, don't forget the 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:11.139 little guys. Buy your fruit from the streetcar. 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:14.000 Get your iced tea from the local stand. It is 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:16.159 these thousands of small interactions that build 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:18.519 our community. When you support a small vendor, 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:20.659 you aren't just buying a product, you're helping 00:16:20.659 --> 00:16:23.059 a neighbor. Let's make sure that as our city 00:16:23.059 --> 00:16:25.159 goes upward, we don't forget the people who keep 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:30.120 it grounded. And we are back with the second 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:33.549 part of our discussion. speaking with Kunjin 00:16:33.549 --> 00:16:36.629 about his role at the mall group and his leadership 00:16:36.629 --> 00:16:39.269 style. Now we want to look at where the industry 00:16:39.269 --> 00:16:41.610 is actually going. So Esther, why don't you kick 00:16:41.610 --> 00:16:44.309 off this segment as well? Thank you, Mr. Jason. 00:16:45.190 --> 00:16:48.190 Kunjin, the retail world seems to change every 00:16:48.190 --> 00:16:50.950 time we look at our phones. With things evolving 00:16:50.950 --> 00:16:54.250 so quickly, what big trends in retail are you 00:16:54.250 --> 00:16:57.809 paying the most attention to currently? So... 00:16:58.409 --> 00:17:01.009 The most recent trend right now, it's more about 00:17:01.009 --> 00:17:03.309 lifestyle -based and wellness and longevity. 00:17:03.649 --> 00:17:06.150 So those three categories we're trying to prioritize 00:17:06.150 --> 00:17:09.529 as well. And then another big one, I think it's 00:17:09.529 --> 00:17:12.349 very up and coming as well, is pets. It's dogs 00:17:12.349 --> 00:17:15.309 and cats and your household animals. That's another 00:17:15.309 --> 00:17:18.829 very big topic to get into. But yeah, those three 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.529 are the main. So lifestyle brands are like Allo, 00:17:22.670 --> 00:17:25.529 Lululemon, that gear towards not just fashion 00:17:25.529 --> 00:17:29.609 brand, but actually... um to do with like how 00:17:29.609 --> 00:17:32.329 it's not just about the quality or the the name 00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:34.630 anymore it's about what the brand stands for 00:17:34.630 --> 00:17:38.410 so those brands are very strong and then longevity 00:17:38.410 --> 00:17:41.029 wellness spas those are very popular like especially 00:17:41.029 --> 00:17:43.450 out of covid a lot of uh the trends are more 00:17:43.450 --> 00:17:45.029 about health but you see all these run clubs 00:17:45.029 --> 00:17:47.609 going around now so those are great like that 00:17:47.609 --> 00:17:50.009 that pairs really well with the aloe and the 00:17:50.009 --> 00:17:53.660 lifestyle brands active wear brands um So those 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:55.660 are the current trends. And then I believe in 00:17:55.660 --> 00:17:59.480 a couple more years, the human population is 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:02.240 kind of decreasing in Thailand as a whole. And 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.799 then pets and cats are increasing. So that's 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:08.519 a very interesting field to go into as well. 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:12.660 Yeah, my sister was working on a consulting group 00:18:12.660 --> 00:18:16.200 for Arak, and they say it's actually one of the 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:19.079 strongest categories to look into right now is 00:18:19.079 --> 00:18:22.259 pets as well. So we try to develop retail in 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:26.440 more pet -friendly spaces as well now. So that's 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:29.380 going to become more and more relevant, I think, 00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:32.859 in Thailand as well. But in Europe and U .S., 00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:35.480 it's already quite friendly, whereas Thailand, 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.799 it's still developing to become like that as 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:41.339 well. Oh, that's quite interesting about the 00:18:41.339 --> 00:18:43.799 trends and the new up -and -coming stuff that 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:46.420 more people seem more interested in and more 00:18:46.420 --> 00:18:48.920 inclined to buy. Just a quick question, are you 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:51.500 a cat or dog person? I am a dog person, actually. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:55.140 I have two little babies at home right now. I 00:18:55.140 --> 00:19:00.099 see what you mean. Alright, so to identify a 00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:04.200 trend is pretty hard, but executing it is probably... 