Here to stay: What will S'pore malls of the future look like?


JustCo at The Centrepoint. Flexible working spaces form a community vibe at Fraser malls.PHOTO: FRASERS PROPERTY RETAIL

Sue-Ann Tan

15 November, 2021

SINGAPORE - Jem was just one more big mall with the usual mix of shops and food outlets when it opened in 2013 but it has undergone a transformation over the past few years and now boasts a far quirkier retail line-up.

The centre in Jurong became the site of Ikea's first store within a mall while also hosting specialised offerings such as organic Australian grocer Scoop Wholefoods and gourmet food retailer Vom Fass.

The Jem makeover is far from unique here with many malls fast evolving into spaces that serve up a lot more than just food and retail, a process spurred by the pandemic.

These new-look malls will boast concept stores that offer an experience, not just goods, and more community spaces for hybrid working, exercise and exhibitions.

Ms Jenny Khoo, Lendlease Singapore's head of asset operations, noted that even while Covid-19 has sparked a boom in e-commerce, it also has shown that physical shopping remains relevant.

"One thing Covid-19 has taught us is that shopping malls are here to stay," she said. "Online shopping is very easy - just a click away - but many of us have multi-layered needs. After staying home for awhile, you want to get out and that experience cannot be replaced by online shopping."

Lendlease manages Jem and three other malls here.

A CapitaLand spokesman added that the property giant still sees strong interest in malls, having opened more than 150 new stores in its Singapore centres in the first half of this year. It also had an overall portfolio occupancy of above 97 per cent as at June 30.

But this does not mean that the same cookie-cutter malls across the island can keep drawing crowds; a change is also needed to appeal to the new needs of consumers.

Ms Khoo said: "Traditionally, department stores and other big box retailers have always been anchors of a shopping mall. Now, it's about concept-driven stores regardless of the real estate footprint."

She noted that Lendlease's malls have increased their allocation of concept tenants that offer experiences that cannot be replicated online.

"We also look at replicating concept-driven, smaller lifestyle clusters. Available spaces are turned into a micro-mini retail space to accommodate more tenants with a single concept," Ms Khoo added.

Take the way Jem added a touch of glitz and glamour seemingly out of step for a suburban mall by hosting high-end concept stores like Chanel and Dior and lifestyle such as Shiseido and Nars.

Meanwhile, Lendlease's Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) has a 7-11 concept store with a self-serve beer corner.


BLAXK new retail concept and collectibles gallery at Funan. PHOTO: CAPITALAND

Other mall developers have also gone for fresh concepts. CapitaLand's Funan hosted a new retail concept and collectibles gallery by BLAXK that showcases art figurines and prints.

Frasers Property Retail chief operating officer Tan Kee Yong said: "Retailers and shoppers are seeking innovative, experiential retail concepts, or new-to-market brands. The mall is no longer just a place to browse and buy goods, but also a destination to consume experiences."

The tenant mix will also increasingly reflect the local community and entrepreneurs, Ms Khoo said.

For instance, home-grown fashion retailer Love Bonito opened its first store at Lendlease's 313@Somerset. Now it has branched out to Jem as well.

Other local stores like clothes retailers TRT and Stagewalk and artisanal fragrance label Scent by Six have also opened in Jem.

"Covid-19 brought challenges but also opportunities," Ms Khoo said. "We have seen some of our local talents coming forward with proposals and we want to give them the chance to test out the market."


Switch booths for people to work in at Tampines 1. PHOTO: FRASERS PROPERTY RETAIL

Another upcoming localised concept is a social kitchen at PLQ employing the disadvantaged to offer plant-based food.

Besides tenants, atrium spaces, which have traditionally been used for sales and sampling items, are undergoing a shake-up as well.

Frasers' Mr Tan said: "The first aspect is to implement a community-centric spatial design: how can we conscientiously design our malls so that there are pockets for engaging community activities, safe traffic flow and an overall environment that helps a community thrive."

Frasers partnered co-working firm JustCo to launch booths at nine malls for people to work in. It is gaining momentum among shoppers since its January launch, in line with the flexible working trend, he said.

Similarly, Lendlease is using PLQ's open plaza space to host community events such as yoga lessons, exhibitions and job fairs.

Ultimately, physical spaces do not stand in opposition to virtual ones, but can complement each other, the mall developers said.

Ms Khoo said Lendlease collaborated with digital marketing firm Hashmeta to help tenants with e-commerce marketing and distribution. The landlord also worked with online platforms like Lazada, Shopback, Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda in conjunction with campaigns like National Day or 7.7.


Australian brand Scoop has taken over the space previously occupied by Robinsons in Jem. PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Meanwhile, CapitaLand opened two online platforms with 600 brands so people can browse and pre-order before picking items up in stores.

Mr Chris Chong, CapitaLand Investment chief executive of retail and workspace in Singapore and Malaysia, noted that tenants continued to see sales grow, outpacing the actual footfall at the malls in the second quarter of the year, thanks to digitalisation efforts and online sales.

In February, CapitaLand also worked with Shopee to launch an IMM virtual mall to complement the physical centre in Jurong.

These online efforts are also seen in Frasers' e-commerce marketplace, which runs alongside a digital food and beverage concierge. The concierge gives tenants a platform for contactless pre-orders, payments, collection or delivery meals.

It is also testing out a livestream flash sales event on Facebook to bring tenants virtually to shoppers.

Mr Tan said: "As we move towards an endemic Covid-19, malls should evolve beyond offering accessibility and amenities. We believe malls are important spaces in the community for a balanced and healthy lifestyle."

Innovative tenants

Concept stores say they have indeed been drawing shoppers despite the pandemic, while continuing to innovate and experiment with new ideas to entice customers.

Ikea at Jem, which opened in April, is well on the way to meeting its expected number of three million visitors this year, despite being hit by the Jem cluster of infections earlier this year, noted Mr Jaap Doornbos, Ikea's retail director for Singapore and the Philippines.


Ikea at Jem is a fully cashless store. PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

He added that beyond the furniture showroom and market halls, shoppers can also use the website to find tips on sustainable living, as well as engaging content on social media.

"Convenience is also key. Ikea at Jem is a fully cashless store aimed at letting customers in the west zip in and out quickly to purchase the living or working solutions they need," Mr Doornbos said.

This convenient lifestyle concept extends to its food hall, which continues to be a big draw at Jem, he added.

The store also offers an online "click and collect" order service to make it easy for commuters or office workers to pick up orders as they pass by.

Meanwhile, Scoop Wholefoods aims to provide an environmentally friendly shopping experience in line with its organic groceries.

"Today's customer is savvy, smart, well informed and eager to adopt a healthy lifestyle," said Mr Vishesh Juneja, chief executive of Shopping Bag, part of the Singapore-based lifestyle group Gill Capital that manages Scoop.

"We see new customers in our stores every day and it is very encouraging to see more and more citizens of the country wanting to eat healthy and organic food."

The store is looking at other green measures, such as introducing recycled, biodegradable packaging for some of key bulk products and opening an e-commerce platform with e-billing.

It recently started an online store but is working to launch the full range of products there in the first quarter of next year.

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