SINGAPORE – When a nail salon at Punggol’s Northshore Plaza I closed suddenly in December 2025, resident Linda Chen was concerned as she had about $900 in credits remaining at the outlet.
But Ms Chen, a nurse, said she was not surprised. Some shops at the HDB neighbourhood mall had been left vacant for a prolonged period, leaving residents like her concerned about the vibrancy of the mall.
“We kept seeing more and more shops closing and remaining empty for a long time,” said the 35-year-old, who lives in a five-room flat at Northshore Residences I, which is located directly above Northshore Plaza I.
When The Straits Times visited Northshore Plaza I and II in March and April, the unit occupied by the nail salon, Minutiae, was still vacant. Two adjacent units, which used to be occupied by a massage establishment, were also empty.
In all, 12 retail spaces out of about 50 were vacant across both sections of the mall, with staff saying some had remained empty for periods lasting several months to more than a year. The mall opened in 2021.
A vacant shop beside Swee Heng Bakery on the second floor of Northshore Plaza I on April 14.
ST PHOTO: JASEL POH
While patrons said the mall became more popular as more residents moved into the neighbourhood, some businesses attributed the slow footfall at the plaza in recent times to the opening of Punggol Coast Mall.
A staff member at a bakery, who declined to be named, said footfall at Northshore Plaza fell about 30 per cent after Punggol Coast Mall opened in 2025.
“You still have people coming for Decathlon and McDonald’s, but other shops are not doing as well,” she said.
In response to ST’s queries, the Housing Board said that of the 12 vacant shops, two are undergoing renovation and will start operating soon. The board is at “various stages of securing new tenants” for the remaining units.
HDB also said it adjusted rents in response to feedback from tenants. About 40 tenants that renewed their leases are paying rents about 10 per cent to 30 per cent lower than their original bids, it added.
Another resident, Mr Nicholas Foo, said at least four food and beverage outlets shuttered in the past year, including hotpot chain Haidilao, Qi Ji eatery, Sixth Floor Oyster Cake and Fun Toast.
