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.
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