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Tag: CapitaLand China

Tenant reshuffles bring good revenue for CapitaLand Retail China
CapitaLand Retail China boosted its distributable income by 9.4 per cent last year on the back of a new acquisition and improved performance of multi-tenanted malls. CapitaLand Retail China Trust Management (CRCTML), the manager of CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT), reported a distributable income of S$99.7 million (US$73.5 billion) for the year.

“CRCT delivered a resilient set of results in FY2018 on the back of strong operating performance,” said CRCTML CEO Tan Tze Wooi.

Portfolio occupancy as at December 31 was 97.5 per cent and rental reversion was 10.9 per cent. Tenants’ sales at its multi-tenanted malls grew by 18.8 per cent year on year, while shopper traffic was up by 19.4 per cent.

With the addition of Rock Square in the full-year figures for the first time, CRCT’s investment property value rose by 17.8 per cent to RMB13.993 billion (US$2.07 billion) as at the end of the year.

CRCTML chairman Soh Kim Soon said China’s retail sales rose by 9 per cent last year.

“China’s more moderate pace of growth is reflective of an economy undergoing transition and its long-term fundamentals remain positive. We are confident that CRCT’s quality family-oriented shopping malls will continue to benefit from China’s growing middle class and policies implemented to stimulate the economy,” he said.

Highlights of the year included:
- - CapitaMall Wangjing posted a rental reversion of 15.7 per cent after converting 4700sqm of anchor tenant space on Level 4 to specialty stores. The mall’s Level 8 rental income will rise by around 50 per cent after transforming 500sqm of common area into leasable space for coworking operator Ucommune.
  - CapitaMall Xinnan netted 17.9 per cent in rental reversion by reconfiguring its Basement 1 space to accommodate more popular brands.
  - Since acquisition, Rock Square has achieved four consecutive quarters of rental reversions above 20 per cent and a double-digit year-on-year increase in average sales per square metre for specialty stores.
Wooi said that in order to further optimise the portfolio, CRCT has entered into a bundle deal in Hohhot with unrelated third parties to divest CapitaMall Saihan and acquire a new mall that is double in size and has “a longer balance tenure”.

“Given the new mall’s higher growth potential, CRCT will be in an even stronger position to tap Hohhot’s promising retail growth. The deal is structured to minimise income disruption as the closure and divestment of CapitaMall Saihan will take place after the new mall is operational in the second half of the 2020 [financial year]. Supported by CRCT’s strong financial position, we will continue to explore suitable acquisition opportunities to grow and rejuvenate our portfolio,” Wooi concluded .
February 12, 2019
High occupancy pays off for CapitaLand China malls
High occupancy rates of the CapitaLand China malls portfolio helped deliver a 10.5 per cent increase in distributable income in the three months to September. CapitaLand Retail China Trust Management Limited (CRCTML), the manager of CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT), says income reached S$23.6 million this year, compared with $21.4 million the same quarter last year.

CRCTML CEO Tan Tze Wooi said China’s retail sales rose 9.3 per cent year on year during the first nine months of this year to RMB 27.4 trillion (US$3.93 trillion), while urban disposable income and expenditure per capita grew 7.9 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively.

“China is now growing from a larger base and its long-term fundamentals remain strong,” he said. “With our quality portfolio of malls offering holistic lifestyle experiences, CRCT will stand to benefit from China’s improving household income and rising consumer aspirations.”

During the latest quarter, CRCT achieved a 2.2 per cent increase in net property income to $36.7 million, driven by broad-based rental growth and effective cost management.

Wooi said the trust’s portfolio achieved an occupancy rate of 97.7 per cent at the end of September and rental reversion was “a robust 12.1 per cent”.

“Our active asset management strategy with a tailored approach for each mall is progressing well. Rock Square registered a strong positive rental reversion above 20 per cent for the third consecutive quarter by bringing in 25 prominent international and domestic brands, many of which are new-to-market in Haizhu District.

“To differentiate CapitaMall Qibao’s offerings, we increased its exposure to the resilient learning and education sector by more than three times over the last five years. We also expanded the rooftop playground to host more interactive activities that are popular with children, further enhancing CapitaMall Qibao’s attractiveness to young families.”

