PARKSON
PARKSON is a Malaysian department-store brand operated by Parkson Holdings Berhad, with retail operations in Malaysia, China and Laos.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
PARKSON is a Malaysian department-store chain established in 1987 by William Cheng and associated with the Cheng-owned Lion Group. The business began with its first Parkson Grand store at Sungei Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur and developed into one of Malaysia's recognizable department-store operators. Its retail model has traditionally combined fashion, beauty, accessories, household goods and other consumer categories within large shopping-centre locations. The brand expanded internationally from the 1990s onward. China became its most substantial overseas market after Parkson entered Beijing in 1994, followed by further openings in cities including Qingdao and Chongqing. The company also pursued operations or partnerships in Southeast Asia. It entered Vietnam in 2005, Indonesia in 2011 through the acquisition of PT Tozy Sentosa, and Myanmar through a partnership involving Yoma and First Myanmar. A Lao expansion culminated in the opening of a Parkson-branded shopping centre in Vientiane in 2020. PARKSON's international history has included both expansion and retrenchment. Several stores in China were closed during 2016 and 2017, while its Vietnamese network contracted steadily after weak sales and the closure of multiple shopping-centre locations. Vietnam's remaining Ho Chi Minh City flagship was renovated and relaunched in 2020, but Parkson Vietnam later entered bankruptcy proceedings in early 2023 and closed that store. In Indonesia, the wider PT Tozy Sentosa network operated both Centro and Parkson stores, with Centro positioned toward middle-class customers and Parkson toward the upper-middle-class segment. The Indonesian business was declared bankrupt in 2021 after disputes and failed payments involving vendors. In Malaysia, the company has also adjusted its store footprint in response to changing customer patterns and site performance. Locations at Sungei Wang Plaza and Maju Junction closed in 2018, the Puchong store closed after a short operating period in 2019, and the MyTown Shopping Centre branch closed in 2020. Two further Malaysian stores closed in 2021. As of 2025, the reference material describes 37 Malaysian stores, including four in Kuala Lumpur, and 44 locations in China, together with a Parkson-branded shopping centre in Vientiane. PARKSON is also identified as a member of the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores. The brand's current positioning is therefore best understood as a multi-market department-store and shopping-centre retailer focused on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and general merchandise, while its geographic footprint and store portfolio continue to reflect market-by-market consolidation.
History
Parkson was created in Malaysia in 1987 by William Cheng and formed part of the Cheng-owned Lion Group. Its first store opened at Kuala Lumpur's Sungei Wang Plaza under the Parkson Grand name. From the beginning, the concept was that of a large department store located within a major shopping complex, offering customers a broad collection of fashion, beauty, accessories, household and lifestyle merchandise. The first major international step came in 1994, when Parkson entered China with a store on Beijing's Fuxingmen Road. The business subsequently expanded to additional Chinese cities, including Qingdao in 1998. In 2012, Parkson purchased the Qingdao Shopping Mall with plans to establish a store there. A fourth store in Chongqing opened at Chongqing Fortune Mall in May 2013. The China portfolio was later reduced: five stores closed in 2016, followed by closures in Beijing's Changying Street area, Hefei and Zhengzhou in 2017. Despite this consolidation, China remained a major operating market, with 44 locations identified in the 2025 reference material. Parkson also pursued a wider Southeast Asian strategy. The company entered Vietnam on 29 June 2005 with a store in Saigontourist Plaza on Lê Thánh Tôn Street in Ho Chi Minh City. A second Ho Chi Minh City store, Parkson Hùng Vương Plaza, opened in 2007. Parkson Landmark 72 opened in Hanoi in 2011, and another store opened in Da Nang in January 2015. The Vietnam network then contracted. The Keangnam Landmark 72 stores closed in January 2015 because of poor sales; Parkson Paragon closed in May 2016; Parkson Viet Tower closed in December 2016; and Parkson Flemington and Parkson Cantavil closed in 2018. Further closures left the Saigontourist Plaza location as the sole remaining Vietnamese branch. After renovation and expansion, it reopened in July 2020 as Parkson Saigontourist Plaza, incorporating a shopping-mall component. In early 2023, Parkson Vietnam filed for bankruptcy and closed the store. In Indonesia, Parkson entered through the 2011 acquisition of PT Tozy Sentosa, the operator of Centro Department Store. The existing Centro network had begun with a Plaza Semanggi store in Jakarta in 2003 and later expanded to other Indonesian shopping centres. Under the Parkson-related structure, the network included Centro stores, Parkson stores and the Kem Chicks supermarket. Parkson's first Indonesian-branded store opened at Centre Point Mall in Medan in November 2013, followed by a Lippo Mall Puri store in Jakarta in June 2014 and a Hartono Mall store in Yogyakarta in December 2015. The company described Centro as the middle-class brand and Parkson as the upper-middle-class brand. The Indonesian operation faced repeated closures, including the Lippo Mall Puri store in 2020, and PT Tozy Sentosa was sued for bankruptcy in March 2021 over failed vendor payments. The company was officially declared bankrupt on 17 May 2021, after additional Centro and Parkson closures. Myanmar became another short-lived market. Parkson entered through a partnership with Yoma and First Myanmar, opening its first store at Yangon’s FMI Centre in May 2013. That store closed in 2017 and was replaced by a location at Junction Square, which also later closed. Parkson planned to expand into Cambodia in 2016, but the shopping centre intended to host the operation was not completed on schedule, so the plan was cancelled. Malaysia has remained the brand's principal home market. The domestic network has been reshaped by site closures, including Sungei Wang Plaza and Maju Junction in 2018, Puchong after approximately 18 months of operation in late 2019, and MyTown Shopping Centre in February 2020. Two additional stores closed in 2021, bringing the Malaysian total to 37 according to the 2025 reference material. The same material records 44 locations in China and a Parkson-branded shopping centre in Vientiane, Laos. Parkson is also a member of the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores. Its history shows a recurring pattern of regional expansion, portfolio diversification and subsequent rationalization when local demand, site economics or operating conditions became unfavorable.
