Tenants CRYING. NEW MALL On ORCHARD Rd Got NO BUSINESS.

[ahleebabasingaporethief]

Mar 4, 2010

Orchard Central tenants struggle

Observers cite lack of anchor tenant and complicated layout as reasons for poor business

By Jessica Lim

The empty corridors at Orchard Central make for a woeful sight. One shop has already closed, and tenants have asked landlord Far East Organization for rental rebates. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN

THE tenants at Orchard Central mall, which is barely a year old, say they are struggling to keep their businesses afloat.
The corridors outside the shops are quiet, and walk-in customers are a rare breed - a stark contrast to the buzz at 313@Somerset and Ion Orchard, two malls which also opened last year.
At least one shop at Orchard Central, Fox Salon, has already closed, and tenants say about 70 of them have gone to landlord Far East Organization (FEO) to plead for rental rebates.
Read the full exclusive in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
limjess@sph.com.sg

[macky888]

layout so complicated and stifled, the architect ought to be shot!

[wrcboi]

of coz theres no business almost every mall in sg sell the same stuff...too many zara, giodarno, g2000,

every new mall should have something new and diff stuff

[besotted]

The name so ah gua... OC hahahah

Change it to something like Chang Cheng or Tang Shan sure successful

[singveld]

singapore shopping is doom....
too much malls.
not enough money.

[scroobal]

I agree...........

layout so complicated and stifled, the architect ought to be shot!

[Watchman]

singapore shopping is doom....
too much malls.
not enough money.

Stupid PAP still suppressing wages . 3 percent up over till 5 years .

They can go save themselves .

As long as wages does not increase 30%, no one is spending .

[elephanto]

I agree...........

I have not visited that place yet, but just seeing the TV ad of the two angmo running amok in the shopping mall, racing each other to dunno what already gives me a terrible headache, what indoor climbing wall my ass....

too bad, tenants paying for the price for some iconoclastic eccentricity of architect ....

[lifeafter41]

Mar 4, 2010

Orchard Central tenants struggle

Observers cite lack of anchor tenant and complicated layout as reasons for poor business

By Jessica Lim

The empty corridors at Orchard Central make for a woeful sight. One shop has already closed, and tenants have asked landlord Far East Organization for rental rebates. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN

THE tenants at Orchard Central mall, which is barely a year old, say they are struggling to keep their businesses afloat.
The corridors outside the shops are quiet, and walk-in customers are a rare breed - a stark contrast to the buzz at 313@Somerset and Ion Orchard, two malls which also opened last year.
At least one shop at Orchard Central, Fox Salon, has already closed, and tenants say about 70 of them have gone to landlord Far East Organization (FEO) to plead for rental rebates.
Read the full exclusive in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
limjess@sph.com.sg

Went there just to check out the place earlier this year, like a maze, shops are located haphazardly. Thought to myself the tenants here are in trouble, as I notice there is hardly any human traffic, unlike the next door 313.

I guess it is just a matter of time before the tenants vacate due to lack of business.

[Alamaking]

Funny, i happened to be at Orchard Central last week and told a friend exactly what the news reported, the place is fucking dead town compared to 313 because the place look cramped. LOL

[Ramseth]

313 Somerset has better brandname tenants, e.g. HMV, RSH etc. Look at Heeren after HMV left. Orchard Central and Illuma (opposite Bugis Junction) have no brandname tenant attraction. Wisma Atria was there first but also overshadowed by Ngee Ann City for the same reason (Takashimaya and Cold Storage are better attractions than a half-hearted Isetan, concentrating strategically at Shaw House). Centrepoint keeps thriving for the same reason (with Robinson and Cold Storage). Orchard Point would have been ghost town too without OG. Wheelock Place doesn't care much about anything else as long as they keep Borders and Marks & Spencer.

[wrcboi]

if they can bring in a-fitch, zucca and H&M into their mall....they can still attract....

[Hans168]

Mar 4, 2010

Orchard Central tenants struggle

Observers cite lack of anchor tenant and complicated layout as reasons for poor business

By Jessica Lim

The empty corridors at Orchard Central make for a woeful sight. One shop has already closed, and tenants have asked landlord Far East Organization for rental rebates. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN

THE tenants at Orchard Central mall, which is barely a year old, say they are struggling to keep their businesses afloat.
The corridors outside the shops are quiet, and walk-in customers are a rare breed - a stark contrast to the buzz at 313@Somerset and Ion Orchard, two malls which also opened last year.
At least one shop at Orchard Central, Fox Salon, has already closed, and tenants say about 70 of them have gone to landlord Far East Organization (FEO) to plead for rental rebates.
Read the full exclusive in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
limjess@sph.com.sg

NO pity from me
No proper market study and not recognising mall glut n recession still around

[prince123456]

orchard no casino no shiok lar

ppl now go sentosa . play casino .. win $$$ got vivo shopping lar...

hheeh

[SneeringTree]

I like the building layout and architecture...but not as a shopping mall.

Close down the whole damn place and reopen it as the Singapore Museum of Modern Art.

[shOUTloud]

is the layout as bad as the one at Clarke Quay? Central?

[elephanto]

I like the building layout and architecture...but not as a shopping mall.

Close down the whole damn place and reopen it as the Singapore Museum of Modern Art.

my sentiments too.

successful differentiation to offer new variety to the Orchard scene.

But unfortunately, the poor tenants gotta pay rent ...

[sinren67]

PA shd buy over the Orchard Central and give up the new premises at 9 King George’s Avenue. This makes sense since PA is more interested to serve the tourists.

[dysentry]

Retail is a sinking ship coz the hoi polloi are reining in spending.

Besides FTs aren't spending. All the money going to their high COVs.

Don't depend on tourists either.

We need new brands like A-fitch, Hollister and American Apparel.

[scroobal]

I heard a similar comment from one chap who told me that new museums tend to be built along these lines as they have to be built to cheaper as they are running along non commercial lines.

Its a reflection of Philip Kwek style starting with The Bayshore his first project where everything is close and cramped but hidden by artistic lines, high foliage landscaping and creative work. There are still people who bought The Bayshore and it is still underwater with negative equity.

Like the Bayshore, this shopping centre also won an artistic award and both are functionally useless.

I like the building layout and architecture...but not as a shopping mall.

Close down the whole damn place and reopen it as the Singapore Museum of Modern Art.