CRCT is the first China shopping mall Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) in Singapore, with a portfolio of 11 shopping malls: CapitaMall Xizhimen, CapitaMall Wangjing, CapitaMall Grand Canyon, CapitaMall Shuangjing in Beijing; Rock Square in Guangzhou; CapitaMall Xinnan in Chengdu, Sichuan Province; CapitaMall Qibao in Shanghai; CapitaMall Minzhongleyuan in Wuhan, Hubei Province; CapitaMall Erqi in Zhengzhou, Henan Province; CapitaMall Saihan in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia; and CapitaMall Wuhu in Wuhu, Anhui Province.
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November 2, 2018
CRCT’s 2Q 2018 distributable income rises 10.0%

CapitaLand Retail China Trust Management Limited (CRCTML), the manager of CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT), announced today that it registered distributable income of S$25.7 million for the period 1 April to 30 June 2018 (2Q 2018), an increase of 10.0% from S$23.3 million a year ago.

The stronger performance was boosted by the first full-quarter contribution of Rock Square. Distribution per unit (DPU) for 2Q 2018 was 2.64 cents on an enlarged unit base, representing an increase of 0.8% from 2.62 cents in 2Q 2017, and 8.2% higher than 2Q 2017’s adjusted DPU of 2.44 cents following CRCT’s private placement exercise in December 20171.

For the period 1 January to 30 June 2018 (1H 2018), distributable income was S$52.4 million, an increase of 9.8% compared to the same period last year. DPU edged up 0.6% from a year ago to 5.39 cents. On a comparable unit basis1, DPU for 1H 2018 would have been 7.8% higher than 1H 2017’s adjusted DPU of 5.00 cents.

Based on an annualised DPU of 10.59 cents and CRCT’s closing price of S$1.54 per unit on 26 July 2018, the annualised distribution yield for 2Q 2018 was 6.9%. Unitholders can expect to receive their DPU for 2Q 2018, along with DPU for 1Q 2018, on 20 September 2018.

Mr Tan Tze Wooi, CEO of CRCTML, said: “We are pleased that our portfolio reconstitution efforts and proactive asset management are showing positive results, delivering a double-digit growth for 2Q 2018’s distributable income. Rental reversions at our core multi-tenanted malls for the quarter averaged a healthy 10.5%, while portfolio occupancy as at 30 June 2018 was resilient at 97.4%.”

He also added: “Since acquiring Rock Square on 31 January 2018, we have focused on extracting the lease renewal upside while enhancing the mall’s tenant mix. This strategy led to strong rental reversions at Rock Square averaging above 20% for the second consecutive quarter. New entrants in the mall include a digital experience store by Xiaomi and popular beverage store Nayuki Tea. To optimise Rock Square’s layout and further expand its offerings, we created over 500 square metres of retail space by converting unutilised space and adding retail kiosks.”

In 2Q 2018, CapitaMall Wangjing completed the transformation of the recovered space on Level 4 with 19 of the 23 new retailers opened as at June 2018. r Tan Tze Wooi explained:”the new retail zone, which offers a strong mix of lifestyle and experiential retail tenants that host crowd-pulling events, is expected to drive footfall and improve sales for the entire floor with positive spillovers for the rest of the mall. The early recovery of the former anchor tenant space, executed within timeline and budget, demonstrates our proactive asset management approach to strengthen the appeal of CRCT’s malls.”

“During the quarter, we early refinanced S$150 million of loans ahead of maturity in 2019 to lock in favourable rates. In addition, we undertook our maiden issue of S$130 million medium term notes (MTN) under CRCT’s S$1 billion MTN programme, which was well-received by debt investors. Diversifying our funding sources to the debt capital market is part of our capital management strategy to harness greater financial flexibility for our next phase of growth as we actively source for strategic acquisitions to expand our portfolio. As at end June 2018, CRCT’s gearing was a healthy 32.1%, well below the regulatory limit of 45%,” he concluded.

July 31, 2018
CapitaLand Retail China Trust to buy shopping mall in Chengdu for 1.5b yuan
CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT) is acquiring a shopping mall in Chengdu for 1.5 billion yuan (S$303 million).

Galleria is located in the Xinnan Tiandi retail precinct of Gaoxin District in the south of Chengdu, a major shopping belt in the city.

The mall has been valued at 1.52 billion yuan by Savills Valuation & Professional Services as at July 26. Including acquisition-related expenses, the total investment cost for the mall is expected to be about 1.527 billion yuan. CRCT plans to finance the purchase with a mix of existing cash and additional debt.

When the transaction is completed, the acquisition will enlarge CRCT’s portfolio size by about 14 per cent to 12.55 billion yuan. The mall has a current net property income yield of about 5.4 per cent and the acquisition is expected to be distribution per unit-accretive for CRCT.

