It's goodbye to iwannagohome! stores in S'pore

Home furnishing brand iwannagohome! announced in a Facebook post last Friday that it would be having a closing-down sale at its two Singapore outlets.

The outlets at Great World City and Tanglin Mall will close later this year, Channel News Asia reported yesterday, quoting the chain's parent company, Gill Capital.

Both stores opened in 2007 in spaces previously occupied by Barang Barang, another purveyor of homeware.

The company also has outlets in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Australia, but their fate is not known.

Attempts to contact the management of iwannagohome! and Gill Capital were unsuccessful

Other retailers at Great World City and Tanglin Mall told The New Paper that the poor economy and dwindling foot traffic in the malls have affected them.

A Tanglin Mall sales assistant, who gave her name only as Ms Fika, said: "It is sad that iwannagohome! is closing. But it is not the only one that is leaving. Business is really bad because Singapore has too many malls. Most of the shops are struggling."

Ms Fika, who has worked for 10 years at a lifestyle shop in the mall, said two clothing shops are also closing. She said business at her shop is so poor that it doesn't make a single sale on some days. "If we get three or four sales a day now, we are happy," she added.

Echoing her sentiment, Ms Lily Tan, 34, a manager at a stationery store in Great World City, said that sales have dipped in past years and shoppers there are usually expatriates or locals who live nearby.

"In the good days, we could see over 100 customers a day. Now, especially on bad days, we get maybe 30 to 40 customers," she said.

A jewellery shop assistant at Great World City, Ms Su, 35, said it is not surprising to see shops close. She pointed out at least two shop spaces that had changed hands in the past months.

She said: "It is really quiet here nowadays. Even for Valentine's Day, which is usually our peak season, we didn't see as many people coming in as before."

If we get three or four sales a day now, we are happy.

This article was first published on February 27, 2016.
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