The Wai Marks Three Years with Full Occupancy and Enhanced Retail Experience

The Wai, the shopping mall atop MTR Tai Wai Station, has marked its third year of operation with strong business performance and a full occupancy rate of 100%. Since its opening in 2023, the mall has benefited from Tai Wai Station’s strategic position as an interchange for the East Rail Line and Tuen Ma Line, as well as its clear customer positioning. It has recorded double-digit growth in footfall, establishing itself as a major lifestyle landmark in New Territories East.

Steady Visitor Growth and Tenant Enhancement

According to Kenneth Lung Tze-ho, General Manager – Investment Property of MTR Corporation, The Wai attracts mainly local residents from Tai Wai and Sha Tin on weekdays, while weekends and public holidays bring visitors from other districts, young people and overseas tourists visiting the nearby Che Kung Temple. With the residential population in the area continuing to grow, particularly following the occupation of The Pavilia Farm, Lung expects the mall’s footfall and turnover to see further growth.

To keep pace with changing consumer trends, The Wai is launching a major tenant enhancement plan. More than 30 new tenants will be introduced before the end of the year, covering dining, sports and outdoor lifestyle, trendy anime and pop culture, beauty and health products, and daily lifestyle offerings. The mall will also strengthen its focus on the night-time economy, encouraging dining tenants to extend evening operating hours and last order times to increase customers’ length of stay.

Expanding Sports, Wellness and Entertainment Experiences

Sports and wellness will be another key area of development. In addition to existing sports brands and a 24-hour fitness centre, The Wai will introduce more emerging outdoor sports brands and work with tenants to organise health experience activities. Matsumoto Kiyoshi, the popular Japanese chain drugstore, will also open its first store in Tai Wai, further enriching lifestyle and daily-goods offerings.

The Wai is also enhancing its “Retail + Entertainment + Culture” positioning. Its L5 “Playground” themed zone will bring together trendy products, anime entertainment and leisure retail, supported by Eslite Bookstore and cinema resources. Pop-up stores have become an important part of the mall’s strategy, with more than 50 introduced so far, over 60% of which were brands making their first appearance in MTR Malls, including popular overseas brands and IP-themed pop-ups such as Pokémon, Harry Potter and Frieren.

Strengthening Community Engagement and Pet-friendly Experiences

Community engagement remains central to The Wai’s development. The mall has worked with more than 120 organisations and community groups to organise over 300 events, including the ”Explore Tai Wai” and ”Music All The Wai”. It has also launched local community tours, with 25 held since last year and more planned this year.

The Wai is also promoting the pet economy by upgrading cat- and dog-friendly facilities and introducing a “Cat- and Dog-friendly Tenant” programme. Looking ahead, the mall aims to build on its transport advantage, diversified tenant mix and strong community appeal to reinforce its position as a core lifestyle landmark in New Territories East.

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