Joy Plaza

Joy Plaza was a shopping center in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also known by the Chinese name 悅誠廣場. It was developed as a mixed retail, dining, leisure, and lifestyle destination rather than as a narrowly focused department store. The center began trial operations on 5 June 2019 and held its official opening on 3 July 2019. The complex had a reported total floor area of approximately 38,940 square meters and accommodated about 120 stores. Food and beverage businesses represented a particularly large part of the tenant mix, accounting for roughly 40 percent of the outlets or commercial composition described in reference material. Core attractions included Eslite Life, Toys “R” Us, and a range of themed restaurants. This combination positioned Joy Plaza as a family-oriented and experience-led shopping destination, with retail, books, toys, restaurants, and public-style leisure spaces integrated into one venue. The architectural and interior concept emphasized greenery, timber, natural light, and informal gathering areas. A Japanese design team was associated with the overall spatial design. At the Minzu Road entrance, a long, arched transparent roof brought daylight into the atrium. The mall also featured theater-style seating beside an escalator and a large book wall approximately 15 meters high containing around 40,000 books for visitors to read on site. Landscaped paths and planted areas extended toward an outdoor hiking area, giving the property a more recreational character than a conventional enclosed mall. Joy Plaza opened during a period when shopping centers in Taiwan were increasingly competing through dining, entertainment, curated lifestyle retail, and distinctive architecture. Its reported first-year revenue target was NT$1.5 billion, although the available reference material does not establish whether that target was achieved. The center’s operating period was relatively short. On 31 August 2022, it closed completely, with the COVID-19 pandemic identified in reference material as a major factor affecting the decision. No reliable information in the supplied sources establishes a subsequent reopening, rebranding, or successor operation under the Joy Plaza name. It is therefore treated as a defunct shopping-center brand.

Joy Plaza was established as a shopping-center project in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Its concept combined conventional retail with dining, family entertainment, reading, landscaping, and architectural features intended to encourage visitors to stay for longer periods. Rather than relying solely on department-store merchandising, the property was organized around a broad lifestyle and leisure proposition. The center entered trial operation on 5 June 2019 and officially opened on 3 July 2019. At launch, it was described as having a total floor area of about 38,940 square meters and approximately 120 stores. Food and beverage tenants made up around 40 percent of the commercial offering, giving dining a prominent role in the operating model. Major named tenants and attractions included Eslite Life, Toys “R” Us, and a selection of themed restaurants. These components gave the center a customer base spanning families, readers, casual diners, and shoppers seeking lifestyle products. Joy Plaza’s physical design was a notable part of its identity. A Japanese design team worked on a scheme centered on wood, planting, and the use of daylight. The entrance atrium on Minzu Road incorporated a roughly 100-meter-long arched transparent cover. Near an escalator, theater-style seating created an informal area for gathering, while a book wall approximately 15 meters high displayed around 40,000 books that visitors could read within the mall. Exterior paths and planted areas continued toward an outdoor hiking area, connecting the commercial building with a more open, recreational environment. The project was launched with an ambitious commercial outlook. Reference material reports a first-year annual revenue target of NT$1.5 billion, but the available sources do not provide verified results or a detailed financial history. There is also no reliable information in the supplied material identifying the developer, owner, senior management, or corporate group behind the property. The mall’s operating life was brief. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Taiwan’s retail, dining, tourism, and public-gathering sectors, and Joy Plaza ultimately ceased operations across the entire complex on 31 August 2022. The closure is described as being connected to the pandemic’s impact. The available references do not document a later reopening, a change of name, or a confirmed successor brand. Joy Plaza is consequently recorded as a defunct shopping-center brand.

• 2022

  Complete closure

  [1]Joy Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Joy Plaza closed its entire operation on 31 August 2022 amid the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2019

  Trial operations begin

  [1]Joy Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Joy Plaza began trial operations in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, on 5 June 2019.

• 2019

  Official opening

  [1]Joy Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The shopping center officially opened on 3 July 2019 with approximately 120 stores and a strong dining component.

A family-oriented, experience-led shopping center combining lifestyle retail, books, toys, dining, architectural features, and green leisure spaces.

• Lifestyle retail and bookstore · 2019

  Eslite Life

  Eslite Life was one of Joy Plaza’s principal core stores. Its presence supported the center’s lifestyle and cultural positioning, complementing the mall’s large reading installation and its broader emphasis on books, design, leisure, and curated consumer experiences.

• Toys and family retail · 2019

  Toys “R” Us

  Toys “R” Us served as another named core tenant and reinforced Joy Plaza’s family-oriented proposition. Its toy and children’s product assortment complemented the center’s restaurants, leisure areas, and other activities aimed at family visits.

• Food and beverage · 2019

  Themed restaurants

  Themed restaurants formed an important part of the center’s tenant mix. Dining businesses reportedly represented about 40 percent of the mall’s commercial offering, making food and beverage a central component of the visitor experience and the property’s differentiation strategy.

• Leisure and public amenities · 2019

  Reading and green leisure spaces

  Joy Plaza incorporated non-retail visitor amenities including a large book wall, theater-style seating, landscaped walking paths, planted areas, and access toward an outdoor hiking area. These spaces were designed to make the mall function as a leisure destination as well as a shopping venue.

• 2022

  Full shutdown amid pandemic impactStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic affected shopping centers, restaurants, and other public-gathering businesses.

  Action taken

  Joy Plaza ceased operations across the entire complex on 31 August 2022.

  Aftermath

  The available reference material does not document a subsequent reopening or confirmed successor brand.

  Source

• 2019

  Launch of a lifestyle and dining-oriented shopping centerOther

  Background

  Joy Plaza opened with approximately 120 stores, a large food-and-beverage presence, family retail, cultural retail, and landscaped leisure features.

  Action taken

  The property combined Eslite Life, Toys “R” Us, themed restaurants, reading areas, and green public spaces within a single shopping-center concept.

  Aftermath

  The center operated from 2019 until its full closure in 2022.

  Reported first-year annual revenue target. NT$1.5 billion target (2019, first year of operation)

  Source

1. 1Joy Plazaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Joy Plaza official websitejoyplaza.com.tw