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Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
BHG downsizes Bugis Junction flagship outlet as department stores face shaky future
[SINGAPORE] Department store BHG is downsizing its flagship Bugis Junction outlet – its last remaining permanent store – from three to two levels. This follows the March closure of its Junction 8 store, which will be replaced by home furnishings brand Nitori. Nitori will also take over the third-floor space BHG used to occupy at Bugis Junction. The scaling down of BHG's Bugis Junction outlet comes on the back of other store closures. Besides Junction 8, it has shuttered four stores here since 2022, in Raffles City Shopping Centre, Jurong Point, Clementi Mall and Lot One. It follows a series of other closures of large department stores here. 'BHG remains a tenant at Bugis Junction on Levels 1 and 2, and we continue to work closely with them to introduce new brands,' said a spokesperson for Bugis Junction. BHG declined comment. In February, BHG opened a pop-up store at The Centrepoint, which will operate until August. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up BHG Singapore began in 1994 as Seiyu Wing On Department Store. In 2007, it was acquired by Beijing Hualian Group, one of China's largest commercial chain retailers, and has operated under the brand name BHG for the past 18 years. Homemaker Brenda Thio, 53, said: 'It is sad that these stores that have been around for so long are either gone or downsized.' But she said she mainly shops online now. 'I hardly shop at BHG and have bought only pillows, bolsters or bed sheets there once every few years.' A broader trend of decline Large department stores here and worldwide have faced decline owing to increasing competition from online shopping, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Japanese chain Isetan will shutter its Tampines Mall outlet in November, after about 30 years. At its 2013 peak, it had six stores in Singapore. Its last closure was Isetan Katong in Parkway Parade in 2022. After closing the Tampines store, it will be left with two outlets – Isetan Scotts and Isetan Serangoon Central. Home-grown department store OG closed its Orchard Point store in 2022, after 18 years. Its remaining stores are in People's Park and Albert Street. Metro closed its flagship Centrepoint store in 2019 after five years, with two remaining stores at Paragon and Causeway Point. And two department store chains which used to be household names have called it quits. Robinsons, which still has an online store, shut its last physical store at Raffles City Shopping Centre in 2021, while John Little exited the local retail scene in 2017, after closing its Plaza Singapura outlet. Market observers said that with e-commerce offering a greater variety of products, competitive pricing and the convenience of home delivery, people are increasingly less inclined to visit large department stores. 'Today's shoppers increasingly seek personalised, curated and experiential retail experiences,' said Leung Sau Yee, senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's School of Business. 'Traditional department stores, with their generalist, one-size-fits-all model, often fall short of these expectations.' Many department stores also rely heavily on mall operators to drive engagement, she said. Without distinctive products, brand curation or compelling in-store experiences, they struggle to offer shoppers a strong reason to return. Department stores have traditionally been anchor tenants in malls. But operating large-scale stores in prime retail locations, such as Bugis Junction, means incurring high rental, staff and inventory costs. As footfall declines, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify maintaining such expansive physical spaces from a profitability standpoint, experts said. Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen, head of the Singapore University of Social Sciences' marketing programme, said department stores have been supplanted by large malls that offer a curated mix of specialised outlets. In short, malls are mega department stores. 'Malls house dedicated retailers for categories such as footwear, cosmetics, skincare, fashion apparel, accessories, jewellery and homeware,' he said. 'Each speciality store provides a focused brand experience that resonates more with today's discerning shoppers.' Professor Lawrence Loh, from NUS Business School's department of strategy and policy, said: 'Department stores cannot continue to be more of the same, providing huge varieties for all customers. If they are everything to everybody, they may end up as nothing to nobody.' From product-centric to experience-centric What could make the department store relevant again in a tough market? Prof Loh suggested merging the physical store with a digital one to offer holistic shopping experiences that are not found online. 'The 'touch-and-feel' in shopping is still valuable, but stores must give sufficient incentives to prevent the undesirable consumer behaviour of testing at stores and then going online to purchase elsewhere at lower prices,' he said. 'Department stores face the real challenge of being free showrooms for the low-cost e-commerce stores.' Other experts agree on the need to invest in omnichannel integration with a seamless blend of online and offline experiences, such as allowing customers to purchase online and collect in-store, or checking stock levels in real time, to compete with pure e-commerce players. Ethan Hsu, head of retail at real estate consultancy Knight Frank Singapore, said that technology such as personalised apps, fitting rooms that use augmented reality and artificial intelligence-driven inventory can improve efficiency and customer experience. They can also cater to modern preferences like sustainability, he said. In addition, he suggested community marketing activities that can build loyalty and differentiate stores from online retailers. These include supporting local charities, or hosting community events and cultural celebrations. Prof Lau suggested that stores frequently introduce thematic changes – for instance, cultural themes from different countries – to their product ranges. 'Just like museums and art galleries – they change their display by curating new exhibits to draw domestic visitors to make repeat visits,' he said. Exclusive collaborations with brands that have a limited presence in Singapore – including emerging international brands and local designers – could help, Prof Lau added. And stores can transform themselves into lifestyle destinations by integrating cafes with speciality in-house brews and food, and branded dining ware sold in-store, he said. Offering experiences such as personal colour analysis, cooking or baking workshops and food-and-wine pairings can make shopping more engaging, and cannot be replicated by online retailers, said Leung. She added: 'Ultimately, for department stores to thrive, they must shift from being product-centric to experience-centric, staying attuned to evolving consumer values and behaviours.' THE STRAITS TIMES
