Robinsons to close Heeren store on Dec 16; sister brand Marks & Spencer to exit Raffles City
AS Robinsons winds up in Singapore, its flagship store at The Heeren will close on Dec 16. The Raffles City Shopping Centre outlet of its sister brand Marks & Spencer's will close on Dec 31.
The department store's liquidators told The Business Times this following notice of Marks & Spencer's moving out sales at Raffles City on Thursday. The liquidators clarified, however, that they are still in talks with the landlord at Raffles City, where Robinsons' second remaining store is located.
Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer said that its 10 other stores in Singapore remain open. It is only closing the Raffles City branch as the lease is signed under Robinsons.
"Marks & Spencer remains fully committed to the local market, and is continuing to explore growth opportunities of our business in Singapore. We are continually enriching our services and product catalogues, and are eagerly looking for ways to advance our business with store upgrades," its spokesperson said.
Both Robinsons and Marks & Spencer operate as part of the Al Futtaim group, which is owned by Emirati tycoon Abdulla Al Futtaim and run by his son Omar, according to Forbes.
Robinsons announced its exit in October but has continued to keep the two stores open for closing-down sales.
Marks & Spencer, on the other hand, opened a pop-up store at Waterway Point shortly after the news. In October, it had confirmed to BT that it had no intention of closing its "thriving business" in Singapore. The retailer made a profit after tax of S$101,613 in 2018, down from S$2.9 million a year ago, according to financial records.
