Lippo Malls - Indonesian retail

INSTEAD of North Asian retail property, investors who prefer a different region can look at Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust. The Reit offers exposure to suburban malls in Indonesia, another emerging giant.

DBS Group Research said in a February report that retail space in Jakarta, where many Lippo Reit malls are based, is becoming tighter. This means mall operators could have better bargaining power when negotiating rents, it said. The Jakarta government is also restricting new malls from being built due to traffic problems and to improve city planning efforts. Rents in Jakarta are also among the lowest in the region, DBS said.

Lippo Reit is sponsored by Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group. The group was founded by Indonesian tycoon Mochtar Riady, who built a business empire spanning financial services, hotels, resorts, malls, natural resources, healthcare and residential properties.