Retail News CRM

Tag: Suntec City

  • Suntec City to host Singapore’s first-ever mall live-streaming shopping festival

    Suntec City to host Singapore’s first-ever mall live-streaming shopping festival

    Suntec City will host Suntec Shopfest next week, a first-of-its-kind, live-streaming shopping festival in Singapore.

    The mall operators’ interactive live stream show will be broadcast via the Suntec+ app during four-hour-long interactive sessions showcasing 16 participating Suntec City stores with more than 40 brands, including Harvey Norman, Fossil, Aldo, Royal Sporting House, W Optics, Clarks, ToTT and more to be announced in the coming days.

    Over the four days, shoppers will be offered discounts of up to 60 percent as well as more than US$28,700 worth of savings, more than $14,350 worth of prizes and products exclusive to the live stream.

    “Mall-shopping is definitely one of the favorite pastimes that Singaporeans have missed most,” said Suntec City’s property management firm APM’s deputy chairman Anthony Yip. “Taking a leaf from the rising popularity of live-stream shopping trends in China, it is the right time to launch such a concept here.

    “The Suntec Shopfest represents a mix of the best of traditional shopping with convenience and some seriously good deals.”

    Shoppers will be able to watch, comment and ‘like’ via the Shop Live platform on the Suntec+ app as hosts introduce the products. By tapping on pictures of the individual products, shoppers can view product details before proceeding to purchase items with either credit or debit cards during the live stream. The items can be picked up directly in store from the retail stores in Suntec City or via courier service from selected brands.

  • Lee Hwa Jewellery experiential concept store has opened

    Lee Hwa Jewellery experiential concept store has opened

    Lee Hwa Jewellery has introduced a new experiential store inviting customers to “get intimate” with jewellery. In a bid to meet millennial “experience economy” market demand for immersive retail experiences, Lee Hwa’s Jewelspace – a bespoke design concept launched at its newly re-opened boutique at Suntec City – has broken away from the traditional look and feel of jewellery boutiques, resulting in a more contemporary instore experience for customers.

    Built around a gallery-like atmosphere, the brightly-lit new boutique does away with traditional glass counters, instead featuring modern elements such as themed display walls and vertical glass displays, a maker space and interactive countertops that let customers get closer to its range of fine jewellery.

    The store’s layout and concept is inspired by the experiences of visiting an art gallery, spending a romantic day out, and creating bespoke pieces at a workshop.

    Lee Hwa Jewellery’s business director Mavis Toh said today’s retail scene is vibrant, sophisticated and innovative, and the same can be said for today’s consumers, especially the millennials, who are driven by a desire for deeper and differentiated brand experiences.

    “Customers will continue to visit brick-and-mortar stores as long as there are new and interesting reasons to go. As retailers, we aim to provide these reasons with a brand-new bespoke boutique concept that will not only excite them, it will allow them to experience jewellery shopping in an entirely new way.”

    A statement from the brand highlighted retail expert predictions that the personalisation of customer experiences will continue to be a key retail trend as consumers seek out highly personalised shopping experiences that cannot be replicated online. It posed that the trend of personal service is also expected to reshape the retail landscape as brick-and-mortar retailers compete with online retailers for the consumer dollar.

  • Oldtown White Coffee opens new concept store at Suntec City

    Oldtown White Coffee opens new concept store at Suntec City

    Malaysian cafe chain Oldtown White Coffee has launched a concept store at Suntec City Mall.

    The venue opened last month and features a facial-recognition feature as part of its ordering system. Seating 88 guests, Oldtown Suntec City offers exclusive local menu items and new coffee flavours, including popcorn and coconut lattes.

    Oldtown White Coffee is Malaysia’s largest white coffee chain and operates more than 250 outlets throughout Southeast Asia. It has established outlets in China and Indonesia, and has recently expanded into Vietnam and Cambodia.

  • E-Mart to introduce Korean SMEs’ products in Singapore

    E-Mart to introduce Korean SMEs’ products in Singapore

    Korean retailer E-Mart starts selling products from 16 Korean SME companies in Singapore yesterday.

    The move is a part of E-Mart’s plan to take Korean brands into new markets, starting with the winners of the giant retailer’s SME-support project.

    The products include Mpac Plus waterproof cases for smartphones and JM Green’s  containers for storing food in a refrigerator.

    E-Mart will promote the products via both online and offline sales channels across Southeast Asia.

    From yesterday until July 22, the products will be sold on Singapore’s largest online shopping mall, Qoo10.

