Retail Explorer: I Shop therefore, I Am!
Theory Essay, 2016
A shop house is usually 2 to 3 storeys tall and consists of shops on the ground floor that opens up to a public arcade called the five-foot way, and residential spaces upstairs. The category of shops on the ground floor include food & beverage, services, workshops and even community spaces.
Figure 1: image shows the shophouses at 2 and 3 storeys where businesses operate below, (Sgshophouses.com, 2016)
Shop houses were where people used to live and at the bottom level, they ran their businesses. This happened because pre-independence, goods were shipped and it was easy to store them at these shop houses hence they because warehouses for goods. Eventually, shopping malls were built for trade instead due to industrialisation.
Figure 2: image shows Golden Mile Complex’s façade and section view, (UnTourist Singapore, 2014)
The first few shopping centres in Singapore also have shops at the bottom and housing and office spaces on top. For example, the Golden Mile Complex. Golden Mile Complex has entertainment services, shops, offices and even residential spaces. And all of these are “no longer separate and autonomous but absorbed in a single sloping 16-story multi-use complex.” … It contains a 1,896 seat cinema, 200 shops, a 16-story office tower, 539 parking spaces. (Koolhaas, Mau and Sigler, 1995)
These malls with housing and office facilities in one are convenient for the people, however the local shopping culture at that time has developed to more than just convenience. People have started buying more than they need. This is because people now had more money to spare and are able to spend on goods that they do not necessarily need.
As Karl Marx mentioned, “In place of all these physical and mental senses … seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, thinking, being aware, sensing, wanting, acting, loving … there has therefore come the sheer estrangement of all these senses – the sense of having.” (Marx, 1964)
With the onset of industrialisation, where products were made in masses. Consumerism increased and grew, the buying culture has shifted to shopping malls with more brands, more goods, more facilities and such. In Singapore, it is Orchard Road. Orchard Road, like the Arcades in Paris, are temples of commodity and is created for the purpose of profit as it attracts buyers and tourists with the aim for them to spend. Within Orchard Road, the numerous advertisements and billboards around further push the buyers because the advertisements seem to justify their purchases. The malls there sells almost everything and anything that the consumers might want which keeps them occupied by their desires when they shop.
“The arcades are a centre of commerce in luxury items. In fitting them out, art enters the service of the merchant. Contemporaries never tire of admiring them, and for a long time they remain a drawing point for foreigners.:'” (Benjamin and Tiedemann, 1999)
Figure 3: image shows the link way between Orchard Ion and Tangs, (Capitalandmallasia.com, 2016)
As mentioned by Benjamin and Tiedemann, we can relate to it because Orchard Road was more than just a place for buying and selling, it can be said as a wonderland – an escape from reality. The stretch of malls there offers a dream like “deceptive illusion of having no outside”. Each mall is connected to one another which created a seamless and homogenous journey shopping indoors. When they are comfortable inside the mall, they do not think of leaving and just enjoy themselves in the moment.
“The imaginary of Disneyland is neither true nor false, it is a deterrence machine set up in order to rejuvenate the fiction of the real in the opposite camp. Whence the debility of this imaginary, its infantile degeneration. This world wants to be childish in order to make us believe that the adults are elsewhere, in the "real" world, and to conceal the fact that true childishness is everywhere - that it is that of the adults themselves who come here to act the child in order to foster illusions as to their real childishness.” (Baudrillard, 1994)
This can be seen again, at Orchard road. Similar to Disneyland, Orchard road was a place that you go to and fulfil your innermost desires as you purchase things. Once mentioned by Walter Benjamin, an arcade is a continuous dream you can never get out of, it has all you want in one space with all sorts of possibilities.
However, in that competitive industry where almost every mall is starting to look the same and feel the same, consumers crave for fresh and more innovative experiences from both shopping and advertising.