- 2025
Reported operating footprint
[1]Reference material reports 37 stores in Malaysia, 44 locations in China and a Parkson-branded shopping centre in Vientiane.
- 2023
Parkson Vietnam exits through bankruptcy
[1]Parkson Vietnam files for bankruptcy and closes its last Vietnamese store.
- 2020
Vientiane shopping centre opens
[1]Parkson opens a shopping centre in Sisattanak, Vientiane, Laos.
- 2014
Odel stake sold
[1]Parkson sells its 41.8 percent Odel holding to Softlogic.
- 2013
Expansion into Chongqing and Myanmar
[1]Parkson opens a Chongqing store and launches its first Myanmar store at FMI Centre in Yangon.
- 2012
Investment in Odel
[1]Parkson acquires a 41.8 percent stake in Sri Lankan department-store chain Odel.
- 2011
Entry into Indonesia
[1]Parkson enters Indonesia through the acquisition of PT Tozy Sentosa, operator of Centro Department Store.
- 2005
Entry into Vietnam
[1]Parkson opens its first Vietnamese store at Saigontourist Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City.
- 1998
Qingdao expansion
[1]Parkson opens a store in Qingdao.
- 1994
Entry into China
[1]Parkson opens its first Chinese store on Fuxingmen Road in Beijing.
Products and positioning
A multi-market department-store retailer serving fashion, beauty, lifestyle and general-merchandise shoppers, with formats and market positioning adapted to local shopping-centre environments. In Indonesia, the Parkson brand was described as targeting the upper-middle-class segment, while the related Centro brand addressed middle-class consumers.
Department-store format · 1987
Parkson Grand
Parkson Grand was the name used for the first Parkson store, opened at Sungei Wang Plaza in 1987. The format represents the brand's traditional large-scale department-store model, bringing fashion, beauty, accessories, household products and lifestyle merchandise together in shopping-centre locations.
Department stores · 1987
Parkson department stores
The core PARKSON offering is a multi-category department store serving fashion, beauty, footwear, accessories, household goods and general lifestyle needs. Stores are typically located in urban shopping centres and are adapted to the retail conditions and customer segments of each market.
Shopping centres · 2020
Parkson shopping centres
In selected markets Parkson has operated or branded broader shopping-centre properties rather than only conventional department stores. The Vientiane project, opened in 2020, is described as a Parkson-branded shopping centre, and the relaunched Saigontourist Plaza in Vietnam incorporated an expanded shopping-mall component.
Gourmet supermarket · 2016
Parkson Gourmet Market
Parkson Gourmet Market was a food and grocery-oriented format associated with the Indonesian operation. A location at Bintaro CBD opened in November 2016 but subsequently closed.
Brand decisions
2023
Exit from Vietnam through bankruptcyOtherBackground
After years of closures and contraction, Parkson Vietnam was left with one store in Ho Chi Minh City.
Action taken
Parkson Vietnam filed for bankruptcy and closed the remaining Parkson Saigontourist Plaza store.
Aftermath
Parkson ceased operating department stores in Vietnam according to the reference material.
2020
Opening of Parkson VientianeProduct launchBackground
Parkson continued to test shopping-centre formats in Southeast Asia.
Action taken
The company opened a Parkson-branded shopping centre in the Sisattanak district of Vientiane, Laos.
Aftermath
Laos remained listed as a current operating market, although the site was described as a shopping centre rather than a Parkson department store.
2018
Malaysian store-network rationalizationStrategyBackground
Customer patterns and store performance changed at several Malaysian sites.
Action taken
Parkson closed its Sungei Wang Plaza and Maju Junction stores.
Aftermath
Further Malaysian closures followed at Puchong, MyTown Shopping Centre and other locations, leaving a smaller domestic network.
2016
Cancellation of Cambodian expansionStrategyBackground
Parkson planned to establish a Cambodian operation in a shopping centre that was delayed.
Action taken
The company cancelled the Cambodian expansion after the intended shopping centre was not completed on schedule.
Aftermath
Cambodia did not become an operating market for the brand according to the reference material.
2012
Acquisition of Odel stakeM&ABackground
Parkson pursued an international department-store investment in Sri Lanka.
Action taken
It purchased a 41.8 percent stake in Odel.
Aftermath
The stake was sold to Softlogic in 2014.
2011
Pursuit of wider Southeast Asian expansionStrategyBackground
Parkson sought to extend its regional department-store presence beyond its established markets.
Action taken
The company expressed an intention to open stores in Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand.
Aftermath
Myanmar became an operating market, while the Cambodian plan was later cancelled and the reference material does not document completed entries into the Philippines or Thailand.
Recent events
Parkson acquired Schreiber LLC assets[2]
Reported:
Parkson Corporation announced that it had acquired the assets of Schreiber LLC, adding wastewater-treatment technologies and expanding its aftermarket parts and services offering.
Sources3 sources
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