    Korea’s Small & Medium Business Corporation has teamed with I’m Startice to sell the products through offline channels as well. A pop-up store will open at Suntec City from July 2 to 8.

    E-Mart will also provide consulting services for local buyers that want to sell Korean SME products.

    This the third time that E-Mart, a subsidiary of Shinsegae Group, has organised such a project.

  • My Melody Café Is Opening In Singapore At Suntec City

    My Melody Café Is Opening In Singapore At Suntec City

    Japan’s My Melody Cafe plans an outlet at Suntec City.

    Commonly known as My Melo, the character central to the cafe is a white rabbit from Japanese characterisation company Sanrio who is said to be a good friend of Hello Kitty.

    With an al fresco garden setting, the cafe will feature a floral arch, garden-themed mural wall and a cottage house.

    The menu will offer five mains, six desserts and seven character-customised drinks.

     

  • Suntec City retail assets grow

    Suntec City retail assets grow

    Retail data from Suntec City shopping centre shows growth by every measure in the first quarter of this year.

    Suntec City REIT has recorded a modest increase in gross revenue for the first quarter, as rising retail rents made up for declining office income.

    “The Singapore retail market remained stable in the first quarter of this year as the growth in

    Singapore’s economy lifted business sentiments and helped bolster occupier demand,” the trust said in a statement.

    “Suntec City mall continued to show strong operational performance in the first quarter. Footfall and tenant sales per square foot registered 12.7 per cent and 5.2 per cent year-on-year growth respectively.”

    Suntec City REIT says its retail portfolio was 98.4 per cent occupied as at March 31.

    “For the Singapore retail portfolio, the committed occupancy for the entire Suntec City was 98.6 per cent, while the committed occupancy for Marina Bay Link Mall stood at 98.9 per cent.

    In Australia, where the trust owns Melbourne’s for Southgate retail complex, occupancy was 91 per cent.

    The trust recorded gross revenue of $90.7 million, an increase of $2.3 million or 2.6 per cent for the quarter. Suntec Singapore revenue rose by $3.4 million to $21.9 million and retail revenue from Suntec City mall rose by $700,000 to $26 million, up 2.7 per cent. It was partially offset by lower office revenue, down 4 per cent to $42.9 million.

    Suntec Singapore’s revenue comprised $16.8 million from convention facilities and $5.1 million from retail.

  • Suntec City Inks Partnership with Alipay To Attract Chinese Tourists

    Suntec City Inks Partnership with Alipay To Attract Chinese Tourists

    Suntec City and Alipay are pleased to announce today that they have inked a two-year partnership to launch Alipay touchpoints in Suntec City.

    The two-year partnership between Suntec City, one of Singapore’s largest shopping malls and Alipay, the world’s largest mobile payment and lifestyle platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group, is set to attract more Chinese tourists and enhance their shopping experience at Suntec City.

    Under the partnership, approximately 350 retail establishments in Suntec City will progressively roll out Alipay as a payment option for Chinese tourists. By July 2018, the partners plan to cover 60% of the stores with Alipay touchpoints.

    To enable merchants to leverage on the Alipay platform to engage Chinese tourists, Alipay and its acquirer partners will jointly organize a series of workshops to sign up with Alipay and to promote merchants’ businesses on the Alipay platform. Acquirers also provide hands-on training to merchants to operate the Alipay payment terminal and manage strategic content feature of merchants’ offers. Alipay has also launched a dedicated Suntec City microsite within its app to provide ongoing publicity to Suntec City and its merchants. The current joint marketing campaign with Suntec City on Alipay’s app, from now till Mar 2018, offers a ¥25 F&B voucher and a ¥50 retail voucher which can be used at participating merchants in Suntec City.

    Mr. Chan Kong Leong, Chief Executive Officer of Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust, which owns Suntec City said, “With an extensive range of shopping, dining and entertainment offerings coupled with the iconic Fountain of Wealth as well as being the embarkation point for the Duck & Hippo Tours, Suntec City is a popular destination amongst tourists. We are delighted to partner Alipay to offer our Chinese shoppers a seamless payment system that they are familiar with. This partnership with the market leader in mobile and online payment platforms is a great opportunity for us to elevate engagement with our shoppers in the digital space.”

    “Suntec City is a must-visit shopping destination among Chinese tourists and business delegates who convene at Suntec Singapore for exhibitions, seminars and conferences. We are happy to partner with Suntec City to deploy Alipay touchpoints in the mall for Chinese visitors who are looking for the best of retail and lifestyle offerings and the same seamless shopping experiences that they enjoy at home. At the same time, we are very excited to help merchants in Suntec City connect with Chinese visitors.” said Cherry Huang, General Manager, Cross-border Business for South and Southeast Asia, Alipay.

