Retail refresh: malls look to property maintenance and new tenants

BY ALTHEA ENGMAN
Journal Staff

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Mawar, our shopping centers have stayed resilient and are now looking to the future and adjusting accordingly.

Located in Dededo, Compadres Mall offers a range of local businesses and is home to the Peoples Bazaars 1 and 2. Katrina Untalan, general manager for Compadres Mall; said one of her favorite things about Compadres Mall is, “We are a local mall through and through. We support, encourage, and promote the local business community via the plethora of shops, restaurants, and financial institutions that have become a staple in the northern part of our island.”

Business range from restaurants, to retail, music, home care, electronics, alteration services, and more.

Untalan said that the mall has been “blessed, fortunate, and thankful that we are always at 100% capacity. We are ‘The People's Mall, at People's Prices.’"

In the next few months Compadres Mall will be adding tenants.

“We will have a range of new businesses from retail, hardware and home care supplies, and other related services and items,” Untalan said.

Also upcoming are repairs to the property. Compadres Mall continues with minor repairs and will be doing a thorough repainting of the whole mall within the next month. 

Like many businesses affected by Typhoon Mawar, “It’s safe to say that many of our tenants suffered a major loss during this timeframe,” Untalan said.

“The rebuilding process has taught the Compadres family to be resilient, patient, unwavering and positive,” she said.

For further information and updates, visit www.compadresmall.com, @compadresmall on Instagram, or email them at [email protected].

Agana Shopping Center is popular for island events. Anna David, promotions manager for the Agana Shopping Center; said, “The community can expect lots of exciting events and promotions lined up at Agana Shopping Center throughout the year. Jollibee will be up soon, and we have new local shops at our Marketplace.” 

Sticky Guam, one of the Marketplace’s newest additions, opened its doors March 1. It features T-shirts, stickers, cool collectibles, pre-loved clothing and more.

Get Glammed GU opened its doors at the Marketplace on Feb. 17. The shop features beauty products from Guam’s first DIY at home lash extension brand, magnetic lashes, lash extension kits, jewelry, and more.

For April, ASC will host the Spring Garden Bazaar every Friday at the center court from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On May 5, Road to Recon, the center will feature a Star Wars themed cosplaying event.

David said ASC fortunately only sustained minor damages and leaks throughout the shopping center due to Typhoon Mawar. “We were able to open our doors not long after and be of service to the community,” said David.

For updates and further information, visit www.aganacenter.com and its Instagram page @aganacenter.

Guam Premier Outlets will be doing a complete refresh of the facility. Suzanne Perez said “Entrances will feature new signage with [the] new logo, repaints throughout the building as well as refreshing the current interior.”

With losing tenants not only due to the pandemic but the typhoon, GPO has taken on temporary tenants like the Dollhouse Collection and is working on making the business one of its “main stores,” Perez said.

The Dream Galaxy entertainment center has also become an additional attraction at the shopping center.


The next step in store for the GPO is to attract new national tenants. Perez said that “not only do we pride ourselves on being a family-oriented shopping mal,l but also being Guam’s only outlet shopping mall where you can get national brands at outlet prices without tax.”

GPO has also hosted quarterly pop-up events with some of Guam’s local favorite shops. “GPO has been focused more on the local markets and will continue to do marketing for the local markets, so there will be more pop ups to come.” An additional goal for the outlet is to open kiosks for small businesses. “Besides featuring what they have to sell and offer new varieties to the GPO, we want to help foster their business and help them grow.”

GPO is also a pet friendly space to bring your fur babies if they are up to date with shots, paperwork and are well behaved.

Monte D.L. Mesa, general manager for Tumon Sands Plaza and Guam Premier Outlets; said GPO is in talks with other national brands, hopefully making their way to the GPO and the previous Forever 2021 location in 2025.  “The community can expect more brands targeted to the new generations,” he said.

Tumon Sands Plaza plans to change its brand image, Mesa said. 

TSP, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, has been home to various luxurious brands and restaurants. After the pandemic, many of the luxury brands at TSP downsized and relocated to other tourism markets in other countries. 

Mesa said that because of the change in markets, TSP will be “pivoting to cater to the new generation, another 50 years of new trends,” said Mesa.

With about 15 spaces available, the next goal is to secure national tenants that have never done business in Guam. Mesa said, “We have the capacity to attract them, and we are in current communication.”

Those tenants will not duplicate the GPO list, but add to the varieties of brands locals and tourists can shop at.

Mesa said that there will also be a restaurant taking the former Red Lobster property towards the end of the year.

 “TSP is and will continue to host local pop ups to attract entrepreneurs who are looking to capture the visitors market,” he said. TSP has been home to local galleries and The Alter verse, a multi-sensory immersive art experience.

Formerly known as The Plaza Shopping Center, and rebranded as Dusit Place, the property is a place to shop, dine, and relax all in one. As you walk or drive past Dusit Place you can see renovations are currently underway.


Dusit place has also reopened the Aquarium of Guam, formerly known as Underwater World. Dusit place has also hosted a photo exhibition and an event featuring local artists, musicians, and small business pop ups. 

Gemkell Corp. a subsidiary of Tan Holdings, relocated all its boutiques into Dusit Place in mid-2023.

Angie Saad, general manager for Gemkell Corp.; said last July Gemkell relocated its Lacoste boutique and opened the new Marc Jacobs boutique in September 2023.  She said Gemkell “will be opening a new Givenchy boutique the first week of May. Our Chloe boutique will be the next new boutique to open around late July 2024. And finally, we will also be opening a new Balenciaga boutique in late December 2024.”

For updates and more information visit its Instagram page @dusitplace. mbj