00:19:05.109 --> 00:19:07.769 The harder part. So can you share a specific 00:19:07.769 --> 00:19:10.049 challenge you faced on a project, maybe with 00:19:10.049 --> 00:19:13.769 like launching M -Sphere or a renovation? How 00:19:13.769 --> 00:19:17.329 did you handle it? So when M -Sphere is opening, 00:19:17.529 --> 00:19:19.970 we had to plan the concept completely different 00:19:19.970 --> 00:19:23.349 from Emporium and M -Quartier as a whole already. 00:19:23.470 --> 00:19:26.150 Emporium is the ultimate luxury. It's been like 00:19:26.150 --> 00:19:28.349 that forever since the first day it was built. 00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:31.309 M -Quartier is more of the lifestyle, more indoor, 00:19:31.369 --> 00:19:35.059 outdoor, more everyday mall. Whereas M -Sphere 00:19:35.059 --> 00:19:39.339 had to be a global establishment that drew in 00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:42.779 tourists and a lot of younger generations. Because 00:19:42.779 --> 00:19:44.700 this mall was made for the younger generation. 00:19:44.779 --> 00:19:47.359 It's the food court downstairs. We call it a 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:50.140 food court, a food market. The M -Market is, 00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:53.859 you don't find a lot of adults, like older generation 00:19:53.859 --> 00:19:56.400 eating there because it's very fast paced. It's 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:00.119 not like a seated area. Not well seated. It's 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.579 kind of hectic in a way. Where the younger generation 00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:05.059 likes that. You get to meet people. You get to 00:20:05.059 --> 00:20:10.539 see people. The vibe is more energetic. Whereas 00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:13.519 Emporium is very casual dining. It's more elevated 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:16.400 dining. You kind of sit, relax. At M -Sphere 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:19.240 it's more like a chop chop. You get to try lots 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:21.339 of different dishes. And you have to walk everywhere 00:20:21.339 --> 00:20:24.900 to try these dishes. It's not served. So it's 00:20:24.900 --> 00:20:29.539 more. It's been dedicated to. the newer trend 00:20:29.539 --> 00:20:32.380 and also the tourists because it's got so much 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:35.539 variety in them sphere and then you have all 00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:38.940 these news uh concepts like m wonder we spoke 00:20:38.940 --> 00:20:41.480 about is the uh entertainment like that's the 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:43.279 first time we managed to put an entertainment 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:47.019 into retail and it creates a new environment 00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:50.000 as a whole because that floor during the afternoon's 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.559 not full but in the evening it gets really full 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:56.529 so it draws in traffic it keeps people around 00:20:56.529 --> 00:20:59.880 all these three buildings of our retail. So we 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:03.019 call it the endless metropolis, you know, so 00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:05.819 it's day and night. So you can go running in 00:21:05.819 --> 00:21:08.019 the park in the morning and then you go up to 00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:11.380 the gym and take a shower there. And then you 00:21:11.380 --> 00:21:14.099 go to office at Barad Tower and then you have 00:21:14.099 --> 00:21:18.019 lunch at M Sphere or M Quartier. You go to Gourmet 00:21:18.019 --> 00:21:20.019 Market. If you want to go home, you grab groceries 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:23.099 there. And if that day happens to be a Thursday 00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:24.759 or Friday and your friends want to come see you, 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:26.480 you can bring them straight up to M Wonder and 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.599 have a nice beer. And enjoy a nice relaxing time. 00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:31.700 Then you go back home. So it's a whole completed 00:21:31.700 --> 00:21:34.380 ecosystem. So the most important thing is that 00:21:34.380 --> 00:21:37.740 our concepts cannot collide. And so there's no 00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:40.440 cannibalism between the customer base as well. 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.200 That seems pretty, you know, a lot of organization 00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:47.119 goes into that. And like having to put in thought 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:50.339 to all the different genres of shops or businesses. 00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:53.480 And with all of those, you know, shops and businesses 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:55.640 that are spread across throughout, you know. 00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:59.039 all the malls in the area. How do you plan with 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:02.200 them across the years of their sort of contracts? 