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
BHG downsizes Bugis Junction flagship outlet as department stores face shaky future
Besides the March closure of its Junction 8 store, BHG has shuttered four stores here since 2022.. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN SINGAPORE – Department store BHG is downsizing its flagship Bugis Junction outlet – its last remaining permanent store – from three to two levels. This follows the March closure of its Junction 8 store, which will be replaced by home furnishings brand Nitori. Nitori, along with Japanese brand Muji, will also take over the third-floor space BHG used to occupy at Bugis Junction. The scaling down of BHG's Bugis Junction outlet comes on the back of other store closures. Besides Junction 8, it has shuttered four stores here since 2022, in Raffles City Shopping Centre, Jurong Point, Clementi Mall and Lot One. It follows a series of other closures of large department stores here. 'BHG remains a tenant at Bugis Junction on Levels 1 and 2, and we continue to work closely with them to introduce new brands,' said a spokesperson for Bugis Junction. BHG declined comment. In February, BHG opened a pop-up store at The Centrepoint, which will operate until August. BHG Singapore began in 1994 as Seiyu Wing On Department Store. In 2007, it was acquired by Beijing Hualian Group, one of China's largest commercial chain retailers, and has operated under the brand name BHG for the past 18 years. BHG at Junction 8 shuttered in March after a closing-down sale. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Homemaker Brenda Thio, 53, said: 'It is sad that these stores that have been around for so long are either gone or downsized.' But she said she mainly shops online now. 'I hardly shop at BHG and have bought only pillows, bolsters or bed sheets there once every few years.' A broader trend of decline Large department stores here and worldwide have faced decline owing to increasing competition from online shopping, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Japanese chain Isetan will shutter its Tampines Mall outlet in November, after about 30 years. At its 2013 peak, it had six stores in Singapore. Its last closure was Isetan Katong in Parkway Parade in 2022. After closing the Tampines store, it will be left with two outlets – Isetan Scotts and Isetan Serangoon Central. Home-grown department store OG closed its Orchard Point store in 2022, after 18 years. Its remaining stores are in People's Park and Albert Street. Metro closed its flagship Centrepoint store in 2019 after five years, with two remaining stores at Paragon and Causeway Point. And two department store chains which used to be household names have called it quits. Robinsons, which still has an online store, shut its last physical store at Raffles City Shopping Centre in 2021, while John Little exited the local retail scene in 2017, after closing its Plaza Singapura outlet. Market observers said that with e-commerce offering a greater variety of products, competitive pricing and the convenience of home delivery, people are increasingly less inclined to visit large department stores. 'Today's shoppers increasingly seek personalised, curated and experiential retail experiences,' said Ms Leung Sau Yee, senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's School of Business. 'Traditional department stores, with their generalist, one-size-fits-all model, often fall short of these expectations.' Many department stores also rely heavily on mall operators to drive engagement, she said. Without distinctive products, brand curation or compelling in-store experiences, they struggle to offer shoppers a strong reason to return. Department stores have traditionally been anchor tenants in malls. But operating large-scale stores in prime retail locations, such as Bugis Junction, means incurring high rental, staff and inventory costs. As footfall declines, it becomes increasingly difficult to justify maintaining such expansive physical spaces from a profitability standpoint, experts said. Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen, head of the Singapore University of Social Sciences' marketing programme, said department stores have been supplanted by large malls that offer a curated mix of specialised outlets. In short, malls are mega department stores. 'Malls house dedicated retailers for categories such as footwear, cosmetics, skincare, fashion apparel, accessories, jewellery and homeware,' he said. 'Each speciality store provides a focused brand experience that resonates more with today's discerning shoppers.' Professor Lawrence Loh, from NUS Business School's department of strategy and policy, said: 'Department stores cannot continue to be more of the same, providing huge varieties for all customers. If they are everything to everybody, they may end up as nothing to nobody.' From product-centric to experience-centric What could make the department store relevant again in a tough market? Prof Loh suggested merging the physical store with a digital one to offer holistic shopping experiences that are not found online. 'The 'touch-and-feel' in shopping is still valuable, but stores must give sufficient incentives to prevent the undesirable consumer behaviour of testing at stores and then going online to purchase elsewhere at lower prices,' he said. 