“Today what we are experiencing is the absorption of all virtual modes of expression into that of advertising. All original cultural forms, all determined languages are absorbed in advertising because it has no depth, it is instantaneous and instantaneously forgotten.” (Baudrillard, 1994)
As suggested by Baudrillard, advertisements are often thrown at consumers and are intrusive, they sometimes are poorly targeted and then face rejection. Even on newer platforms like social media, advertisements are only influential when it is engaging and piques interest. For example, while walking on the streets there are many sales people who would pass flyers to promote a brand. Public buses are also another intrusive form of advertising as these buses are seen everywhere.
In the local retail culture, consumers seem to enjoy new things, new ideas or less mainstream things.
Figure 4: image shows the exterior of the Adidas pop-up store outside Wisma Atria, (Hpility.blogspot.com, 2016)
Figure 5: image shows the interior of the Adidas pop-up store outside Wisma Atria, (Hpility.blogspot.com, 2016)
Pop-up stores and trucks are less mainstream methods of advertising but is picking up quick as it gives the target consumers the experience that will keep them interested to find out more. For example, Adidas has pop-up stores to promote their new series of items. Like in 2014, they launched one that showcases their World Cup 2014 series that features merchandises such as mini soccer balls, graphic tees and soccer jerseys as well as offer packages. These pop-up stores are effective at attracting consumers as the stores are placed at areas where it’s usually empty and the interesting outlook of it sparks curiosity among shoppers, it is also an effective way to promote their new ranges of products.
As consumers get more attracted to original ideas, “hipster” culture is starting to get back in trend again. For example, back in the days where handmade items were normal and mass production was on the rise, the demand for hand crafted goods had dropped. But in recent years, all these old craftsmanship is becoming more and more popular again as it is not mainstream anymore, it’s something special.
Figure 6: image shows people sitting al fresco style eating along Haji Lane, (Asian Inspirations, 2016)
Haji Lane is a popular destination because the vibe of the street is different from the modern city, it still has the olden architecture and charm. It also offers an eclectic range of retails and carry independent brands that do not have stores in shopping malls. More than the retails, is the experience that it gives to the consumers that keeps them coming back. There is a cheerful atmosphere as everyone is able to spill out onto the streets and sit al fresco style, be who they are and this authenticity in behaviour and culture is what keeps people coming back as opposed to the sterile culture in Orchard road.
With the lack of originality in retails at Orchard Road, stores there are losing out as more neighbourhood malls are emerging and are getting popular. Neighbourhood malls used to be different but now they are becoming similar due to the similar brands they carry, with the addition of convenience to its consumers. These malls are packing in more things to offer with more quality and have affordable prices.
The shopping experience one gets at neighbourhood malls is also more comfortable than one would get at Orchard Road. At places like Orchard, there seems to be a need for people to dress up as if it is a place for the “higher class” and you have to prove yourself to shop there. This has been mentioned by Karl Marx, “The human being had to be reduced to this absolute poverty in order that he might yield his inner wealth to the outer world.” (Marx, 1964). And this sort of retail culture results in objectifying of oneself – what you have defines you.
However, at neighbourhood malls, there is no fear of being judged. The service you receive here is equal with everyone. Than at Orchard where the store’s staff may treat you differently based on your dressing and what they assume you to be.
To conclude, mass produced goods were popular during the industrial revolution because it made things more convenient, products were more easily produced and they could also be cheap. Shopping malls at the time did not really mind the whole experience because they were originally designed to serve commercial ends. However, the local culture in retail experience now is leaning towards more innovative experiences as an important aspect of retail. Rather than the brand (mass production), consumers here may want the quality of the product and experience to come first. Consumers now prefer to experience the more authentic and real culture of a product. What I feel and observed is that it is true, we are all more interested in the things that are lesser seen and the meaning behind a purchase has also become more important to us. I am also glad that the efforts of those who are pushing out their brands with hard work are finally being realised as well as old craftsmanship being rediscovered. One thing I have also observed is that the branding of independent brands always looks very creative and interesting, to attract more buyers in the mass market, as an interior designer I can create good branding and visual merchandise to “rebrand” the brand and let consumers gain interest in them again as I feel that the brand image is the first step to building a successful brand.
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