MRT disruption drives retail sales down

PropertyGuru

21 December 2011 at 12:17 am

The weekend before Christmas is usually crucial for most retailers, who look forward to brisk sales. However, this was not the case this year for 26 of the 28 businesses in the City Hall and Orchard Road areas, reported The Strait Times.

According to shop staff, sales only began to pick up after 3pm while their shops were exceptionally quiet over the weekend.

Only Spaghetti Goemon at CityLink Mall and Rubi Shoes at ION Orchard said they had met their sales targets over the weekend, attributed to their proximity to the MRT station and later opening hours.

All other stores reported a 20 to 30 percent drop in takings and those relying heavily on train commuters claimed their business had halved.

For instance, Etude House at Orchard Link had 40 percent less business compared to a regular weekend due to the MRT breakdown, said store assistant Lim Yuxi.

"Usually we expect even more business because it is the weekend before Christmas, so this happened at the worst possible time for us," she said. Related Stories:Orchard prime rents up just 1%Sofitel unveils plans for Changsha's tallest hotel Boom time for London hotels

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