'Department stores face the real challenge of being free showrooms for the low-cost e-commerce stores.' Other experts agree on the need to invest in omnichannel integration with a seamless blend of online and offline experiences, such as allowing customers to purchase online and collect in-store, or checking stock levels in real time, to compete with pure e-commerce players. Mr Ethan Hsu, head of retail at real estate consultancy Knight Frank Singapore, said that technology such as personalised apps, fitting rooms that use augmented reality and artificial intelligence-driven inventory can improve efficiency and customer experience. They can also cater to modern preferences like sustainability, he said. In addition, he suggested community marketing activities that can build loyalty and differentiate stores from online retailers. These include supporting local charities, or hosting community events and cultural celebrations. Prof Lau suggested that stores frequently introduce thematic changes – for instance, cultural themes from different countries – to their product ranges. 'Just like museums and art galleries – they change their display by curating new exhibits to draw domestic visitors to make repeat visits,' he said. Exclusive collaborations with brands that have a limited presence in Singapore – including emerging international brands and local designers – could help, Prof Lau added. And stores can transform themselves into lifestyle destinations by integrating cafes with speciality in-house brews and food, and branded dining ware sold in-store, he said. Offering experiences such as personal colour analysis, cooking or baking workshops and food-and-wine pairings can make shopping more engaging, and cannot be replicated by online retailers, said Ms Leung. She added: 'Ultimately, for department stores to thrive, they must shift from being product-centric to experience-centric, staying attuned to evolving consumer values and behaviours.' Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Tom's Guide
02-06-2025
- General
- Tom's Guide
Why are people freezing laundry detergent? Experts say this viral hack is a bad idea
When it comes to laundry days, we all want to make light work of chores, which is why many households are switching to single-use laundry pods. Not only does this cut out the guess work of measuring traditional laundry detergent into your washing machine, but this is more convenient, less messy and easier to store. So it comes as no surprise that the 'CleanTok' community are coming up with their own easy ways to create their own DIY pods. Social media has become a popular platform for viral cleaning hacks, and people sharing their 'genius' tips to make household chores quick and easy. However, experts are warning against this bizarre, laundry detergent trend that may cause more harm than good. TikTok users are now pouring liquid detergent into silicone trays, and freezing it for a few hours to make their homemade pods. In fact, some users have even added scent booster beads to their solution. So why are they doing this? This laundry hack is to prevent people from using way too much liquid detergent for each load, making it more efficient and convenient. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Secondly, standard laundry pods contain a plastic coating that doesn't always properly dissolve in the wash — making frozen pods more eco-friendly. I love it!.🥰Got my clothes smelling good ash!…☺️ But, while this may seem like a logical explanation and will save time, freezing laundry detergent is actually a bad idea. According to experts, certain liquid detergents can freeze more easily than others (leaving a slippery mess), and shouldn't be exposed to extreme temperatures. Because chemical-based, liquid detergents were not designed to be frozen, the ingredients will separate once they thaw in the wash — affecting your overall clean. 'Tide Liquid is specifically formulated to be highly concentrated, so it does not freeze completely due to its low water content,' says Kim Romine, Tide's fabric care scientist to BHG. 'Only detergents with high water content are likely to freeze.' What's more, since chemical-based, liquid detergents were not designed to be frozen, the ingredients will separate once they thaw in the wash — affecting your overall clean. 'Cooling down the temperature will result in some of the components losing their solubility,' added Bryan Quoc Le, PhD, food scientist and founder of Mendocino Food Consulting. 'This is generally not a big deal if the detergent is chemical-based, but if the detergent is bio-based and contains enzymes, this can damage the enzymes and reduce their efficacy.' Expert advice is to always stick to the proper method by pouring the liquid detergent into the dispenser or directly into the machine drum. This will ensure that you always get the best cleaning results from your detergent. After all, the last thing you want is to re-wash your laundry — costing you housework time and money. Also, be sure to avoid these big laundry mistakes you're probably making.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Walmart's New Home Finds Are So Dreamy (And We Want Everything)
Walmart has some of the best furniture and home items that will upgrade your home for less. Recently, TikToker Malana took a trip to Walmart and showed her followers the various home finds she scored from the store's latest spring drop. Each one is so beyond dreamy and looks so luxe despite being so affordable. First, Malana showed some chic ribbed drinking glasses in a dark green hue she found, as well as coupe glasses in the same color and style. These would be perfect for hosting a spring brunch or happy hour, if you ask us!Walmart's Better Homes & & Gardens line is also selling a number of cute spring home goods, including a large 2-wick candle in a salted coconut mahogany scent. "The BHG candles are eliiiiite. Coconut Mahogany and Leathered Amber supremacy" commented TikTok user Stephanie Pernas. Some other awesome Better Homes & Gardens products Malana found were all about entertaining, including a wine caddy in a dark rattan material that holds up to three wine Homes & Gardens is selling a line of melamine dining items in a beautiful green floral pattern such as dip bowl sets, dining plates, bowls, a salad bowl with matching serving utensils and more. The pattern is also available in blue and gray. Walmart picked up on curved edges being major this spring, so the store is also carrying fluted decorative bowls, throw pillows with scalloped edges and layering rugs. Run, don't walk, to your nearest Walmart to see if you can get your hands on any of these beautiful spring home finds, or check out the retailer online and see what catches your eye. Be warned: That might be just about everything!
