Retail at brick-and-mortar shops had already been difficult since the advent of online shopping.
But the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be the final nail in the coffin for some well-loved old stores like Robinsons.
After the latter departed Raffles City last year, another household name will be following suit on 31 Dec: sister brand Marks & Spencer (M&S).
As a final farewell, they’re offering up to 70% off.
The store announced its sad departure in a Facebook post in Nov, adding that 31 Dec would be their last day of operations.
They also thanked customers for their patronage, revealing that M&S has been a constant presence at the mall for a whopping 35 years.
That means a baby born when the store 1st opened would likely have children of their own who can hop, skip and jump around the shop.
This isn’t the 1st time the branch announced its closure, though.
Exactly 1 year ago, MS News also reported that M&S at Raffles City was closing at the end of 2020.
However, they happily received a stay of execution for 1 more year.
Although their lease had been signed under Robinsons, they managed to continue serving customers at Raffles City thanks to their “long-term partnership with CapitaLand”, M&S told The Straits Times.
At the time, they didn’t mention how long more they would be last at their current premises.
As with all store shutdowns in Singapore, there’ll of course be a closing sale.
M&S Raffles City has called theirs a “Moving On Sale”.
There’ll be up to 70% off on selected goods storewide, as “everything must go” – just like last year.
Those who’re fans of their classy clothing, toiletries and specialty snacks should head down there for some cut-price Christmas shopping.
However, if you’re worried over M&S’ future in Singapore, there’s no cause for concern yet.
The company still has 10 other stores here, in popular malls in town like Plaza Singapura and VivoCity, and as far afield as Jewel Changi Airport and Waterway Point.
To visit the Raffles City for (probably) the last time and reminisce over the last 35 years, here are the details:
Address: 252 North Bridge Road
#02-06/07 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179103
Opening hours: Monday-Sunday, 11am–8pm
Nearest MRT station: City Hall
With the pandemic taking its toll, it’s sad but unsurprising to see stores like M&S leaving malls.
Let’s hope that it’s not the end of the road yet for M&S Raffles City, and they’ll pop up somewhere else in the mall soon.
Another silver lining for their fans is that they’ll be able to find them in other places in Singapore, so we can still look forward to shopping there.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured images from Google Maps and Google Maps.
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