SINGAPORE – The Marina Bay shopping precinct is set to get a boost as Suntec City marked the completion of the first phase of its $410-million revamp yesterday.
Retail experts and shoppers told My Paper that the upgrade – along with the $95-million redevelopment of the adjacent Marina Square – could revitalise the area.
The shopping precinct has seen waning shopper traffic in recent years, due to the proliferation of new malls in the Orchard Road area, as well as the draw of Marina Bay Sands, they said.
Ms Sarah Lim, a senior retail lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic’s Business School, said: “Suntec has potential because of the way it is laid out. (There is) more space to play with decor and tenant mix… I think it’ll definitely draw some of Marina Bay Sands’ visitors.
“The revamp will definitely create interest and buzz. It gives shoppers a good alternative to Orchard Road.”
Mr Samuel Tan, course manager of the diploma in retail management at Temasek Polytechnic, said that improved transportation, such as the addition of the Circle Line, has made the area more accessible to shoppers.
Suntec should also use its Convention and Exhibition Centre to attract shoppers by continuing to organise “mega events” such as the IT Show, he suggested.
Suntec City’s makeover was announced in 2011 and is being carried out in three phases. Once complete, it will boast 980,000 sq ft of retail space, compared to 820,000 sq ft previously.
Marina Bay revamps to draw shoppers
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