Retail industry is long dead in Singapore!
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I missed the old arts centre (that innovative spiralling part, now demolished) of Chinatown Point. Arts is very important, it is “food” for the soul. The old building was my weekly dosage of “chicken soup for the soul”. I find therapeutic to stroll up from level 1 spiralling up all the way to the top level, looking through the various art items for sale; jade carving, tibetan jewellery, gemstones, painting... Occasionally I do buy one or two items. It was more than an art exhibition for me, I felt fully refreshed at the top level. One in a while, there would be interesting exhibitions of painting, porcelain and all held at level 1.
As the building was getting advanced in years, I was hoping it does not become another “revamped” shopping mall like the new PS (I love the old PS very much)! Chinatown needs to retain the old flavour of their buildings or it becomes another orchard road! Chinatown Point, People’s Park Complex and People’s Park Centre are like that small precious dot of Yang amid the Yin half of the Taiji.
My nightmare came true when I saw the building scaffolded and slowly broken down, demolished for the new building.
After the revamp was completed, the new Chinatown Point is literally like old Heerens, except instead being full of CD shops, it is full of repetitive restaurants which are also available in all other shopping malls around the island. Sure, it draws in the crowds (and cash, and pays the rent) no doubt, as Singaporeans always love to eat around the clock, but it is only food for the stomach. To say Singapore is a food paradise is way too nice. To put it bluntly, Singapore is a nation of gluttons. I’m a Singaporean born in KK myself by the way. I’m not a foreigner.
High rent in retail make sure only the top cash cows stay in the industry, that means seeing the same shops and restaurants in all other shopping malls. You know how serious this is when even the annual GSS has become a campaign in the online cyberworld where there is no rent.
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will like to know more
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TS, have you watch the show '2025' from mediacorp? If an 'tiny' change like this can freak you, wait until the time when 'smart home' concept are implement, than maybe I might heard from you in IMH.
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Originally posted by The Code:
TS, have you watch the show '2025' from mediacorp? If an 'tiny' change like this can freak you, wait until the time when 'smart home' concept are implement, than maybe I might heard from you in IMH.
smart home is free to install? If not, my HDB flat will still be the normal home.
technology can progress for all I care, but whether it will be accepted by most citizens (who are salaried workers) is another question.
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Being to one shopping mall is the same as being to all malls in Singapore. All same same shops inside.
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again................
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Yes I Agree.... Big players are dominating and high rental costs are causing small players to want out. How can the govt help small businesses when dont want to budge on rental costs?
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dammm!
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we need to create a new industries for retail business maybe using the online shopping web site is a very good idea to save renting cost and can do the business at home or somewhere the rent is cheap or even free.
Retail industry is not dead. just think different and come out idea like using the internet. singapore a small country, having a blog shop selling not only clothing but anything is a very good business and make big money.
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Rent is number 1 killer.
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rent and manpower is probably the no.1 killer for retail and f&b stores here...
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just think different
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You are right. Theses industries are gone.
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Rental is the killer. Blog shop is gonna replace retail for the new gen...
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Internet retail business will not make as much as an actual store. Unless your customer is all over the world.
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internet retail do make more than physical stores
and yes, customers are all over the world
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your products are to cater for global customer not just for sgreans market.
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Suppose your fairy godmother gives you a retail shop. Any kind of shop. But the old business model isn't working out. How are you going to change it? What steps will you take?
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rental is 1 killer, labour shortage is another. Even in China, taobao has taken a lot of business from the traditional retail shops.
If you want to start a business, think how you can serve you customers well, not how to make big and easy money. Business with no customers is dead, whether you call it retail, wholesale, online......
think differently!
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ask the fairy godmother for something else
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hi
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