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Amid challenging retail market conditions and the onslaught from e-commerce, Singapore’s oldest department store John Little will be closing down its final outlet in Plaza Singapore by January next year, the Robinsons Group announced in a statement on Friday (4 November).
According to Robinsons Group, the move comes “after evaluating the relevancy and sustainability of the John Little brick-and-mortar business.” The group said the brand will evolve into a pop-up format—the format which usually involves opening at short-term retail spaces—which is “in line with the global trend for retail businesses.” The department store will vacate its Plaza Singapura space on 2 January 2017.
The department store is managed by Robinsons Group, which also manages Robinsons, and Marks & Spencer. The group is owned by Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group.
Following closures of some of its retail stores last year, Al-Futtaim Group announced earlier in March that it will continue to close loss-making stores in Singapore in efforts to restructure their operations here. Its John Little outlet at Jurong Point Shopping Centre closed its doors earlier this year.
“This closure is part of the consolidation efforts to focus on businesses that are growing within the Robinsons Group while rechannelling our resources to bring in new brands and shopping concepts to excite the retail industry.”
Image: Screengrab of John Little’s Facebook page.
Nikki De Guzman, Editor at CommercialGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email nikki@propertyguru.com.sg
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