    According to the Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore received 15.9 million international visitors in the first 11 months of 2017, during which, the number of visitors from China reached close to 3 million, a stellar 13.1% increase from a year ago. This also makes China the single largest contributing country to Singapore’s tourism industry.

  • Singapore to have Yogurt brand in and out

    Singapore to have Yogurt brand in and out

    Spanish frozen yogurt chain Llaollao closed yesterday, being replaced by another European brand, Yole.

    D+1 Holding, the master franchisee of Ilaollao in Singapore, has not revealed why it has discontinued with the brand.

    However, the company has acquired the rights to European frozen-yogurt chain Yole and will be converting all 29 Llaollao outlets throughout Singapore to the new brand by tomorrow, Channel NewsAsia reports.

    Arriving in Singapore four years ago, Llaollao attracted queues outside its flagship store at Marina Square and other branches. The brand also opened its largest outlet internationally at Suntec City in August 2015.

    Yole will also serve natural frozen yogurt as well as a coconut soft-serve ice cream. Toppings and different flavours, made with ingredients from Italy and Spain, will be introduced regularly.

  • AW Lab Singapore to open in Suntec City

    AW Lab Singapore to open in Suntec City

    AW Lab Singapore has opened a store in Suntec City, the first brick-and-mortar outlet in Asia Pacific for the Italian sports apparel retailer.

    Covering 2630sqft (240sqm), the store has a futuristic concept that invites young people to “play with style”. Whited out from floor to ceiling with blocks of bright colours, the outlet features ultra-sleek shelving and bright, stark lighting to present footwear from such brands as Adidas Originals, New Balance, Nike and Vans.

    Galvanised-steel racks are stocked with apparel from brands like Jordan and Under Armour, as well as AW Lab’s own fashion and street apparel labels, Down Up and Two of a Kind.

    The store also offers exclusive collaborations and limited-edition sneakers.

    “We have trust in the commitment and planning of the team to tap into the market’s potential, and it is high time we focus our attention here,” says head of Asia Giuseppe Nisi of AW Lab, which has opened more than 200 stores across Italy and Spain in its first three years.

    “Singapore has always offered its own style, and sometimes the best way to explore a city is simply to walk the streets,” he says. “That’s what we’ve always envisioned for AW Lab – to let the people define their own style while keeping it playful and exciting.”

    AW Lab is known for its exclusive collaboration collections with brands such as Adidas, Champion and Puma, and in Singapore will be releasing several special sneakers and collaborations in the coming months.

  • Xiaomi opens its first store outside greater China

    Xiaomi opens its first store outside greater China

    Xiaomi phones are finally available offline in southeast Asia as the company has opened a shop outside greater China for the first time ever.

    The sunny island state of Singapore hosts the first Mi Home store to open outside of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Singapore Mi Home store, located at popular shopping mall Suntec City, sells Xiaomi’s line of phones and accessories. But unlike other stores, it doesn’t stock the company’s other Mi ecosystem products such as the Mi TV or the Mi Rice Cooker.

    Xiaomi says that it plans to bring in more of its product lineup in time. But for now, customers will have to make do with the Mi Max, Mi 5, Redmi 3S, Redmi Note 3, Mi Band 2 and other accessories such as portable speakers and power banks.

    The Chinese manufacturer is using a local partner to run the store — unlike the ones in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which are run by Xiaomi itself.

    The company is also turning to regional online retailer Lazada to manage its online sales, an area it’s managed by itself in Singapore up to now.

    These moves to divest itself of retail responsibilities in Singapore could point towards a shift in Xiaomi’s current strategy. It’s possible the Chinese giant will focus on its home market to make up for ground lost to rivals Huawei, Oppo and Vivo.

    While the company continues to battle it out for India — the second largest smartphone market in the world after China — it’s likely Xiaomi will use the same retail strategy from Singapore across the Southeast Asian region as the company shifts its focus towards India, China and a possible US launch next year.

  • Making Great Singapore Sale great again

    Making Great Singapore Sale great again

    With the relevance of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) in doubt, going by falling retail sales, questions have been raised about what went wrong with the sale.

    Many consumers have pointed out that the annual sale of 23 years is not that great, as the discounts offered here are not as steep compared with those in sales overseas.

    They also lamented that the discounts are mostly for older merchandise. A possible reason for this is that Singapore has no seasons.

