Decline of Singapore's famed shopping strip shows city's pain

Orchard Road’s malaise is a microcosm of the city-state’s pain.

Gone are popular restaurants like Modesto’s, which shut last month after 23 years. Also missing are the queues of Chinese tourists outside Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Malls along the 2.4 kilometer (1.5 mile) stretch, once one of Asia’s top shopping meccas, are dotted with empty stores. On a recent midweek afternoon, the number of shop staff idly dusting shelves or playing with their mobile phones rather than greeting customers is notable.

Orchard Road’s malaise is a microcosm of the city-state’s pain. After initial success in containing Covid-19, an outbreak swept through scores of dormitories housing foreign workers, prompting a two-month partial lockdown that’s sending the economy toward its worst-ever recession.

Global travel restrictions are robbing Singapore of around $27.51b (US$20b) in tourism receipts and the domestic market is too small to make up the shortfall.

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