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No Shoppers Yet at Iluma
Mon, May 25, 2009
The Straits Times By Rachael Boon and Nur Shakylla Saifudin When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. Well, that is usually the case in retail-loving Singapore. But one of the newest shopping centres in town has found that the tough are wimping out on mall-trawling. Iluma mall, a shiny shopping edifice in Bugis, opened its doors barely a month ago in a soft launch, and already some of its shops are holding sales. Shopkeepers told LifeStyle that business has been slow on weekdays, picking up only during weekends, so they hope sales will draw the crowds. Around 60 per cent of the mall's shops were open for business when LifeStyle visited last week, and of these, at least half were offering discounts ranging from 20 to 40 per cent. The mall consists of 10 levels, and expects to have at least 150 shops ready when it is officially launched next month. One of the outlets already open is local menswear brand Ryo, and it is offering discounts of up to 20 per cent on merchandise at its third-floor outlet. Ryo owner Melvin Chew, 27, says that ever since the mall opened on March 28, business has been 'pretty slow, and not many shoppers come by'. 'But it's hard to say since it's only been a month. Still, I find it pretty quiet in the mall and not much is going on.' Womenswear shop Indulg is offering 20 per cent off its clothes. Co-owner Gloria Lee, 35, says: 'I decided to have the sale to draw the crowds, and it will be on as long as sales pick up or till the official launch of the mall.' However, word of the great deals does not seem to have got out because when LifeStyle was there, some of the shops had no customers at all. Ms Sara Ng, 36, who is the owner of nineteen nighty eight, a womenswear shop on the third floor, says a 10 to 20 per cent discount on clothes 'doesn't help much because customers ask for even more discounts'. A sales assistant at second-floor outlet Secret Island, one of at least 11 womenswear shops already open for business, says: 'From morning until now, I have not made any sale and no one has walked in. Business is really quiet.' It was 3pm then. Some shoppers told LifeStyle they were put off as the mall looks unfinished. Hoardings are still up on the sidewalk in front, most tenants on the first floor have yet to move in and the atrium remains a huge empty space. Mr Alfonso Chan, who has been to Iluma twice, says: 'When I stepped in, my initial reaction was that it's not open yet.' The 24-year-old student also said that he expected more of the new mall. He says: 'I thought it would be like Suntec City, but the stores are not enticing or distinctive. It's so sad. The space is so big and you are the only one walking around.' Ms Athena Goh, 31, who is in sales, agrees: 'It's a wasted trip and the promotions don't really make me want to buy anything. The place is empty and it dampens the mood.' However, some food outlets on the fourth floor are faring well, thanks to passing trade from the mall's Filmgarde cineplex on the fifth floor. Cheeky Chocolates, a dessert cafe on the fourth floor - located steps away from the escalator leading to the cinema - has served nearly 1,000 customers on Saturdays since it opened on April 4. Owner Aaron Choy, 26, says: 'For those on this floor, we are banking on the cinema to bring in the crowds. Some people come before the show for a drink, and after the movie they come and have dessert. It gets quite insane during the weekends.' Thai Express' outlet manager, Mr Mustaffa Batisah, 28, agrees: 'Although the dinner crowd is on-off, weekends are crazy and the number of people is double or more than on weekdays.' The Thai restaurant, which opened nearly a month ago, serves about 60 people a day from Mondays to Thursdays, which 'is very inconsistent because people are still checking Iluma out', he adds. Even first-floor Japanese restaurant Pasta de Waraku, which is not as easy to find as the fourth-floor eateries because it is tucked away next to the mall's back entrance, is doing brisk business. It attributes this to its dollar-for-dollar discount voucher for diners, redeemable for the whole of this month. The eatery serves around 200 diners on weekdays. On weekends, the number doubles. Restaurant manager Alvin Lee, 28, says: 'We have been doing a lot of advertising in newspapers and sending out flyers to create more awareness.' On how the long-established Bugis Junction, the Bugis shopper's favourite haunt, is faring since Iluma opened across the road, a spokesman for landlord CapitaLand Retail says: 'Iluma and its complementary entertainment offerings have not affected shopper traffic in Bugis Junction. We look forward to more patrons visiting the Bugis area with the increased variety of things to see, do and buy.' An overhead bridge linking the two malls is due to be completed at the end of the year, and the spokesman said it 'will be a positive thing as it will facilitate shopper and commuter flow'. Iluma's management could not be reached for comment. |
Re: No Shoppers Yet at Iluma
In bugis so should be crowded like Bugis V and Parco, quiet probably due to economic crisis :(
