The new name for Ikano Centres' retail destination and mixed-use hub in Batu Kawan, Penang is 'Klippa,' which means rock or friend in Swedish.

Klippa is the perfect wordplay to describe Batu Kawan, according to Adrian Mirea, Ikano Centres' shopping centre and mixed-use director.

"With Klippa, we aim to be the rock in this growing community and to transform Batu Kawan into a successful commercial and leisure hub in Penang," he said after the unveiling yesterday.

Ikano Centres is a subsidiary of Ikano Retail, which owns IKEA stores in five countries as well as shopping malls anchored by IKEA.

The development in Batu Kawan is Ikano Centres' first northern region presence.

Klippa will offer a unique retail experience with an integrated shopping mall covering 1.6 million sq ft of gross leasable area (GLA) and housing over 300 brands, conveniently placed with direct access to the Second Penang Bridge and seamless link to IKEA.

Ikano Centres is also looking into further commercial and residential opportunities to add to its meeting space, which will be built in stages to accommodate Batu Kawan's growing community of students, families, and professionals at the nearby Batu Kawan Industrial Park (BKIP).

Klippa also plans to drive the local arts and culture scene in line with the Penang State Government's objective of bringing arts and culture to Batu Kawan and fulfilling Penang's association with street art.

The first phase of Klippa debuted in December 2019 with IKEA Batu Kawan, featuring 20 brands and 80,000 square feet of GLA,

In November 2021, a one-of-a-kind F&B drive-thru was introduced. The initial tenant was a McDonald's drive-thru, expanding the community's food options.

Mirea said that the company is bringing the Ikano Centres retail experience to communities in the northern region in order to replicate the success of its gathering places in central and southern Malaysia.

The goal of this meeting place development is to provide visitors to the region with a comprehensive customer experience that is enhanced by convenience for all of their shopping, dining, entertainment, and leisure needs.

Arnoud Bakker, commercial director of Ikano Centres, said he is looking forward to welcoming more partners to help establish a retail destination that both Malaysians and tourists would want to visit.

Klippa's first phase has had a 98 per cent lease rate since its debut, with tenants including IKEA, Harvey Norman, and McDonald's.

Bakker said Ikano Centres is collaborating with Aspen Vision City (AVC) and its BKIP partners to promote Klippa as a destination where people can live, work, and create memories together.

Covering 245 acres of freehold land in Bandar Cassia, AVC is a partnership between Aspen Group and Ikano Pte Ltd, owner of popular furniture franchise IKEA. The township offers a mix of condominiums, shop offices, serviced suites, hotels, office tower, financial hub, medical centre, and international school.