SINGAPORE: Some retailers along Orchard Road are noticing a quieter year-end, with thinner crowds and the traditional holiday season spending splurge missing in action.
Half of the 20 sales representatives who spoke to CNA on Friday (Dec 22) said they have seen a drop in footfall this month, with sales taking a hit compared to the same period last year.
One reason could be that many Singaporeans have gone overseas for a year-end holiday. At the same time, tourist arrivals have not fully recovered, the retail representatives said.
Other contributing factors include concerns about inflation and the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, as well as a persistently-weak Malaysian ringgit luring locals to take their spending across the Causeway.
Ms Mademoiselle Recto, who works at the Converse store in Ion Orchard, noted that daily takings at the till have dipped to about S$3,000 (US$2,260) this month, down from a range of S$4,000 to S$5,000 last year.
“It’s not as good as last year. (We) don’t see many people around,” she said.
In neighbouring Wisma Atria shopping mall, a salesperson at Porter International said business on weekdays has been generally slow this month. Weekends may see around 20 to 30 “serious” shoppers, but only half make an actual purchase.
“Maybe (it’s) because people are overseas, maybe (it’s) because of the economy … It’s been very slow for us, even slower than (the) last few years,” said the salesperson who declined to be named.
Over at the Isetan department store in Shaw House, a shoe promoter by the name of Serena said footfall and sales are down by about 30 per cent this month, versus the same period last year.
“It is very quiet in Orchard Road,” she told CNA. “I think many people (have gone) on a holiday or maybe people are scared of COVID-19.”
A fellow promoter, Mr Tan, chimed in to say that sales have also been subdued due to a lacklustre tourist crowd.
Latest figures from the Singapore Tourism Board showed a fourth straight month of declines in Singapore’s international visitor arrivals for the month of November. At 1,100,459, it was a 2.3 per cent dip from the 1,125,954 visitors in October, albeit still 34.8 per cent higher than the 816,340 visitors recorded in November last year.
Industry players and observers have attributed the slower recovery in tourist numbers to higher inflation and the stronger Singapore dollar.