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:06.740 So in Thailand, the standard of a contract is 00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:09.420 usually around three years. And then because, 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:11.859 you know, retail tends to ship quite fast. So 00:22:11.859 --> 00:22:15.940 now we're M -Sphere is actually started to have 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:19.220 a lot more pop up spaces. So this not only allows. 00:22:19.710 --> 00:22:21.769 us to have flexibility with the brands coming 00:22:21.769 --> 00:22:23.569 in. They might have a one -year pop -up, they 00:22:23.569 --> 00:22:25.549 might do a six -month pop -up, but it allows 00:22:25.549 --> 00:22:28.670 younger brands and new opportunities to enter 00:22:28.670 --> 00:22:31.210 retail as a physical store. There's so many online 00:22:31.210 --> 00:22:34.329 brands now, especially on Shopee. I have a lot 00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:38.049 of my friends do online retail as well. So they 00:22:38.049 --> 00:22:39.950 sell clothing online, they sell their products 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:41.589 online, but they don't have a physical space 00:22:41.589 --> 00:22:45.210 because entering a physical retail area, you 00:22:45.210 --> 00:22:48.849 need to be well -established. It's also a bit... 00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:52.460 a big jump for them from online to a retail space 00:22:52.460 --> 00:22:55.559 so pop -up is a great common space where but 00:22:55.559 --> 00:22:58.319 we can meet in the middle where it complements 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:00.799 them and it helps them enter the the physical 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:04.440 retail area and it gives them opportunity to 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:06.920 grow you know like that's what's important about 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:10.400 uh the trend now is like for example even butterbear 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.799 like you it started atmosphere right so um Boom, 00:23:14.099 --> 00:23:17.440 MP1 is actually my friend from a while ago. And 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.980 then MDEL as well is my sister's good friend. 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:22.859 They didn't expect this at all. But when they 00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:25.240 entered retail, I remember going through their 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:27.180 interior design. It was a pop -up at first. You'll 00:23:27.180 --> 00:23:29.900 be surprised. It was a pop -up store. And then 00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:35.259 they grew from our event, actually, was the Children's 00:23:35.259 --> 00:23:37.240 Day event. We asked all the tenants to do a nice 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:41.079 little mascot. They made Nong Nui. And then after 00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:44.230 that, it exploded. Now they have a popper store. 00:23:44.410 --> 00:23:47.289 See, that's what I'm saying. It's about taking 00:23:47.289 --> 00:23:49.490 a chance with these younger brands, giving them 00:23:49.490 --> 00:23:53.349 an area to grow. And then next thing you know, 00:23:53.390 --> 00:23:56.670 you create something completely new. So that's 00:23:56.670 --> 00:24:01.849 how you see retail is that you can't rely on 00:24:01.849 --> 00:24:04.670 all the big brands. They can be your anchor, 00:24:04.789 --> 00:24:06.569 but if you want something new and fresh, you 00:24:06.569 --> 00:24:08.390 have to go out there and see all these new brands. 00:24:08.490 --> 00:24:11.170 You have to take a risk on them as well. It's 00:24:11.170 --> 00:24:13.880 not just about us. getting money from a well 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:15.440 -established brand but if you want something 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:18.220 to be new you have to take a risk and and ride 00:24:18.220 --> 00:24:20.380 with them too you know and help fully support 00:24:20.380 --> 00:24:23.579 them i agree with you just a quick thing i love 00:24:23.579 --> 00:24:26.519 butterburys they're like so cute so like yeah 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:29.099 um back to the topic it sounds like resilience 00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:32.900 is key in property management if you look beyond 00:24:32.900 --> 00:24:35.559 just like the immediate problems and big dreams 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:39.019 for a moment what does the mall of future look 00:24:39.019 --> 00:24:43.809 to like So the mall of the future is, you kind 00:24:43.809 --> 00:24:46.609 of have to balance both the commercial side and 00:24:46.609 --> 00:24:49.970 then the dream, right? So the dream for me was 00:24:49.970 --> 00:24:53.369 to create a mall that does not feel like you're 00:24:53.369 --> 00:24:55.890 inside a mall. So especially in Thailand, especially 00:24:55.890 --> 00:24:59.109 in Bangkok, it's very city, very urban jungle. 