Tony Tan, chief executive of the manager of CRCT, said: “The proposed acquisition will diversify CRCT’s income and strengthen the resilience of our portfolio to deliver sustainable growth. With the opportunity to tap on CapitaLand’s network of five existing malls in Chengdu, the proposed acquisition is aligned with CRCT’s investment strategy to expand our footprint by leveraging on our sponsor’s strong presence in key Chinese cities where it has a competitive edge.”

Leases accounting for about two-thirds of the mall’s total rent are up for renewal by 2018, which will give it an opportunity to boost rental income by adjusting the tenant mix, he added.

The six-storey mall, which opened its doors in 2010, has a gross floor area, excluding car park, of about 53,619 square metres and 900 car park spaces. As at end-May, it was fully occupied.
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August 19, 2016
CapitaLand China malls post solid growth

CapitaLand is making the most of China’s retail sales growth, its mall portfolio posting growth of 6.1 per cent in net property income.

In results released this morning, CapitaLand Retail China Trust Management Limited (CRCTML), the manager of CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT), announced distributable income of S$45.1 million for the first half of this year, an increase of 10.3 per cent over the S$40.9 million for the same period last year – a percentage rate coincidentally matching China’s 2015 retail sales growth.

CRCT owns 10 quality shopping malls six Chinese cities: CapitaMall Xizhimen, CapitaMall Wangjing, CapitaMall Grand Canyon, CapitaMall Shuangjing and CapitaMall Anzhen in Beijing; CapitaMall Qibao in Shanghai; CapitaMall Erqi in Zhengzhou, Henan Province; CapitaMall Saihan in Huhhot, Inner Mongolia; CapitaMall Wuhu in Wuhu, Anhui Province; and CapitaMall Minzhongleyuan in Wuhan, Hubei Province. As at 30 June 2015, the total asset size of CRCT is approximately S$2.5 billion.

Tony Tan, CRCTML CEO, said the portfolio of malls ended the period 95 per cent leased and achieved 6.1 per cent growth in net property income. Rental reversions of 4.6 per cent (excluding CapitaMall Minzhongleyuan, which reopened in May last year after refurbishment).

“Tenants’ sales at our multi-tenanted malls increased 17.8 per cent year on year, while shopper traffic grew two per cent.

“As part of our proactive mall management strategy to keep abreast of the latest retail trends, we continue to upgrade and refresh the tenant mix at our malls. CapitaMall Xizhimen enriched its F&B offerings on Level 1 with a popular restaurant Bellagio.

“CapitaMall Wangjing signed popular international brands including Tommy Hilfiger and New Balance, while key tenant Le-Wellness Gym reopened after renovations with improved facilities and an enhanced image that strengthened CapitaMall Wangjing’s position as a one-stop family and lifestyle mall in the affluent Wangjing District.

“CapitaMall Grand Canyon continued to enhance its fashion and beauty offerings by bringing in well-known brands such as British fast-fashion retailer New Look; and Korean cosmetic and skincare brands Etude House and Innisfree.

“At CapitaMall Qibao, we reconfigured the space formerly occupied by a gym tenant on Level 3 and brought in Rucker Park to maximise the outdoor space for popular sporting activities such as street soccer, basketball and badminton.

“At CapitaMall Saihan, we strengthened the sports brand offerings with Nike, New Balance and Fila, which helped to diversify the mall’s overall fashion offerings. We will continue to optimise the retail mix in our malls and increase their appeal to shoppers to further enhance unitholder value, while continuing to be on the lookout for suitable acquisition opportunities to drive our next phase of growth.”

Victor Liew, CRCTML chairman, said in the first half of 2015, China’s economy surpassed expectations and expanded seven per cent year on year, while the country’s retail sales grew 10.4 per cent year on year to RMB14.2 trillion.

“Notably, consumption accounted for a record 60 per cent of China’s Gross Domestic Product in the first half of the year. As the Chinese government has identified domestic consumption as a key driver of economic growth, this should augur well for our malls.”

All the CRCT malls in the portfolio are positioned as one-stop family-oriented shopping, dining and entertainment destinations for sizeable population catchment areas. A significant portion of the properties’ tenancies consists of major international and domestic retailers such as Beijing Hualian Group and Carrefour under master leases or long-term leases. Anchor tenants are complemented by popular specialty brands such as KFC, Paris Baguette, Pizza Hut, Sephora, Uniqlo, Vero Moda, Watsons and Zara.

August 3, 2015