‘It’s not as good as last year’: No Christmas cheer for some retailers along Orchard Road

[The_King]

SINGAPORE — Some retailers along Orchard Road are noticing a quieter year-end, with thinner crowds and the traditional holiday season spending splurge missing in action.

Half of the 20 sales representatives who spoke to CNA on Friday (Dec 22) said they have seen a drop in footfall this month, with sales taking a hit compared to the same period last year.

 

One reason could be that many Singaporeans have gone overseas for a year-end holiday. At the same time, tourist arrivals have not fully recovered, the retail representatives said.

Other contributing factors include concerns about inflation and the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, as well as a persistently weak Malaysian ringgit luring people from Singapore to take their spending across the Causeway.

Ms Mademoiselle Recto, who works at a Converse store in Ion Orchard mall here, noted that daily takings at the till have dipped to about S$3,000 (US$2,260) this month, down from a range of S$4,000 to S$5,000 last year.

 

 

“It’s not as good as last year. (We) don’t see many people around,” she said.

In neighbouring Wisma Atria mall, a salesperson at Porter International said that business on weekdays has been generally slow this month. Weekends may see around 20 to 30 “serious” shoppers, but only half make a purchase.

 

“Maybe (it’s) because people are overseas, maybe (it’s) because of the economy… It’s been very slow for us, even slower than (the) last few years,” the salesperson who declined to be named said.

Over at the Isetan department store in Shaw House, a shoe promoter by the name of Serena said that footfall and sales are down by about 30 per cent this month, compared with the same period last year.

“It is very quiet on Orchard Road,” she told CNA. “I think many people (have gone) on a holiday or maybe people are scared of Covid-19.”

A fellow promoter who identified himself as just Mr Tan said that sales have also been subdued due to a lacklustre tourist crowd.

 

 

The latest figures from the Singapore Tourism Board showed a fourth straight month of declines in Singapore’s international visitor arrivals for the month of November.

 

At 1,100,459 visitors, it was a 2.3 per cent dip from the 1,125,954 in October, albeit still 34.8 per cent higher than the 816,340 visitors recorded in November last year.

Industry players and observers have attributed the slower recovery in tourist numbers to higher inflation and the stronger Singapore dollar.

The weak Malaysian ringgit is another headache for retailers in Singapore. The Singapore dollar last traded at 3.4945 against the ringgit, based on Bloomberg data on late Friday afternoon.

A senior brand manager of a fashion brand located within Isetan department store said: “Not just December, the whole second half of the year has been quiet.”

Giving his name as just Mr Amit, he added that walk-in customers have slowed, with “only a few days of good business if there are good discounts”.

 

 

“I would say business has been down by 30 to 40 per cent for the second half… The weak ringgit is a big issue.”

Shoppers are also thinking twice about spending at a time of high inflation, by opting to go for discounted products or buy in smaller quantities, several sales representatives said.

However, it is not all bleak along the country’s prime shopping belt. There are retailers who have seen sales holding up so far in December.

A part-timer at sneaker brand Superga in Wheelock Place who gave her name as just Ms Syamira said: “There are good days and there are also days when sales are quieter. But that is normal like any other month.”

The start of a new school year around the corner appeared to have boosted sales at another footwear shop Vans.

A worker at the store in Ion Orchard who did not want to be named said: “It is only quiet in the morning but after that, I would say it can get pretty busy, especially this week with families slowly returning from their holidays.” 

 

 

The toys section at Isetan was fairly crowded when CNA visited on Friday afternoon. One of them was Ms Christine Lim, who was in town for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

“I’m definitely conscious about spending too much but it’s Christmas. I think it’s all right to pamper myself and my friends and family with a few gifts,” she said. CNA

[The_King]

FT = here to earn and go back to spend, (if not come here to work for what)

eilte = already oversea or no need all these cheapo stuff

high SES = traveling like japan so many singparean

low SES = lousy job, low pay, can only work as grabfood etc... in short no money to spend

little india, orchard grass there etc... = so many ppl camping eating home cook food, no need to spend on Orchard shop

 

 

in short the one can spend dont have the money, the one have money travel or here to work to bring money back home

 

aka in chinese

 

 

 

aka in english

 

[socrates469bc]

if limpeh so old also buy tat sing slippers and crocodile singlets online, kumgong pappy serfs think orchard rd got business meh????????

 

wahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[aaur4man]

dunno how many years nv go orchard liao

[coffeenut]

Last year was rebound year after couple of damp years of COVID lockdown .. why the retailers never compare with Dec 2000 and Dec 2021?   

 

 

[aaur4man]

[XianGe]

Supplier profit, Landlords profit, retail can only charge more... But smart spenders will jz buy online to siam the middleman while retail waiting to close .. not everyone can earn like OCK

Edited December 23, 2023 by XianGe