00:24:59.309 --> 00:25:03.789 I want to create a mall that is very eco -friendly 00:25:03.789 --> 00:25:07.339 and very green. But then I don't know how I'm 00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:09.380 going to put the commercial in there. So it's 00:25:09.380 --> 00:25:13.339 a game of balance, you know. So you can dream 00:25:13.339 --> 00:25:17.819 of all these crazy new ideas, but if you can't 00:25:17.819 --> 00:25:19.900 put the commercial side in it as well, then it's 00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:23.859 not really good. Yeah, it's not really a business. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:31.140 It becomes more of a fun project. So I'm planning 00:25:31.140 --> 00:25:36.079 on developing is the... lifestyle type of malls 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:39.680 because now if you have a basic retail it's not 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:41.859 fun to walk anymore you have shop after shop 00:25:41.859 --> 00:25:44.240 after shop after shop it's it's kind of boring 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:47.500 you know like food food can be fun and done in 00:25:47.500 --> 00:25:49.319 so many different ways that's not the hard part 00:25:49.319 --> 00:25:52.279 the hard part is the is the fashion area and 00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:55.279 the cosmetics area and then you have the lifestyle 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:57.720 is fine because all these stores they have creativity 00:25:57.720 --> 00:26:01.099 but if you talk to me like zara uniclo h &m they 00:26:01.099 --> 00:26:04.640 go work off a global standard that they have 00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:07.420 to follow and in retail in Thailand there's so 00:26:07.420 --> 00:26:09.380 many shopping malls there's the same concept 00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:11.900 of just shop after shop after shop but how do 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:15.640 we change these layouts or how do we change what 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:17.579 they look like or how they make a customer feel 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:20.160 when you walk into a retail area to make them 00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:22.960 feel like I just walked in but I didn't expect 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:25.740 to buy anything that's the sole objective to 00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:28.779 have so it becomes a natural feeling rather than 00:26:28.779 --> 00:26:31.589 it's like here here's here's 30 off walk in my 00:26:31.589 --> 00:26:33.549 store you know i don't want that i want them 00:26:33.549 --> 00:26:37.390 to like go in and like experience the shop the 00:26:37.390 --> 00:26:40.769 brand that it's and they come out with maybe 00:26:40.769 --> 00:26:42.970 one or two products or even more rather than 00:26:42.970 --> 00:26:46.150 some essay shoving in their face yeah that's 00:26:46.150 --> 00:26:49.309 such a lot of like the relationship is you know 00:26:49.309 --> 00:26:54.099 so important in this And as you help build like 00:26:54.099 --> 00:26:56.099 sort of the future and like all those relationships 00:26:56.099 --> 00:27:00.420 necessary, what is your personal long -term vision 00:27:00.420 --> 00:27:02.900 for your own work and the impact you want to 00:27:02.900 --> 00:27:07.339 make at the mall group? So right now my job at 00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:10.180 the mall group is, it's actually kind of split 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:13.759 into three different areas. So you have my cousins 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:16.200 looking after the mall group side, which is the 00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:19.859 number one, my other cousins looking after the 00:27:19.859 --> 00:27:22.619 gourmet. And then my aunts look after new projects. 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:25.240 My mom's looking after renovations and the department 00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:28.000 side. I'm actually being assigned to look after 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:31.460 M District as a whole. So I'm the leasing team, 00:27:31.539 --> 00:27:35.460 but I look, being an owner, you can jump around 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:38.799 and start seeing different areas of each part 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:40.460 of the business. But I've been assigned to look 00:27:40.460 --> 00:27:43.400 after M District. So my plan right now is to 00:27:43.400 --> 00:27:47.759 make sure that each building grows and it doesn't 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:52.319 drop. I have to change certain anchors out to 00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:56.920 make sure it's performing better. So I'm throwing 00:27:56.920 --> 00:27:59.480 all these new concepts into existing buildings. 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:05.640 So it's partly renovation and partly also adapting 00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:09.160 as well. So this one is what I'm going through 00:28:09.160 --> 00:28:11.140 right now. I can't tell you exactly what I'm 00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:12.759 going... I can't tell you yet because it's not 00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:15.900 finalized. But I'm sure in the next... year, 00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:18.460 you'll see a lot of changes in Emporium and M 00:28:18.460 --> 00:28:21.220 Quartier as well. And then M Sphere, we'll go 00:28:21.220 --> 00:28:24.220 through another one maybe in a year. I don't 00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:27.519 know, 2027 we'll have some changes for M Sphere. 