[ad_1]
– Advertising –
What are my memories of Robinsons? Good until the last decade or so. We just split up, Robinsons and I. So much so that neither of them can recognize each other. Perhaps that is similar to what many Singaporeans may feel about the Popular Action Party.
Before the influx of unspeakable wannabes that seem like nothing more than overly decorated and soulless shop spaces, Singaporeans grew up with department stores that really mean something to them and have fond memories of.
My first trip to the then bustling High Street in the 1960s was to Meter. That department store was the highlight for many shoppers who generally went to the streets to buy fashionable clothes, the Beijing Silk store and the Polar coffee shop. The High Street was also part of a very busy area that included attractions such as the Capitol Theater (where the Magnolia “milk bar” was), the Adelphi Hotel, the Omar Khayyam restaurant and the Thakral emporium.
In other words, the memory of Metro was only particularly rich because of these other places adding up to something bigger than just department stores.
– Advertising –
CK Tang (now TANGS) had two stores: one on River Valley Road (no more) and the other on Orchard Road (now called Tang Plaza). Added another in Vivo City. I used to go to CK Tang, but now less for a reason similar to why I started boycotting Robinsons on his later karma, which I’ll explain later. CK Tang was unusual in that it offered certain art products that I couldn’t find elsewhere and also because there was nice coffee on one of its higher levels. So yeah, I had fond memories of shopping there.
Isetan then he made his entrance with his distinctively uniformed staff, complete with courteous bows and, from my experience, first-class service, something that Robinsons around 2000 onwards seemed to lack. It’s called no-questions-no-excuses service. As the Nike logo says, “they just did it.” I’m still going to Isetan. Great memories and many more to come, I hope.
And here they are Y Y Chinese emporium.
OG still exists and has loyal customers, mostly sincere. You can still get household items at a much cheaper price than at the expensive Tang Plaza. OG girls are said to go there for affordable and not-so-obiang star dresses from Mediacorp and OG aunts invade for rice cookers, fryers, and cookware, all within CPF’s monthly retirement budget. These same aunts who have OG loyalty cards also go to Fairprice where they show their NTUC card and, for some, Pioneer and Merdeka cards. OG will survive, with or without memories.
Chinese Emporium: I’ve lost track. It used to be everywhere: Chinatown, Geylang, even Parkway Parade. I sponsored their stores in Geyang and Parkway Parade, but not after they disappeared. I liked the stores. Somewhat serendipitous, not exactly cutting edge purchases, but fairly well-stocked. Perhaps the Chinese crowd metamorphosed into BHG-ers, with more moolah to launch. The “emporium” approach can still work today. But operators would have to look for outlying buildings perpetually facing demolition in today’s Singapore. Get a taste of Katong Mall or Tanjong Katong Complex before the wrecking ball begins to swing.
And ah finally Robinsons.
It was one of my favorite department stores. I was at the Raffles Place store before it was destroyed by a tragic fire. I worked for a time for an insurance brokerage firm in the KPM building on Cecil Street, just across from Raffles Place. Robinsons was the place I used to go to buy shorts, shoes, and ties. I liked the prices that, despite being aimed at the office crowd, were affordable. The service was also noteworthy.
That partnership was strengthened when I switched to Robinsons at Centrepoint. I kept getting the range of shirts and shoes that didn’t burn a hole in my pocket. Some of the older staff remembered the regulars. Even before you opened your mouth, they would know the types of ties you would normally look for.
The service was almost familiar and the prices well within the range. Everything was great. Mention Robinsons and we’ll have an image of trust, integrity and quality at affordable prices.
Then something started to happen. Robinsons changed, for the worse.
The department store was going in. In my opinion, it practically abandoned its loyal customer base and decided to go luxury, to catch the “tourist market”. When I first walked into their flagship store at The Heeren a few years ago, I was shocked. One look at the prices was enough. Shirts and shoes were out of reach for many Singaporeans.
I spoke with some members of the sales staff. Neither seemed happy, which was unusual from my past experience at the older Robinsons. They agreed with me that the store was only interested in a better class of clientele. And they agreed that I was not the only person who had complained about the prices. One even suggested that she go to another nearby popular store to buy a similar shirt that was much more affordable.
I have always had this encounter engraved in my mind to compare it with the most pleasant I had of the older Robinsons.
Of course, Covid-19 has a lot to do with Robinsons’ disappearance. The company could have made the right pre-virus business move to target the upper-middle-class and tourism market. There are already so many department stores around. And the Robinson name has a cache that may still prove useful in the region, who knows.
I believe, however, that Robinsons forgot his roots in a great commercial and strategic misadventure. I wanted to be bigger, which was not a sin. Everybody wants to progress, everybody wants to earn money. But he clearly showed that he was willing to put everything aside to achieve his wrong goal.
Lesson for Robinsons and also for the PAP: never discount the people who have supported you all these years just because you suddenly feel that they are no longer crucial to your grandiose plans.
Tan Bah Bah, Consulting Editor for TheIndependent.Sg, is a former lead writer for The Straits Times. He was also editor-in-chief of a local magazine publisher.
Follow us and like:
– Advertising –
[ad_2]