    Associate Professor Prem Shamdasani, from the National University of Singapore Business School’s marketing department, said the summer sales in Tokyo and Hong Kong tend to be more successful than the GSS due to the seasonality of the products sold.”(This) encourages (their) retailers to offer deep discounts to clear inventory and make room for new arrivals, which are also attractively marked down to entice local shoppers and tourists,” he said.

    Offering steep discounts is also not sustainable for businesses here, said Singapore Polytechnic senior retail lecturer Sarah Lim.

    “(This) will eat into the retailer’s overall profit, and with rental and manpower costs all added in, the retailer may not be able to sustain the business,” she said.

    Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) president R. Dhinakaran previously said holding sales to clear old stock is common worldwide.

    The retail scene has been slow in recent months. Latest official statistics show that retail sales excluding motor vehicles in June and July each fell 3 per cent over the same months last year.

    This is despite the attempts for this year’s GSS – which took place from June 3 to Aug 14 – to draw tourists and residents with an extended sale, more payment options and a more targeted focus on tourists from China. The poor showing, and similar sales declines in June last year and 2014, prompted the SRA, which organises the GSS, to suggest a need to discuss with the Singapore Tourism Board about continuing the event or revamping it.

    Retailers and retail experts have pointed to the slowing economy here and overseas as a key factor for the slump this year, but there are other concerns as well.

    One issue raised about this year’s GSS is its length and timing.

    The event started in June – a week later than last year – and was extended to 10 weeks to cover the bulk of China’s summer holidays.

    In the past 12 years, the annual sale stretched over eight weeks.

    But a 10-week sale might have led to sale fatigue among Singaporeans inundated with “end-of-season sales” or “anniversary sales” year round, said retail experts.

    Research suggests that local consumers with strong spending power are disciplined spenders and tend to spend more during the early weeks of the GSS, said Dr Guan Chong, head of marketing programme at SIM University’s School of Business. “Thereafter, their spending pattern should likely stay low for the rest of the GSS period,” she said.

    GSS’ new sale period also clashes with big sales elsewhere such as Tokyo’s famous end-of-summer sales, which start around the third week of July, she noted.

    Then, there is the perennial problem of retailers holding their own sales earlier to beat their rivals, dampening the effect of the GSS.

    Department stores Robinsons, Metro and OG started their GSS sales in May this year, while baby supplies store Mothercare and hardware chain Home-Fix held pre-GSS sales. Robinsons said this was done in line with shoppers’ expectations for the GSS to start in May, as in previous years. Mothercare did so because its competitors were also holding their sales early.

    SRA cannot stop retailers from holding their sales earlier, or dictate the duration of their sales.

    There also appears to be a lack of awareness of the GSS and whether it was still going on, in part because of its length, said experts.

    Given this, events could be held every weekend during the GSS period to highlight store promotions by themes – such as food or children – to create buzz and remind people the sale is ongoing, said Mr Steven Goh, executive director of the Orchard Road Business Association.

    Another suggestion is not to focus on only discounts. Dr Lynda Wee, an adjunct associate professor at Nanyang Business School, said the GSS should add a lifestyle spin and combine shopping and dining promotions with leisure deals, such as those for spa sessions, movies and cooking lessons.

    Dr Chong said merchants can ride on the digital marketing wave to connect with an international audience, such as using popular social media platforms.

    Still, lower retail sales should not be blamed on the GSS alone, said Ms Lim, adding: “Orchard Road, Raffles City, Marina (Bay) and Suntec (City) lack strong positioning. Can our malls be differentiated so that tourists desire to visit each one of them because they are different?”

  • The New PasarBella Gourmet foodcourt, Singapore

    The New PasarBella Gourmet foodcourt, Singapore

    Singapore design firm, Greymatters recently completed the interior design for PasarBella’s second outlet, at Suntec City.

    The design has been described as “an enclave of enchantment” with diverse food and beverage and retail offerings.

    The new space houses 15 gourmet concept stalls in its 7000 sqft (650 sqm) space, each of which was designed by the boutique firm.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR2

    Greymatters says it took inspiration for the design from the streets of Lower East Side New York City, the enchanting one-of-a-kind marketplace features, graffitied walls and street art illustrations of happy food and familiar cartoon caricatures, hanging fruit crates and urban paved walkways “that resemble a bustling streetscape littered with vibrant stalls that will send you on a captivating marketing experience”.