00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:32.400 We probably have already graduated by then, sadly. 00:28:32.579 --> 00:28:36.500 We can't see those changes. But speaking of how 00:28:36.500 --> 00:28:39.880 you have to put the concepts into existing malls, 00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:42.220 well, I've heard there's a new mall opening soon. 00:28:42.740 --> 00:28:44.920 Is there any information you can sort of share 00:28:44.920 --> 00:28:46.940 on that? I can share a little bit on that one. 00:28:47.019 --> 00:28:49.400 So it's called Bangkok Mall. This one's right 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.339 opposite by Tech in Bangna. So it's not too far 00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:54.519 from here, actually. It's actually going to be 00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:57.460 the biggest mall in Southeast Asia. It's around 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:02.019 a million square meters of retail space. So it's 00:29:02.019 --> 00:29:04.279 kind of crazy this one. So it's using both my 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:06.660 team from the MDS6 team and my cousin's team 00:29:06.660 --> 00:29:10.539 to fill up all these spaces. And it's going to 00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:12.819 be a one -of -a -kind mall because it's called 00:29:12.819 --> 00:29:15.400 Bangkok Mall. We have no choice but to succeed 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:18.119 in this one. It's the establishment of Bangkok. 00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:20.339 It's got a bit of everything. Well, I can tell 00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:23.119 you already what it has is AEG. It's a 20 ,000 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:26.900 arena seating. So AEG is actually our partner 00:29:26.900 --> 00:29:30.730 and they are the people that do Coachella. So, 00:29:30.730 --> 00:29:32.569 yeah, so that one's been done a couple years 00:29:32.569 --> 00:29:36.430 ago already. Technically, they're also signed 00:29:36.430 --> 00:29:38.289 with UOB Live at M -Sphere, but that was just 00:29:38.289 --> 00:29:40.170 the prelude. That was just a warm -up. The real 00:29:40.170 --> 00:29:42.789 one is at Van Gogh Mall. So when you have big 00:29:42.789 --> 00:29:45.589 artists come by, it would all be most, if it's 00:29:45.589 --> 00:29:47.829 not, like, super big. So, like, Lisa is a little 00:29:47.829 --> 00:29:49.529 bit too big. You need the whole Rashomon collab. 00:29:49.650 --> 00:29:52.970 But if you're talking about, like, you might 00:29:52.970 --> 00:29:54.890 talk about, like, Justin Bieber around that size, 00:29:54.950 --> 00:29:57.769 we can have at AEG. So it's 20 ,000, so it's 00:29:57.769 --> 00:30:00.529 quite big. And it's a world -class entertainment 00:30:00.529 --> 00:30:03.509 stadium, so it's done by the best in the United 00:30:03.509 --> 00:30:07.470 States. So all the artists at Coachella, they 00:30:07.470 --> 00:30:09.450 have ties with, so we can definitely have them 00:30:09.450 --> 00:30:11.509 over here. So that's one of the new shifts we're 00:30:11.509 --> 00:30:14.190 going into for Banco Mall is increasing that 00:30:14.190 --> 00:30:17.829 entertainment vibe because it brings in traffic 00:30:17.829 --> 00:30:21.490 and it helps F &B and fashion as well. It's not 00:30:21.490 --> 00:30:24.230 just about having one concert per night. a whole 00:30:24.230 --> 00:30:26.430 program throughout the year so that's why we 00:30:26.430 --> 00:30:29.910 decided to jv with uh with ag as well and then 00:30:29.910 --> 00:30:32.750 we will have an aquarium in there we're deciding 00:30:32.750 --> 00:30:35.450 which one right now so we're going through so 00:30:35.450 --> 00:30:37.789 it's gonna be a very big aquarium and then the 00:30:37.789 --> 00:30:41.490 main retail we're dividing right now where one 00:30:41.490 --> 00:30:44.329 four is gonna be completely food that's for certain 00:30:44.329 --> 00:30:46.750 so it's one four fluid and then we're gonna have 00:30:47.600 --> 00:30:50.839 on basic retail on level m one two and three 00:30:50.839 --> 00:30:52.700 and then we're working on that one right now 00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:54.160 so i can't tell you what the concept is going 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:57.380 to be like and then four this one can tell you 00:30:57.380 --> 00:31:00.640 we're trying to replicate uh indoor markets so 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:05.480 it's trying to move into into vancoma so this 00:31:05.480 --> 00:31:06.839 is going to be quite a big challenge it's going 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:09.220 to be on the fourth floor but the traffic i don't 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:10.700 know how it's how it's going to be once it's 00:31:10.700 --> 00:31:13.730 open so we've had a lot of uh circulation issues 00:31:13.730 --> 00:31:16.670 so we had to do a highway