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just compare tampines one crowd and illuma ? I suppose all of your know the answer.....so management A n P play important roles. The other 2 malls coming out will join in the competitors........oh dear......what will the customer go to? :coffee:
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Hi Frou,
I refering the Central orchard and IOn coming soon. For illuma, I do not know the landlord, but I believe it Knight frank for marketing. Correct me if i wrong. So when this 2 mall coming, I suppose the rest of mall will be quiet.....:( |
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Orchard mall gets $4-5m ad blitz Apr 9, 2009 The Business Times Uma Shankari (SINGAPORE) Far East Organization will spend $4-5 million from June to December this year promoting its upcoming Orchard Central mall, which is set for a soft opening in early June. But tenants will not get across-the-board base rent rebates - unlike at upcoming rival Ion Orchard. Susan Leng, Far East Organization's director for retail management, said the company is working with tenants on a case-by-case basis and has offered rebates to a 'handful' so far. According to her, Orchard Central will be a must-visit shopping destination. 'Our extensive advertising and promotional (A&P) campaign over the second half of the year aims to attract shoppers to Orchard Central to experience a whole new level of retail and dining,' she said. The $4-5 million A&P budget is the largest that Far East Organization has set aside to promote a mall - and more than twice the amount it has spent promoting other malls it launched lately. The A&P campaign is expected to drive tenants' sales, which is why the mall - even though it has a rent assistance programme in place - is not giving a standard rebate to all tenants. 'Our key focus is not on rent assistance but bringing up sales,' Ms Leng said. 'But we review (each case) and if the case is valid, we consider rebates.' So far, Orchard Central has received written submissions from 17 tenants asking for rent rebates and has granted rebates of 10-30 per cent to 'less than 10' of them, she said. The rebates will be valid until October. Last month, Ion Orchard - which is at the opposite end of Orchard Road and is due to open in July - said tenants will get rebates of up to 30 per cent of base rent. Orchard Central has been 65 per cent taken up so far. Negotiations are still going on with several retailers, and Ms Leng is optimistic the take-up rate will increase to 75 per cent over the next few months. Signing-on rents have softened over the past few months, she said. Separately, shopping mall Tampines 1 will open its doors to the public today with 100 per cent occupancy. :applause: |
Re: No Shoppers Yet at Iluma
Haix. Very sad to hear this. Many malls are sprouting out. But the retailers are not doing any better, isn't it? I visited illuma recently. The crowd was there but people are just checking out. Not much sales was done.
Ion and Orchard Central coming out. Expensive rental fee. I wonder how the retailers are going to manage. Rental fees in singapore is too high liaox. Even pushcart, small area also cost a few Ks. |
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i dun even know what stores are at iluma haha. only heard that there's a promotion for the june holidays - but all targetted at students. have they forgotten about those working crowd working nearby?
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:coffee: FAr EAst spenting heavily on ANP? Hmmm.......let me refresh my memory. So far which mall have been doing well on past history. Maybe Far East Plaza. However, it 10 year ago........wahahahahha |
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Tampines 1 is managed by AsiaMalls Management which also manages Tiong Bahru Plaza, Century Sq, White Sand, Hougang Mall and Liang Court. 100% occupancy rate at T1... mmmm... I'm impressed :clap: |
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:laff: Talking about Far East Organization.... in today's news
Next change at Icon Village: A food haven May 30, 2009 The Straits Times Leow Si Wan THE Icon Village, a shopping mall occupying the ground level of the Icon Condominium, is undergoing renovations and a rebranding exercise, less than two years after opening its doors. Originally billed as a mall offering stress relief, the 30,000 sq ft retail space about five minutes away from the Tanjong Pagar MRT station now wants to remodel itself as a food haven. Its developer, Far East Organization, said this rejuvenation will allow the mall to meet greater demand from several new developments such as hotels and residential estates. Tenants are looking forward to the revamp as business has been poor, leaving many of them floundering. They chose to set up shop at the Icon Village because of its good location. But most tenants said they have 'yet to cover costs' and that there are days when they do not see 'a single customer'. From late last year, the mall's tenants have dwindled from 50 to the current 14. The main reasons for the low traffic, tenants said, are the confusing layout - many shops are hidden from plain view - and the lack of publicity. Checks with 20 people working or living near the mall show that most do not know where or what Icon Village is. Ms Jeanine Ang, 28, a clerk, said she knew of the condominium but did not realise there was a mall in the building. Others said the shops did not appeal to them. Tenant mix is another reason residents at the Icon, which has 646 units, have given the mall a miss. Mr Simon Buechi, 25, a bank consultant, said: 'The shops are not very exciting. Many are also closed on weekends when I am free to shop.' A 40-year-old banker said he prefers shopping in town and would have appreciated a place where he could buy his groceries. Ms Irene Tan, a realty adviser, added: 'The mall is in a very prime location so it is a pity it isn't popular. The tenant mix is important - people need a reason to visit. 