East Point: Georgia’s largest shopping mall opens in Tbilisi

Shopping in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi has been enriched by a brand new shopping and entertainment centre that's the largest of its kind in the country.

Stretched over 24 hectares, the East Point Shopping and Entertainment complex was officially opened by Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze yesterday, enabling consumers to shop, dine and have fun all at one location.

The facility occupied an area of 85,000 sqm and was located on the motorway connecting the city centre with Tbilisi International Airport, on the eastern edge of Tbilisi known as the Kakheti Highway. It is a 10 minute drive from Freedom Square in central Tbilisi, a 15 minute drive from Rustavi city and about one hour from Armenia or Azerbaijan.

It is believed about 70,000 patrons will visit the facility daily.

East Point is Georgia’s first open-concept retail and entertainment complex.

The facility occupied an area of 85,000 sqm.

The area included a hypermarket, the city’s first DIY (Do It Yourself) store, the first electronics superstore aggregating all electronics shops in one space, a 27,000 sqm outdoor fashion mall, ten cinema halls and more than 150 branded shops. The main brands already evident in Georgia’s retail market featured at the centre but were joined by several international operators who entered the Georgian market for the first time.

Specifically, East Point featured a ten-screen cinema complex with IMAX technology – the first such screen in Georgia and one of the largest in Europe. It also had a large-scale home improvement (DIY) store that was the first of its kind in the country, and also offered a children’s entertainment and an education centre spread over 3,500 sqm – also a unique feature.

The shopping mall provided children’s education and entertainment centre.

The mall also provided a 12-line professional bowling alley and food outlets. Furthermore, the project authors said visitors should have no trouble finding a carpark - the facility boasted more than 2,000 parking spaces.

The project was implemented by Quadrum Global, which operated in Georgia by its subsidiary company LLC CBD Development. East Point’s total investment was approaching $100 million USD and the project created about 3000 new jobs.

To make the facility easier to access, a free bus service was added from Samgori Metro station towards East Point, which will leave every 15 minutes. Moreover, a new Rustavi-East Point minibus route was also launched.