like u -turn etc i 00:31:16.670 --> 00:31:18.150 straightened something to the mall and so it's 00:31:18.150 --> 00:31:22.890 it's quite a big chunk yeah this is truly exciting 00:31:22.890 --> 00:31:25.930 and so like such a big thing that we're gonna 00:31:25.930 --> 00:31:29.130 look ahead we have many students who might want 00:31:29.130 --> 00:31:31.490 to follow your footsteps since you're such an 00:31:31.490 --> 00:31:34.950 iconic before we let you go what advice would 00:31:34.950 --> 00:31:37.329 you give young people who want to work in retail 00:31:37.329 --> 00:31:41.799 or real estate um First thing is you need to 00:31:41.799 --> 00:31:45.720 go see the world. You need to really go out there 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:48.339 and explore all these different type of peoples 00:31:48.339 --> 00:31:50.839 and also all these type of retail spaces all 00:31:50.839 --> 00:31:52.779 over the world. Because if you don't and you 00:31:52.779 --> 00:31:55.140 stay in your own little shell, you'll never pick 00:31:55.140 --> 00:31:58.220 up on what the world trend is changing. And retail 00:31:58.220 --> 00:32:01.079 is split into two parts. One is tenant and one 00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:04.099 is customers walking in your retail space. So 00:32:04.099 --> 00:32:06.319 tenants, you have to be aware of which brands 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:09.230 are coming. You need to know. how they're performing 00:32:09.230 --> 00:32:11.109 in the long run. You have to have the vision 00:32:11.109 --> 00:32:12.809 if they're going to stay there forever, or is 00:32:12.809 --> 00:32:16.049 it just a quick little come and go brand? You 00:32:16.049 --> 00:32:18.509 need that type of vision for retail. And then 00:32:18.509 --> 00:32:20.710 the second is the customer base. When I say when 00:32:20.710 --> 00:32:22.250 you go to college, you're not just studying there 00:32:22.250 --> 00:32:24.069 inside a classroom. You're not just reading off 00:32:24.069 --> 00:32:26.170 what's on your screen, but you're also to not 00:32:26.170 --> 00:32:28.549 study the people, but understand the people that 00:32:28.549 --> 00:32:30.329 are going to be doing business with you in future. 00:32:30.710 --> 00:32:33.430 You need to know what they like, what the trend 00:32:33.430 --> 00:32:37.789 of your generation is. That's for me is... equally 00:32:37.789 --> 00:32:40.410 as valuable what the professor space in the in 00:32:40.410 --> 00:32:43.250 the in the lecture hall like understand your 00:32:43.250 --> 00:32:46.210 peers and the trend of your generation is what's 00:32:46.210 --> 00:32:49.250 going to drive business in the future yeah and 00:32:49.250 --> 00:32:52.309 that's important for retail because we're kind 00:32:52.309 --> 00:32:54.509 of the hub where everyone kind of collides so 00:32:54.509 --> 00:32:57.190 we see all the manufacturing side we see the 00:32:57.190 --> 00:32:59.990 fashion side with the the beauty cosmetics we 00:32:59.990 --> 00:33:02.609 see the health care side so it's it's a hub right 00:33:02.609 --> 00:33:06.000 so You have to pay attention, not just one category, 00:33:06.180 --> 00:33:09.880 but understand every single category. Even the 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:11.539 smallest amount. You might not be interested. 00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:14.819 I'm not really into surgery and stuff, but I 00:33:14.819 --> 00:33:17.000 still got to know which doctors is good, which 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:21.059 brand is good, which one the younger generation 00:33:21.059 --> 00:33:23.819 likes a different type of doctor. Some like the 00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:27.180 most experienced ones. Some like the new clinics, 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:31.130 etc. There's so many varieties. We need to adapt 00:33:31.130 --> 00:33:35.930 and understand all as well, you know. So understanding 00:33:35.930 --> 00:33:48.769 people is, for me, is important to retail. What 00:33:48.769 --> 00:33:51.730 a fascinating conversation. It's not every day 00:33:51.730 --> 00:33:53.869 we get to hear from someone who is literally 00:33:53.869 --> 00:33:56.950 shaping the skyline of our city. So thank you, 00:33:56.950 --> 00:33:59.599 Kunjin. And thank you for giving us a lot to 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:02.220 think about, from the sheer scale of the projects 00:34:02.220 --> 00:34:04.920 the Maul Group is working on, to the challenges 00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:07.960 of balancing a family legacy with the need for 00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:10.420 constant innovation. So thank you for sharing 00:34:10.420 --> 00:34:13.260 your vision. And to our listeners, if you enjoyed 00:34:13.260 --> 00:34:15.519 today's episode, please make sure to hit that 00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:18.320 subscribe button on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:21.619 or wherever you listen. And as always, this podcast 00:34:21.619 --> 00:34:23.960 will not be possible without the hard work and 00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:26.059 support of our international student production 00:34:26.059 --> 00:34:28.650 team. 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