Retail woes have warmed tenant-landlord relationship

IN AN interview featured in The Business Times last month, CapitaLand Group's president of Singapore and international, Jason Leow, spoke about how the group treats its retail tenants as partners.

"When the retailers do well, we do well. We have to help them...." said Mr Leow, who also oversees the Group Centre of Excellence for Retail Innovation and and sits on the board of the manager of the group's sponsored Reit CapitaLand Mall Trust (CMT).

He outlined the many ways in which the group helps retail tenants these days - including advising them on storefront design and technology, and by hosting seminars.

While acknowledging that retailers are keen to innovate, Mr Leow noted that on their own, because they are mostly SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), they may not find it easy to do so, as the…