He recently opened Yogeek, a frozen yoghurt concept, on the street, partly out of sentiment and a wish to help revive its local business scene. “You can say that Haji Lane is my comfort zone,” he said.
Kok believes fashion, food and beverage, and photobooths can coexist in the enclave. His worry is who can afford to stay.
“I think the bigger concern isn’t necessarily the changing tenant mix, but whether Haji Lane can remain a place where small, independent Singaporean businesses have a fair chance to thrive,” he said. Larger operators, he noted, including a growing number of overseas concepts, are better able to absorb rising rents.
THE RIGHT LOCATION, NOT JUST THE BUSIEST ONE
Joo Chiat is not immune to rising costs either. Neither Sojao nor In Good Company would disclose the rent for their Joo Chiat stores, but Tan said the cost of running a physical store has risen considerably over the years, across rent, manpower and general operating expenses, forcing the brand to keep reassessing whether its spaces remain sustainable.
Footfall has softened too. Tan said pedestrian traffic outside Sojao fell by about 15 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year. Yet more people came inside, which she credits to pop-ups and an expanded product range.
Events can help. On Oct 3, more than 5,000 people visited a stretch of Joo Chiat Road closed to traffic for World Car-Free Day, with around 90 merchants taking part. But a one-off crowd is no guarantee of steady footfall on an ordinary day.
Sojao’s lesson from operating in both Joo Chiat and New Bahru, Tan said, is that footfall alone is not enough. “When we consider future locations, we’d look closely at who is already spending time there, their intention when they visit, how long they stay, the surrounding tenant mix, accessibility, visibility, and of course, whether the economics make sense,” she said.
Chang reached a similar conclusion. She is not ruling out another street-front Woofie outlet but said her experience has taught her that “a good location on paper doesn’t necessarily translate into a financially sustainable business”. For now, her focus is Golden Landmark.
So, which is the better home for independent retail? Perhaps that is the wrong question. Haji Lane offers reach, but not necessarily buyers. Joo Chiat offers immersion and repeat visits, but its crowds can soften too. And in both places, retailers hedging their bets – In Good Company with its Ion Orchard boutique, Solace in heartland malls, Woofie at Golden Landmark – suggest the mall has not entirely lost its place.
For both neighbourhoods, the challenge is not simply attracting more visitors but sustaining the mix of independent businesses that makes people want to visit in the first place.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