Int'l Business Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
The Bloodhound Group Is Breaking The Cycle Of Ineffective Marketing Spending Through Its Partnership With Promosapiens
Marketing budgets have ballooned, and creative teams are working harder than ever to promote brands. And yet, results often fall flat. But why? That's the question Jim Cobb and his team at The Bloodhound Group (BHG), a brand consultancy firm, have been asking for decades. And it's also the reason behind their strategic partnership with Dalibor (Dado) Šumiga and his Zagreb-based behavioral marketing firm, Promosapiens. The problem isn't creativity. It's a failure to understand how people actually make decisions. More than ninety percent of purchasing decisions are made emotionally, not rationally. Cobb, a longtime advocate for behavioral science in branding, further states, "Most marketing teams are focused on conscious decision-making frameworks. But that's not how we behave in the real world." BHG, a brand strategy firm rooted in business design, sees behavioral and evolutionary psychology as essential to understanding customers. By partnering with Promosapiens, they're helping CMOs and CEOs finally bridge the gap between human behavior and marketing performance. In today's fragmented media landscape, marketers face an overwhelming array of platforms and pressure. The natural response has been to spend more, push harder, and hope for the best. "The industry has been relying on vanity metrics and gut instincts for too long," says Cobb. "You get a beautifully produced ad with a multi-million dollar price tag, and zero analysis of how it actually affects the target audience on an emotional level." Šumiga, founder of Promosapiens, states: "If you're doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, you're wasting money." Creative teams aren't the problem, Šumiga emphasizes. It's that they're flying blind. "They're creating based on what people say they like, but self-reporting methods are highly unreliable because it's based on conscious thought. People say one thing and do another. Human behavior is predictably irrational, but only when you're able to understand unconscious motivations." The biggest problem that plagues most campaigns: companies invest tens of thousands in testing finished creative work, only to find out it's average at best. "That's not a good business model," Cobb explains. "We want to help clients avoid that by identifying what will resonate emotionally before they waste their budget." Furthermore, as marketing grows noisier, trust in the industry is plummeting. "That's because people feel like everything is an ad thrown at them at all times," he notes. Part of the challenge is that brands often only recognize a problem when it's physical, such as a bad store layout or poor signage. But creative issues are less tangible. You might not even realize you have a problem until after the spending is sunk. "That's why behavioral diagnostics are so powerful," says Šumiga. "You can't fix what you don't measure. And traditional tools don't measure what matters." Through Promosapiens, BHG taps into tools that measure how people feel and behave, not just what they say. One of its tools detects unconscious reactions, which gauges brain activity between emotional and rational centers. The results are far more accurate than standard surveys or focus groups that are answered very consciously, as per Šumiga. One of Promosapiens Tools Measuring Brain Activity Between Emotional and Rational Centers. Bloodhound Group In physical environments, Promosapiens also uses GDPR-compliant eye-tracking and spatial analytics software to map customer movement through spaces like retail stores, airports, museums, and malls. This generates heat maps and "dwell time" insights that reveal what catches attention and what drives purchases. Then comes the optimization phase, testing variables like lighting, scent, and sound to engineer better experiences. "It's not manipulation," Cobb confirms. "It's resonance. You're creating conditions where customers have a better, more intuitive experience, and they reward that with loyalty and conversions." It's not just a matter of improving brand performance; it's about unlocking smarter financial decisions. "CMOs are under enormous pressure to prove ROI," explains Global Brand Strategist of BHG Ann Wilson. "But without behavioral insights, they're making bets, not strategies." Bloodhound Group BHG connects the dots between behavior modification and financial performance. "We don't just make people feel good; we help our clients make better decisions based on deeper insight," says Cobb. In short, BHG makes data actionable. Not by piling on dashboards or chasing click-throughs, but by delivering emotionally intelligent insights that actually predict outcomes. Ultimately, BHG's partnership with Promosapiens offers a different path, one grounded in human truth, scientific rigor, and brand empathy. Cobb states, "We need to stop assuming more exposure equals more engagement. And start asking the real question: Does this make people feel something?" Because at the end of the day, marketing starts with understanding humans better. And with behavioral science on their side, it's a bet these brands will win.
