This is certainly good news that reputable stores are biting the dust. When locals are hit with depressed wages or displaced by cheaper foreign workers, the buying power isn't there. The hordes of foreigners working in this high cost of living tiny island are just here to make & save as much $$$ to bring back home. This foreigner group of consumers don't add much to the retail businesses except for bare necessities.
With online stores offering cheaper stuff for a squeezed native populace, there's hardly a chance brick & mortar stores can compete. Why pay for the killer rent portion of a product
- which one exchanged for wages using his/her life?
- exchanged with fear at workplace of being replaced with people from 3rd world countries with dubious qualifications?
- exchanged with time being packed like sardines on commutes?
More & more natives are waking up to the startling fact.
Malls nowadays consist of the usual bunch of spam businesses. We usually find the same chain outlets in other malls. There isn't much uniqueness. Hence i don't consider missing out anything by not haven't been to Nex mall which is a popular suburban mall since it opened 3 years ago.
Back to Clementi Mall
Nex mall aside, i've blogged about High Rental - Even Starbucks Feeling the Heat in Clementi mall. Now the 2 shops diagonally opposite Popular Bookstore have closed. The Post Office took over the space of the 2 stores. And you know what's amazing about this? It's because the post office is previously just behind the mall! Literally a stone throw distance.
It seems no private businesses dare to take over & pay the exorbitant rent except for the Post Office which is a government linked company(GLC). A GLC paying killer rent to another GLC landlord - left pocket paying to right pocket.
I've walked past the Post Office at the mall 2x. I don't see the long serving employees. Being human, it's comfy to see familiar faces but what i see are never seen before workers. Looks like the new working hours 11am - 9pm at the mall is toxic to families.
Renovation works of Post Office after 2 shops went out of business.
Some people go to the mall not to buy. But to collect the stuff in parcel that they buy via online!
I don't see a need for the Post Office to relocate just a couple of metres to be at the mall. They can just adjust the working hours a bit for parcel collection by the regular working crowd. Incidentally i see people with parcels (online purchases) the way up/down the escalator.
Regular mail has trickle down to pathetic levels as i see the postman collecting the mail. Since when have we receive a handwritten addressed letter?
Till now, i have not spent a single cent at Clementi mall. More sinkies ought to join the trend & avoid throwing away $$ on paying for the killer rent.
Not related to this post but here's a little nostalgic video film, think you will like it....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLyVarVFM9w
ReplyDeleteThanks for recommending the 15min video. It's nostalgic as it features the actors/actress from SBC days! Life back in those days are the golden period of SG's growth. Inclusive & cohesive society instead of the rot surfacing more & more now.
DeleteThere's kampung spirit with kids playing along hdb corridors. People are much more frugal. Repair instead of buying new.
About the hair cutting part, i've been cutting my hair in JB, Malaysia for the past 3 years. I prefer traditional barbers instead of the commercialized joints sprouting up like weeds in SG. There's a brief massage by the barber which is a value add though is not consistent which is dependent on barber & his mood. For the price i can't complain.