ON OBSESSIVE RETAIL “DISRUPTION’.
new-commerce.
2019/08/16
We are on a routine tour, determined to visit as many pioneers retailers of the future as we can, and I had the chance to spend some more time at FUNAN mall - reopened in Singapore last June, after a 3 year-long renovation – still trying to make up my mind about it and shape some learnings on new formats. The visit inspired a few questions about innovative retail concepts and sustainable ‘disruption’. … Funan is located in the proximity of other 5 malls - including the mighty Raffles City, 8 minutes' walk away - in a city-state sporting more than 160 shopping complexes. In this new incarnation it features a fresh and courageous approach to the architecture of the place, avoiding excessive gimmick. Sinuous corridors and mezzanines sections break the classic floor organization while inviting the visitor to a space largely inspired by a commercial version of the phalanstery – a mixed-use, community-shared environment. The venue feels aspirational, modern, inviting – a ‘new’ space. A welcoming mall ideally intended for the population of its office towers and service apartments together with, I imagine, a neighbourhood cycling to work and hiking during the lunch break. And then, one wonders: what happened to the tenant mix? Why not a bold, strong, identifiable proposition? On brand: the…
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