Singapore – Bugis Town (comprising Bugis Junction, Bugis+ and Bugis Street) has launched 20 new brands, including one-of-its-kind Nike by Bugis concept store and Singapore’s first full-fledged esports hotel by ARENA.
Bugis Town reinforces its position as a 24/7 lifestyle destination for the young and young-at heart with non-stop entertainment and exciting flavours across three malls connected to Bugis MRT station. Through this, consumers can explore more than 20 F&B, fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment brands progressively launching at Bugis Town in 2H 2022.
At Bugis Junction, consumers can look forward to Nike by Bugis, an exclusive retail concept by the sports brand dedicated to bringing sports closer to the Bugis community with personalised shopping experiences. Swing by supermarket CS Fresh by Cold Storage to pick up some fresh produce and gourmet treats and visit BHG Bugis to check out its revamped home and children’s department. Consumers can also satiate their hunger pangs at the new dining zone on Level 3 featuring familiar favourites like Fu Lin Fried Yong Tofu and King of Prawn Noodles as well as Malaysia Boleh!, the Malaysian hawker-fare food court by the Fei Siong Group. Fans of mala (numbingly spicy in Chinese) flavours will delight in the opening of Wei Geng, a new-to-market restaurant specialising in Sichuan cuisine.
Steve Ng, general manager of Bugis Town, Funan and Raffles City Singapore, said, “CapitaLand’s network of malls in the downtown area remains a huge draw for retailers to set up their flagship stores or new-to-market concepts across a diverse mix of trade categories from fashion and beauty, to dining and entertainment offerings. We welcome shoppers and tourists alike to immerse themselves in new retail experiences and enjoy specially-curated shopping and dining deals, both in-store as well as on the CapitaStar app.”
At Bugis+, consumers can get ready for an elevated movie-going experience at Golden Village’s eight-screen multiplex opening end of the year, where not just one but two halls are reserved for Gold Class Express cinemas. For more leisure options, consider spending quality time at HaveFun Karaoke or Boulder Movement. For retail therapy, drop by UNIQLO, which will be unveiling its refreshed store in September. Those seeking new flavours can look forward to the opening of Chinese barbeque restaurant Meow Barbecue’s first outlet in Singapore, and a new outlet of chain restaurant Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang.
This August, Bugis Street will be welcoming ARENA eSports Hotel, South-East Asia’s biggest integrated esports gaming arena and themed hotel where hotel rooms double up as private gaming rooms equipped with professional-grade Esports equipment. ARENA offers co-working, co-playing and co-living facilities across 25,000 square feet (sq ft) of space.
Features include a 2,000 sq ft gaming arena, 76 private gaming hotel rooms, an integrated online Esports 3.0 platform, automated cashless check-in and out system and an esports lounge. Bugis Street is currently undergoing enhancement works to refresh its facade and improve its connectivity. A new link bridge connecting Bugis Street with Bugis+ is expected to be completed by November 2022.
Meanwhile, Funan integrates both online and offline shops whilst offering curated experiential workshops and community engagement programmes that are popular with young professionals and the social media-savvy crowds. Since the start of 2022, Funan has welcomed RazerStore, the first pop-up store of lifestyle brand for gamers Razer; Smile Dessert, a China-based international dessert franchise known for its Instagram-worthy themed cafes; Smile Martabak, the first physical store of online F&B brand specialising in Indonesian street food martabak; and Legendary Hong Kong, which offers an authentic Hong Kong teahouse dining experience.
In the coming months, shoppers at Funan can look forward to more new store openings in F&B, wellness and fashion. These include Hong Kong noodle chain TamJai SamGor, Japanese confectionery Chateraise, new-to-market Japanese grill house GYO GYO by Minor Food Singapore, Super Coco, which offers concoctions of ice-cold and refreshing coconut tonic blends and shakes and Mendo, which serves a wide range of authentic and healthy Japanese donburi, noodles and handrolls at affordable prices. Also coming soon to Funan are the first physical store of homegrown online fashion brand Young Hungry Free, skin spa Skin Belief, and Futurum Academy school for the digital art.
In addition, Raffles City Singapore is on track to complete the reconfiguration of about 111,000 sq ft of retail space across Levels 1 to 3 by 4Q 2022. Shoppers can look forward to a pipeline of over 50 well-established, premium brands, across fashion, beauty and lifestyle categories, with new retail formats and premium shopping experiences.
British retailer Marks & Spencer makes a ‘bigger, better, fresher’ comeback to Raffles City Singapore on 24 June 2022 with more than 14,000 sq ft of space, offering apparel, beauty, homeware items and the second-largest M&S food hall in Singapore that features a grocer and an in-store bakery. French beauty brand L’OCCITANE has also launched its first eco concept boutique in Singapore on 23 June 2022, which uses over 80% of recycled materials to furnish and design the store, as part of the brand’s commitment to reduce waste.
Located at Raffles City Singapore’s main entrance that is connected to the City Hall MRT station, Paris Baguette’s new flagship store opens on 23 June 2022 and incorporates its first ever, exclusive teatra premium tea retail concept. Sporting a garden-like, European alfresco look, the Paris Baguette x teatra café-retail concept includes an in-store tea brewing bar that allows customers to try and create their own tea packages. It also retails teatra gift sets packaged in fresh floral tins and boxes that are perfect for tea parties or occasion-gifting. Among the store’s new menu items are handcrafted fruity mulled wine and tea infused mocktails that are tasty thirst quenchers during shopping breaks.
Other upcoming stores at Raffles City Singapore include supermarket CS Fresh by Cold Storage, Canadian athletic apparel retailer Lululemon, as well as luxury beauty brands Aesop, Chanel, Diptyque and Gucci Beauty. The mall will also be home to CREED’s first standalone boutique in Singapore, offering exclusive services and the full Les Royales premium range; GIVENCHY’s first standalone boutique in Singapore with exclusive products and services; and GUERLAIN’s first flagship boutique in Singapore with an exclusive skincare cabin and its full collection of fragrances.
Raffles City Singapore is also elevating its premium shoppers’ experience in the mall by engaging them with exclusive events all-year round. In April 2022, a select group of the mall’s by-invite only Raffles Prestige members were given the VIP treatment at newly-opened Acqua di Parma store, where they experienced first-hand the Italian Barbieri grooming service; enjoyed a private viewing of the Montblanc Glacier collection and a sumptuous dinner at The Providore. Raffles Prestige members can look forward to more exciting bespoke VIP experiences, including exclusive invitations to events and previews, priority concierge services and personalised gifts.
With the easing of community measures, CapitaLand’s downtown malls are welcoming the return of the office community with an exclusive Office Privileges Programme, in which they can enjoy over 80 exclusive shopping and dining deals via the CapitaStar app. Participating malls in the programme are Bugis Town, Clarke Quay, Plaza Singapura and Raffles City Singapore.
Tourists who present their passports at CapitaLand’s downtown malls’ Concierge (except Clarke Quay) can sign up for CapitaLand Malls’ Tourist Privilege Programme. Participating CapitaLand malls are Bugis Town, Clarke Quay, IMM, Plaza Singapura and Raffles City Singapore. Tourists who spend a minimum of S$1,000 at any three of the participating malls within the same day will enjoy a complimentary ride to the airport for their departure flight.
