AS ANOTHER department store makes its exit from The Centrepoint at the end of the month, shoppers and tenants worry that the Orchard Road mall is in quiet decline.
Business first took a hit in May last year, when anchor tenant Robinsons moved out after 31 years. On Thursday, Marks & Spencer said it would close its Centrepoint outlet to focus on its other stores.
Meanwhile, the Metro outlet which took up Robinsons' old spot last November is still not getting the shopper traffic it needs.
A "disappointing level of sales" at the new store has resulted in losses, said Metro Holdings in its earnings report last month.
Today, parts of the mall are under wraps, including what used to be the once-popular Teochew City Seafood Restaurant.
After more than 25 years, the eatery closed its doors last year, as sales were halved after Robinsons' exit. In its place, one finds renovation works and signage that reads: "Emerging into a new style."
A Frasers Centrepoint Malls spokesman said that plans were laid out last year to "revitalise" The Centrepoint and ensure that it "remains relevant, appealing and attractive". These plans have also been shared with tenants.
"The plans will include a brand new destination concept and food and beverage precinct which will inject exciting retail and lifestyle offerings into the mall," said the spokesman.
When The Straits Times visited yesterday, most tenants told the newspaper that they survive on tourists and regular customers as the mall is usually quiet except on weekends.
An employee at sports shop Anta said that even on weekends the mall is not too crowded and was not surprised to hear that Marks & Spencer is vacating its space.
On Thursday, Marks & Spencer's owner, Dubai-based Al-Futtaim, announced that the outlet will close on March 29 to consolidate resources and focus on the other stores islandwide, including the flagship store at Wheelock Place. Mr Philips Gason, 55, a consultant who has shopped at The Centrepoint for years, said that the mall has become "a lot more run-down now, especially since Robinsons left".
"They renovated the foodcourt two years back but it's still in a terrible condition," he said.
But a staff member at Self-Fix DIY was more optimistic: "I've been working here for three years and, actually, I think business has gone up. We are a DIY shop, and one of the only ones in Orchard. We've also been here for a long time so people know about us."
The Straits Times / Money Published on Sat, 14 March, 2015
By Ong Kai Xuan And Marissa Lee
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