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SHOPPERS at the new Marina Square will be able to choose from a larger range of stores than before, as well as dine in full view of the bay.

The mall unveiled its new look yesterday, after two years and a $100 million facelift. It now boasts 300 outlets, 70 per cent of which are new tenants, including British high-street fashion brand Miss Selfridge and watch retailers Longines and Edox.

It also has a remodelled 38,000 sq ft foodcourt on the fourth floor offering alfresco dining and a view of Marina Bay, the Esplanade and the Singapore River.

Marina Centre Holdings' group general manager Lim Yue Khim said: 'The revamped Marina Square is practically a new mall, because never has there been such an extensive renovation for a major mall, and marks a new milestone for us and shoppers alike.'

The new tenant mix, he said, was a conscious decision to differentiate Marina from suburban malls and give shoppers a reason to travel to town. He expects the revamp to pull in at least 1.8 million shoppers a month, up from 1.5 million.

Tenants that had to endure the disruption of renovations - such as Charles and Keith, and Osim - are glad to get back to business. Osim business development manager James Huang said sales had fallen about 50 per cent during the facelift.

Charles and Keith general manager Fong Shee Beng added business was bad because customers did not realise that, as remodelling was done in phases, parts of the mall remained fully operational.

Architect Foo Chai Yee, a senior associate with DP Architects, which was behind the new look, said the greatest challenge was how to give the mall a new look without making structural changes that might affect the three surrounding hotels.

The most obvious physical differences in the 20-year-old mall are the addition of several new glass facades and larger skylights, which have brightened up the interior. It is also more accessible to the disabled and more family-friendly.

Shoppers can expect a smoother walk, too, when a tunnel that links Marina to CityLink Mall is completed by the year end.

As part of the relaunch, the mall will stay open until midnight today and tomorrow, and every Friday and Saturday during the Great Singapore Sale. This service will be extended if the response to it is good.

Other malls due to complete their facelifts this year include Novena Square's $22 million extension wing, to be completed in November; Raffles City's $40 million renovation of its basement, to be completed in mid-July; and Centrepoint Shopping Centre's $56 million makeover, which will be done in the last quarter.

Jones Lang LaSalle's associate director of retail Pauline Tan said such makeovers are 'a must' if malls want to stay relevant in the competitive retail market.

weichean@sph.com.sg