'They could bring in a supermarket as an anchor tenant to cater to the residents in the condominium.' To bring in more foot traffic, Far East Organization is spending $2 million to improve the layout and ambience of Icon Village. The rebranding will have a tenant mix of 65 per cent food and beverage outlets, with the rest devoted to lifestyle and service shops. Other than the tenant mix, renovations - which started this month and will be completed in the latter part of the year - will also make the mall brighter. Plans are to transform an existing 7m walkway into a stretch of food outlets. Promotional activities are in the pipeline. Mr Steven Toh, owner of the Advance Shoe Repair & Locksmith Services, recently signed another three-year lease: 'I am staying on because I am looking at the long run. 'There are offices, flats and other estates coming up in Tanjong Pagar. With the right tenants and promotional activities, I see a good glimpse of hope.' |
Re: No Shoppers Yet at Iluma
Something about Iluma, extracted from the Wikipedia....
Iluma is a 10 story shopping mall which is managed and owned by Jack Investment. The mall is located within the Bugis district and opened its doors on 28 March 2009. :confused2: With a budget of S$100 million, the country's first urban entertainment centre will be targeted at the young professionals in their 20s and 30s. The mall is able to cater for up to 60 - 80 thousand consumers on a daily basis once the mall is open. The 8921 m² site along Victoria Street and opposite the Bugis Junction and Hotel Intercontinential was previously put on a tender bid conducted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Jack Investment then won the tender in 2005 for the Iluma site with a bid of S$46 million. Jack Investment has pumped S$160 million for the budget of Iluma, 60% more than its initial budget of S$100 million. In line with the URA's plan for Bugis and the current high human traffic between Bugis Village and Bugis Junction, the opening of Iluma is expected to draw more patrons to the Bugis area as Iluma is visioned to set the Bugis arts and entertainment district alight. Iluma will be also prepared to host a series of art and musical performances within the mall's dedicated event plaza. Hence, the mall can be considered as the long awaited missing piece in the Bugis arts and entertainment district’s jigsaw puzzle. Facilities Being an icon for the Bugis area, the mall will play on a theme of light and illumination, having high-tech features such as a light- and media facade designed by the Berlin based architects and artists realities:united that will be envelop the convex part of the building and brightly-lit billboards will scatter across its flatter sides, unlike those in the Times Square. :applause: Its theme was inspired by its proximity to arts venues and tertiary institutions. The mall also have 27 191 sq ft of column-free space which is suitable for themed restaurant and concept-dining. The second storey of the mall will also be connected to Victoria Street via a pedestrian overhead bridge. :clap: The mall also has a car park with 325 lots. Notable tenants With a net-lettable area of 191 580 sq ft, more than 150 outlets are expected to be open in Iluma, with a mix of retail and entertainment outlets, with an emphasis on performing and exhibition space. 60% of the area will be used for entertainment outlets. On the fifth floor, there is a cineplex managed by Filmgarde which also have an outlet at Leisure Park Kallang. There is no supermarket operator in Iluma :laff: (Reminds me of Icon Village), unlike typical shopping malls in Singapore. The mall is likely to include dance clubs to attract more patrons who enjoy the night life. Rents are said to fall between S$10 to S$30 per sq ft per month, with the highest rent are said to have reach S$50 per sq ft per month. Errmmm.... so now that it's open, who are the anchor tenants? Haven't had a chance to visit Iluma but this place sounds promising. |
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And he even said that the management there sucks. They use them as guinea pigs to see which atrium space better. one day, they are placed in the left side and the next day they are placed in the right side. When i asked about management, they just sigh and say that the management like to nitpick every layout things they do. for example, cannot have anything touch the ground. They also say that mondays to thursdays they open stall also no difference, cos wont make money. The worse is their parking. wa lau. when i was driving up the ramp, i was so frightened i will scratch my car, cos the walls are dark red colour and absorb all the lights. i don't know why their designer so bad at design. Their toilet doors are like bomb shelter and their escalator bypass the level two stalls. I wonder how the small children go to toilet with such a heavy door for toilet entrance. some of my friends even think that the aura is very dark. not healthy for business. At the next door, bugis village is a large contrast. Crowded at all times all days, despite it looking so old. Enough said man. |
