What Retail Apocalypse?

John Postle, vice president of retail at Marina Bay Sands, tells Hong Xinyi why The Shoppes is thriving amid a bleak global outlook for bricks-and-mortar stores

With over years of experience in the retail sector under his belt, John Postle has a very understandable occupational hazard—whenever he travels, he often finds himself noticing little details in different types of shopping environments. To know if a store is doing well, “I tend to look at whether the people inside are carrying shopping bags. I want to know if they’re just there visiting or if they’re actually transacting. To get people buying, not browsing—in our business, that’s everything”, he says. As vice president of retail at Marina Bay Sands, the Australian has lived in Singapore for the past nine years, during which time The Shoppes in the integrated resort has grown its shopper traffic to well in excess of 130,000 people a day, on average. You may not see these consumers schlepping their shopping bags though, simply because this luxury mall prides itself on catering to the needs of its well-heeled customers. Hotel guests can request for the mall’s retailers to bring their shopping bags to the hotel concierge as they continue with their shopping spree, while VIP shoppers who sign up for the Personal Shopping service can ride from one swanky flagship triplex to the next, via buggies. Such perks, along with a generous loyalty programme and a meticulously curated array of luxury offerings, including a new precinct devoted to high-end childrenswear, have proved popular with both local and visiting high net worth shoppers. That is why, in a year where many mass and mid-range brands are shuttering stores and developers both here and abroad are bemoaning the retail apocalypse, John is able to say, quite confidently: “If the retail apocalypse is a real thing, we’re not experiencing it. We’re focused on maintaining the successes we’ve had over the past three to four years as we’ve expanded our luxury footprint.” John does concede that the digital experience cannot be ignored in this day and age. For example, The Shoppes has a Click and Collect programme that enables visitors to reserve items in its boutiques online first, then pay for the items in person when they arrive in Singapore. “It’s an enhancement of what we do, rather than a reliance on the digital experience. At the end of the day, the luxury shopping environment cannot be well replicated online,” he believes. “When it comes to a high-value item, you not only want the satisfaction and excitement of being able to walk out of the store with it, but also the experience of enjoying champagne in the VIP lounge while everybody fusses over you. You want to be recognised as the high-value client that you are.” The Shoppes has the luxury of operating in this rarefied segment, and enjoys the unique advantage of being a part of an integrated resort where leisure facilities such as the Artscience Museum, theatres and signature restaurants help to keep potential spenders close at hand. Still, it is part of a larger retail scene in Singapore. “We need Singapore to be a strong retail destination,” says John. He reckons the question that all retailers and developers need to answer is this: “What does your destination offer that’s different, that enhances the market as a whole?” One critical skill is the ability to change pace quickly, he points out. The F&B mix at The Shoppes, for instance, has evolved as customers move away from high-end fine dining towards more casual restaurant environments. “The ability to change our line-up to capitalise on new demand is something that we do well across the property here. It’s hard to get it right every time, but we’re prepared to try new things, to push trends as opposed to following them, and change up the environment to keep it exciting. We owe it to consumers to be on the front foot, and that’s what keeps them coming back.”