You’ve heard by now that our local retail scene isn’t doing too well. New Look and Celio will bow out by the end of the year, and the Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group will close 10 of its stores soon. But despite all these predictions of doom and gloom, several Japanese brands are going against the current and actually expanding.
Take Owndays, for example. The eyewear chain recently opened another outlet at the newly-revamped Tiong Bahru Plaza — its 18th in just three years — and is planning to continue furthering its reach. Twenty five is the lucky number, the aim of the brand in the next two years. It’s not hard to see why customers prefer Owndays over traditional optical shops; it offers spectacles (including frames) for prices between $98 and $198, and ready for collection within 20 minutes. Affordable and convenient — who wouldn’t go for that?
Don’t even get us started on Uniqlo. Just last month, it announced plans to open its first global flagship at Orchard Central. That brings the tally up to 26 outlets in Singapore — basically, one everywhere you turn. Muji is another name that seems to have taken over the malls here. It’ll soon be establishing a flagship store here, with an ‘Open Muji’ concept allowing community creators to interact with the brand.
So what do they all have in common? Seems like affordable, durable and quality products are what attract people, even in an economic downturn.
