5 Cult Brands That No Longer Exist In Singapore & Why They Left
What do stores like Forever 21 and HMV have in common? Well, for those in Singapore, they are reminders of days when bee hoon didn’t cost S$8Â and life was simpler.
Sadly, these cult favourites no longer exist in Singapore, along with several other brands that many might remember.
The iconic Borders outlet at Wheelock, for example, shuttered in 2011 while Taco Bell exited the country in 2009.
One could say that these brands “failed” as many reports point to poor profits — but some, like Hong Kong-based cosmetics chain Sa Sa, have recently made a surprise comeback.
MS News looks at five bygone brands and why they no longer exist in Singapore.
1. HMV — From 25,000 sq ft mega-store to no presence at all
When HMV opened in Singapore in 1997, it arrived with a bang.
The music store occupied a whopping 25,000 sq ft store at The Heeren and was reportedly the place where the cool kids hung out.
However, as the years went by and listening to CDs became a thing of the past, so did HMV.
Apple launched the iPod in 2001, and Amazon and iTunes started entering the radar of music lovers, according to The Guardian.
By 2011 and 2012, the company was in debt and had declining sales, reported The Straits Times (ST).
In April 2013, Hilco Capital bought out HMV for an estimated £50 million (S$107 million).
The brand closed its last outlet in Marina Square on 30 Sep 2015.
2. Borders — Haven for book lovers until 2011
This one might hit home for bookworms in Singapore.
In November 1997, Borders opened its flagship store at Wheelock Place in Orchard. In its heyday, the store was a mecca for book lovers.
Source: Walk With Us
The Wheelock outlet had armchairs for customers to enjoy a book or two, as well as an in-house bistro and cafe.
Some news reports covering the store’s early years described the novel retail experience.
Source: Her World
The bookstore appeared to be a hit in Singapore during its first year of operations, exceeding its S$25 million sales target in 1998.
However, all good things come to an end.
According to news reports, the bookstore at Wheelock shuttered after a rental dispute with its landlord.
Borders Singapore was declared permanently closed on 19 Aug 2011.
This came after earlier reports in February that year that its parent company in Australia, REDgroup Retail, had gone into voluntary administration.
3. Forever 21 — One of the cult brands that went bankrupt
Forever 21 was once the go-to store for affordable, trendy clothes. Who could forget the iconic outlet right above Orchard MRT station?
That’s why when the brand filed for bankruptcy in September 2019, shoppers everywhere collectively gasped in shock.
Forever 21 closed its last physical store in Singapore at 313@Somerset in June 2021.
Source: Her World
According to CNBC, the company had been burdened by its rapid international expansion.
It also opened massive outlets in prime real estate. One can only imagine the rent they were paying.
In Singapore for example, Forever 21 had a 16,000-square-foot store at 313@Somerset and a 20,000-square-foot one at Orchard Exchange.
Additionally, the brand faced stiff competition from other fast fashion brands like Zara and H&M.
BNN Bloomberg also echoed these sentiments in their long-form exposé about the fall of the Forever 21 “empire”, as they called it.
It also reported that the brand failed to keep up with changing consumer mindsets about fast fashion.
People allegedly saw the brand as having low-quality items with no regard for the environment.
4. Taco Bell — Left Singapore after a decade of operations
Next on the list is the fast-food chain Taco Bell. The American brand reportedly came to Singapore in 1999, with its first store in Funan.
Source: Coconuts
It offered Mexican-inspired foods to Singaporeans through the turn of the century.
However, the brand made its exit a decade after it arrived and has never come back since.
That said, the chain has remained a household name in the US, with thousands of outlets across the country.
Source: Delish
It had unfortunately failed to replicate the same success here.
In 2019, President of Taco Bell International Liz Williams addressed the chain’s departure from Singapore in an interview with Reuters. She said:
Consumers weren’t ready in terms of awareness and the brand wasn’t positioned right at the time.
It’s now been 14 years since Taco Bell left Singapore and Mexican food chain Guzman Y Gomez has emerged to fill the gap in the market.
Even kiosks like Stuff’d are offering Mexican-inspired burritos — though with a Turkish twist.
That said, it might be unlikely that Singaporeans will see a comeback from this fast-food giant.
Taco Bell fans may have to continue crossing the border to get their fix instead.
5. Robinsons — Vacated The Heeren site after Covid-19
Robinsons is practically an institution in Singapore, having been in the country for over a century.
The retailer had a huge presence at The Heeren, occupying a 186,000 sq ft space in the building along Orchard Road.
In recent years, it also had an outlet in Raffles City and an 85,000 sq ft store in JEM.
Source: The Heeren
In 2020, The Business Times reported that Robinsons had been losing money for six years.
The department store recorded losses of S$54.4 million in 2018. Meanwhile, its revenue was declining – from S$257.3 million in 2014 to S$153.8 million in 2018.
Covid-19 was the nail in the coffin for Robinsons as the pandemic resulted in uncertainties that made it difficult to ensure the long-term success of the business.
In January 2021, Robinsons closed its Raffles City outlet for good. Its flagship store at The Heeren had shuttered just a month before.
Perhaps there’s hope for these cult brands
Many of the brands on this list are based overseas and their outlets here are thus more vulnerable to closure.
For Forever 21 and HMV, bankruptcy meant axing outlets in smaller markets like Singapore.
However, one could say that not all hope is lost. Brands could go into partnership and get a new lease of life, such as in the case of SHEIN and Forever 21.
Even Robinsons has adapted to e-commerce — with a website they dubbed as their “online mall”.
What other bygone brands do you miss and hope to see a comeback from? Let us know in the comments.
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Featured image adapted from The Heeren and Noel Ariola Rosales on Facebook.
