Turning Orchard Road into an ‘all-day, all-night must-visit destination’

For Orchard Road to regain its shine as a major shopping street, Sulian Tan-Wijaya, Savills Singapore executive director of retail and lifestyle, believes visionary stakeholders are needed to create “exciting live-work-play-vacation experiences”. She sees the biggest potential for rejuvenation at the stretch from Tanglin Mall to Wheelock Place. The opening of new hotels in the area has already enlivened the neighbourhood, for instance, the 204-key Singapore Edition and 142-room Artyzen Singapore, which both opened last November. The 347-key Pan Pac Orchard launched in June 2023. The former Regent Hotel at Cuscaden Road has reopened as Conrad Singapore Orchard. The 54-unit Park Nova luxury condo, located at the corner of Orchard Boulevard and Tomlinson Road, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Designed by London-based PLP Architecture, Park Nova is in good company with other newly completed luxury condos in the area, for instance, Boulevard 88 and Cuscaden Reserve, as well as existing condos such as Four Seasons Park, St Regis Residences and Tomlinson Heights. Read also: Pan Pacific Orchard brings luxuriant tropical spectacle to Orchard Road Advertisement With the more affluent residents and high-spending international visitors in Singapore, Tan-Wijaya sees opportunities to bring more Michelin Star or internationally renowned signature restaurants to Orchard Road. “We could also nurture a vibrant café culture where the young and trendy shoppers love to hang out,” she says. Over the past few months, Tan-Wijaya, Savills’ Broker of the Year 2023, and her team (which won Business Unit of the Year 2023) have been engaged by a diverse range of brands looking to open their first Singapore store on Orchard Road. They include luxury watches, jewellery, fashion, fitness, wellness, entertainment and F&B.

Duplex flagships and ‘maisons’

Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands are always the first or second choice for overseas brands, especially top luxury brands. “Within Orchard, there are only a handful of malls top-tier luxury brands would go to,” adds Tan-Wijaya. Some luxury brands have expanded their physical presence post-Covid, for instance, YSL, which opened its new duplex Saint Laurent boutique at Paragon; and Burberry, which added a new floor to its boutiques at Paragon and Marina Bay Sands. Many luxury beauty brands have opened at Raffles City after the mall was revamped in late 2021–2022. Tan-Wijaya also sees luxury watch brands opening new spaces and concepts in less conventional venues to create “first-class experiences” for their VVIP guests. She hopes that more creative use of space will be allowed in new developments. “It will generate more buzz and vibrancy, turning Orchard Road into an exciting all-day, all-night must-visit destination.” Read also: UOL’s focus on sustainable design pays off Advertisement New malls can be purpose-built to house duplex luxury flagships or “maisons”, observes Tan-Wijaya. Cafes, lounges, event spaces and private areas can be incorporated to enhance the retail experience and better engage with VIPs and new customers. Tan-Wijaya is already working with some stakeholders to curate retail, lifestyle, entertainment and dining concepts catering to affluent and sophisticated audiences. “Many such experiential concepts already exist in other cities like Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai, and are only starting to take off in Singapore,” she says.

Cult streetwear brands

French footwear and sports equipment brand Salomon opened its first standalone store in Singapore at Raffles City in January. US sportswear brand Hoka opened its first outlet at Ion Orchard in May. It joins Nike, which opened its biggest store in Singapore and Asia at 268 Orchard Road in January. Nike’s 28,000 sq ft store spans three storeys. Just two doors away from 268 Orchard Road is Knightsbridge, where Adidas opened its brand centre on Orchard Road at the end of 2021. Called Adidas Homeground, the 18,000 sq ft retail space spans three floors and is the largest Adidas store in Singapore. Tan-Wijaya brokered the deal. “Cult streetwear brands and popular designer brands located within walking distance of one another will help create a new shopping experience,” she says. “Street fashion, incorporating athleisure or skate culture, will continue to be relevant.” Besides Nike, other international brands such as Finnish design company Marimekko and Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille have opened their flagship stores in Orchard over the past year. “It indicates a level of confidence in the ongoing appeal of the precinct,” says a spokesperson for the Orchard Road Business Association. Read also: UOL attractively valued following UIC consolidation Advertisement

Rooftop bars

Savills Singapore was recently appointed the marketing agent for the rooftop spaces at National Gallery Singapore, which has “stunning views of Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore city skyline”, says Tan-Wijaya. The consultant has also been appointed to handle the marketing of the retail podium of Duo in the Bugis-Beach Road precinct. Tan-Wijaya sees the possibility of injecting more lively evening destinations, such as whisky or cocktail bars, to attract the after-work crowd to Orchard Road. “A world-class night spot may once again place Singapore on the world map for night entertainment,” she says. Read more: The great Orchard Road collective sale in the offing?