After the closure of the Carrefour Zhubei branch—an establishment that served Hsinchu residents for nearly 28 years—the Hsinchu County Government is reevaluating its strategy to attract new tenants. The large commercial space, which went up for public bidding following the store’s shutdown at the end of October, received no bids in its first tender. Officials confirmed that a tiered leasing model is now under consideration, with a second bidding round expected to launch by year-end.
The former Carrefour property sits at the busy intersection of Guangming 6th Road and County Government 9th Road, adjacent to key government and cultural buildings. With its strategic location near the Guangming commercial district, banks, and parking facilities, the site has long been a familiar landmark for the Zhubei community. The lack of bidders for such a prime commercial zone has stirred strong public interest and debate.
Carrefour officially ceased operations on the first and second floors in late October, while the lease of Hola—a furniture retailer occupying the third floor—ends on December 7. Following the closures, the county government opened the entire three-story complex, totaling roughly 13,300 square meters, for lease. Officials hoped to attract large hypermarkets, diversified restaurants, or emerging retail concepts that could inject new commercial vitality into Zhubei.
However, despite previous inquiries from major retail and food service brands, no firms submitted a formal bid during the first tender on November 7. According to Chen Ying-chou, Director of the Transportation and Tourism Department, several companies remained interested but expressed concerns about the scale of the property. Many suggested that the government divide the property into smaller leasing units to reduce operational risks.
“In our discussions, businesses indicated that a tiered leasing approach might make the site more feasible for different types of operators,” Chen explained.
In response, the Hsinchu County Government is now adjusting its investment promotion strategy. By allowing tenants to lease smaller sections of the property, officials hope to ease the financial burden on individual companies and make the space more appealing to a wider range of businesses. The second round of public tender is expected to be announced by the end of December, with the goal of revitalizing the landmark building and bringing in new commercial energy to Zhubei.