    “It was an extremely exciting project, not only to give PasarBella@Suntec a new identity, but also to conceptualise each trader’s store design in a manner that would complement the overall theme of the space,” explains Alan Barr, founder and MD of Greymatters.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR

    “This is our fourth collaboration with PasarBella and truly allowed us to express our creative ideas and solutions, in order to create a dynamic space that emulated the ethos of PasarBella, yet manifesting it in a unique way.”

    The eclectic space features painted roadways and zebra crossings on the floor, directory signage inspired by NYC’s subway map allow customers to follow their favourite coloured line from the directory to the trader of choice. Cobble tiles are also used for the flooring, which is a relic of NYC street paving of the past.

    The tabletops are made of recycled hardwood timber and salvages street and construction signage, adding to the overall vibe of the space.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR5

    Each of the vendors in the space have their own distinct identity, all of which reflect the loud, organised chaos of the bustling streets of Barr’s hometown, New York City. In the streets of New York, caffeine is a staple, and serving up its infamous coffees and sweet treats at PasarBella@Suntec is well-loved brand Sarnies, nestled in a storefront that was designed to emulate that of the takeaway coffee joints along the streets of the Big Apple.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR DETAIL1

    Pimp My Salad is another of the star contenders at PasarBella@Suntec, focusing on healthy food-togo; the compact kiosk is designed with visual impact in mind, featuring a glass display for the different meats, fish, vegetables and grains to be displayed allowing diners a feast of the senses as they select their ingredients in customising their salads.

    Other favourites include Porsena that adopted a New York City Deli vernacular for the stall, and stands proud at one of the main entry points. Wolf Burger is nestled in a loud and proud glistening space of glossy red tile, with a seductive female wolf head pieced together in red and white mosaic tile.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR DETAIL2.

    Drinks was designed as an interpretation of an upcycled shipping container that can be seen all over the storage lots in the Lower East Side of New York City.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR8

    Overall 14 choices of different cuisines in an extremely unique environment make for a dining experience unlike any other in Singapore. Designed at a world-class level, with no detail left untouched, PasarBella Suntec City traverses cultures, cuisines, and design styles with its diverse offerings, providing a one-of-a-kind dining experience for all foodies in Singapore.

    Earlier in October, the hospitality design firm was ranked #68 in Interior Design magazine’s annual industry rankings under “Hospitality Giants”, making it the only Singapore-based firm to make the list this year, and one of the only two firms headquartered in Asia.

    PASARBELLA INTERIOR9

    Greymatters recently celebrated its third anniversary in August 2015. The firm is set to complete its first full hotel project, the Amari Hotel & Resort in Galle, Sri Lanka, followed by a string of other accommodation venues across the region; Elbow Room, a bespoke cocktail bar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia that will launch early 2016; and Skin+bones restaurant slated to launch in Bangkok, in March.

    Greymatters’ next project with PasarBella, which is already in design, is the PasarBella iLights 2016 venue at Marina Bay Sands.

  • Suntec City officially reopens after S$410m revamp

    Suntec City officially reopens after S$410m revamp

    Suntec City officially reopened on Thursday (Oct 22) following a S$410 million enhancement.

    In a press release, ARA Trust Management (Suntec) Limited, the manager of Suntec REIT, said enhancement works began in June 2012 and were completed in June this year.

    The works involved decanting low-yielding spaces and converting levels one and two of the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre for retail use. The retail footprint now covers close to a million square feet.

    “Today marks an important milestone for Suntec City as we celebrate its official opening,” said Mr Yeo See Kiat, chief executive officer of ARA. “Through this transformation, Suntec City is now a more vibrant and exciting destination with new retail offerings and experiences for everyone.”

    The event was attended by Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin. To mark the occasion, Suntec REIT chairman Chew Gek Khim presented a cheque donation of S$200,000 towards President’s Challenge 2015 beneficiaries.

  • Suntec City completes $410 million makeover

    Suntec City completes $410 million makeover

    Suntec City has finally completed its $410 million asset enhancement initiative (AEI) and officially unveiled the revamped mall on Thursday Oct 22. The AEI programme started in June 2012 and was completed in June this year. The work involved decanting low-yielding spaces and converting levels one and two of Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre into retail space, thereby expanding the retail footprint from 855,000 to 960,000 sq ft today.

    The mall has repositioned itself as a lifestyle destination offering a range of specialty retail stores, new food and beverage concepts, and entertainment options. The recently unveiled North Wing is built on a theme of “enhanced lifestyle” and houses a lively mix of tenants that offer a diverse range of merchandise, including the gourmands’ market Pasarbella, and the debut of Mporium, dedicated to Asian designers.