Robinsons to close Jem mall outlet by end August

ROBINSONS Singapore will cease operations at its Jem mall outlet by the end of August.

The department store operator said on Wednesday that it had been in discussions with the landlord, Lendlease, since last November to do so and that the timing of the exit was mutually agreed upon.

Robinsons will still have two other outlets, at The Heeren and Raffles City. It will also be "refining" its online capabilities, including revamping its e-commerce solutions on the website. In April, Robinsons launched its digital store on Lazada's LazMall platform.

In a statement, Robinsons said that management is "committed to ensuring viable and successful operations in Singapore" and is grateful for the support received from Jem store customers over the years.

Robinsons' decision comes amid stiff competition and disruption in Singapore's retail scene, although the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak may have also forced its hand.

Singapore's retail sales fell 13.3 per cent year on year in March - the sharpest fall in two decades - as the virus outbreak continued to take a toll, the Department of Statistics said on Tuesday.

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Fashion retailer Esprit Holdings was also pushed last month to consolidate its global operations so as to cope with the impact of the virus outbreak. It resulted in plans to shut all of Esprit's 56 stores in Asia outside mainland China, including 12 in Singapore, by June 30.