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One of the caucasian guys in front of me stood up and shouted about the problem to the staff at the screening room. Then, within a few seconds, the perspective was ok to the normal movie long-width perspective and subtitles were ok. This is not the end. At the end of the very last scene, just when the credits are showing, they turned on the lights. I want to see the special effects at the end after the "Space the final frontier..." part but I could not. Wa lau, I want to see the names of the actors but I cannot. The caucasian in front of me just stood up and cursed some expletives and vowed never to return. I think the staff were all in a hurry to go home as it was 1130 pm. The screw-up continues. When we exited the movie theatre, we realised that the lifts are shut down, and the escalators too. We had to walk down the escalators! By the way, Filmgarde is owned by Jack Investment. I am not against them and have nothing against them, but I seriously think that my day at Iluma was one of the worst shopping and 'entertainment' experience of my life. One thing for sure, and I hope the journalists of Straits Times Are Reading this: I will never go back to Iluma again. |
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Hey taufoong, thanks for sharing your Iluma experience. :laff: Sori, can't help but laugh when I read your postings.... poor thing. So Iluma is not that promising after all.... Wonder will this turn out to be the next Central.... :juggle:
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However, the problem with Iluma is actually quite amazing. It is a "concerted" effort to piss people off (just read my thread). I haven't told you. When I was walking down the mall from the cinema level, I passed by the arcade. You know what? the staff are all playing the arcade machines! haha.. there were two challenging each other on the Tako drum machine and several others playing other stations. You know what? That arcade also owned by Jack investment!! :rolleyes: Deep inside me, I feel that maybe they should swap these arcade staff who dun wanna go home with the movie theatre staff. Then there may be some equilibrium. Sigh. Utterly disappointed. |
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haha. the only shops i go to central for are ya kun kaya toast, marutama ramen, waraku and yamagawa supermarket!
that's because i keep getting lost in the area, and these are the only 4 stores that are either easy to assess (ya kun) and i took the effort to memorise the routes (the other 3 jap stores) i was talking to a few group of frens the other day. when i asked if they've been to iluma, most did not know where iluma was (even when i mentioned bugis), those who went told me the things are rather ex (except for the movies at $9.50 on weekends. but reading taufoong's post, i guess i'll give it a miss  |
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Iluma - Perhaps when the overhead bridge is done, biz will pick up....
Central - Perhaps they need to re-position themselves, change their concept :juggle: haven't had a clue who they are really targeting at. Seems like everyone is going there for its food. Another food-haven for FE Organisation after its Icon Village change??? Tampines 1 - Yet to step into T1 :D Think perhaps they have the right AnP....the right tenant mix... a bit of a "Think Uniqlo Think T1" or vv. Sq 2 - Now what do people think about Sq 2 at Novena? When they first started, I remember the floor plan I saw had a floor just for Korea thingy and Sq 2 is suppose to have a LevelOne concept (like FEP LevelOne??) ... but now that it is in operation, I think the korea theme is somewhat there but not obvious and didn't quite feel the LevelOne concept at all... just like any other mall to me or did I get it mixed up with Central :confused2: :laff: On the whole, think Sq 2 is not too bad, can still see its streams of office crowds |
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how's icon village crowd? haha.. used to work near there, but didnt bother to go there for lunch, cos dun even know what stores are there (opps!)
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Hey poker, I've been to Icon Village once. Quiet even during lunch time. More like happen to pass by because it didn't occur to me to go there for shopping, was under the impression it's some kind of spa and rejuvenation heaven.
Icon Village gives me that upmarket feel so I guess it didn't quite pull in the crowd even at lunch time, but to be fair, I didn't check out the prices so aint sure if it's upmarket....just an overall feel and partly because I was more interested in the bazaar going on next door in Amara shopping center :p |
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