Tom & Stefanie closing store at Hillion Mall after May due to lease expiring
Local brand Tom & Stefanie has announced that it will be closing its outlet at Hillion Mall at the end of May, after its landlord decided not to renew its lease.
Tom & Stefanie to close Hillion Mall outlet
In an emotional Instagram post on Wednesday (4 March), the homegrown label wrote: “We didn’t lose this store. We were asked to leave it. There’s a difference.”
The brand, which has been around for 31 years, said its Hillion Mall outlet had done “everything right” over the past six years.
Source: Google Maps
These included maintaining consistent sales to welcoming returning customers who visited “every birthday, every Christmas”.
“We thought this was enough. It wasn’t,” they added. Rather than framing the closure as a business failure, Tom & Stefanie described it as a harsh reality of retail in Singapore.
Landlord chose not to renew lease
“In Singapore, you can do everything right and still be shown the door,” the post read.
“Loyal customers. Fair prices. Six years of proof. The landlord looked at all of it. And chose not to renew us.”
The brand also stressed that what keeps them up at night is not the loss of the physical store, but their long-serving staff.
Source: @tomnstefanie on Instagram
“People who chose to build their working years here. Who stayed when they could have gone elsewhere. Who gave us their loyalty,” they shared.
Calling it “a story about a system where doing right by your customers counts for nothing on a lease agreement,” the business also thanked Singaporeans who have supported local brands over bigger names.
Outlet having store-wide sale
“You didn’t just make a purchase. You kept a family going. You kept staff employed. You kept something real alive,” they said.
The exact date of the Hillion Mall outlet’s closure was not disclosed, but according to the post, it will officially shutter at the end of May.
In the meantime, everything in the store is on sale.
Source: Tom & Stefanie on Facebook for illustration purposes only
The brand clarified that this was not out of desperation, but because they would “rather these toys and clothes go home with the families who loved this store”.
They ended the post with an invitation: “Come by. Bring your children. Bring your memories. One last time.”
Netizens share words of encouragement
The Instagram post by Tom & Stefanie has since sparked a flurry of comments, many of which were words of encouragement for the local brand.
A netizen praised the brand for its “very reasonable prices” and urged them to stay strong.
Source: Instagram
A commenter called it a “very sad retail landscape,” while also thanking the brand for its good range of products and affordable prices.
Source: Instagram
An Instagram user said they were devastated by the news of the Hillion Mall outlet closure.
Source: Instagram
Another netizen’s daughter loves the Hillion Mall outlet so much that it has become part of her “core memory”.
Source: Instagram
Renewal negotiations took about three months
Stefanie Chua, 21, who is helping out with the family business, told MS News that renewal discussions started in January.
During the discussion, the landlord presented the brand with “significantly higher rental terms” than expected.
The negotiation process took about three months, and the parties eventually realised they could not reach an agreement.
Ms Chua also shared that the landlord will be converting the current space into an F&B outlet.
“Even if we were to match the proposed rental figures, we were told that the landlord would prefer to allocate the space to an F&B tenant,” she said.
Unlikely to open a replacement outlet
Ms Chua said that it is unlikely that they will be opening a replacement outlet at this stage, as this situation is not new.
“We previously faced similar renewal challenges at our Tiong Bahru Plaza, Sun Plaza, and City Square outlets,” she added.
Source: Tom & Stefanie on Facebook for illustration purposes only
When asked whether they would redeploy the Hillion Mall outlet staff, she said that the team has always tried to retain and support them whenever possible.
“However, given the current situation and overall business environment, there may unfortunately be some difficult decisions ahead, especially for a few long-serving team members.”
Regardless, Ms Chua told MS News that Tom & Stefanie have decided to donate a portion of the profits from their clearance sales back to the community, specifically through Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities Family Service Centre at Bukit Panjang.
She added: “This is our way of giving back for the support we’ve received over the past six years.”
Hillion Mall offered alternative location
In response to MS News queries, Hillion Mall said the management reviews the trade mix continuously to ensure that it meets the changing needs and preferences of its shoppers.
After further evaluation, they decided to rejuvenate the shopping experience at basement one.
Source: Wikipedia
“We have given Tom & Stephanie early notices of the intention. We have also offered them an alternative location, to which they did not accept,” Hillion Mall said.
The mall remains committed to providing a well-balanced mix of retail, dining and family-oriented offerings to serve its shoppers.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @tomnstefanie on Instagram & Google Maps.
