Century Square closing for 12-month overhaul

Century Square, the oldest of three malls in Tampines, will close in September for a major renovation, expected to take about 12 months.

The mall, which opened in 1995, had a small makeover in 2008. Covering 200,000 sqft (18,600 sqm), the mall has about 125 stores. Its anchor tenants include department store BHG, supermarket FairPrice Finest and electronics retailer Best Denki.

BHG MD Katsuharu Inamoto says the department store, which opened there nearly a decade ago, will close at the end of this month. He says it will keep in close contact with its loyalty program members.

FairPrice Finest, which has been a tenant since 2009, will stay open until August 9. Like BHG, it has not said if it will return after the refurbishment.

Another tenant, aromatherapy retailer Purity Haven, is looking to relocate to a pushcart at neighbouring Tampines 1, also managed by AsiaMalls. Owner Tony Tan says he has built relationships with regular customers since opening in 2014, but footfall at the mall has dropped with his business tumbling between 25 and 30 per cent this year.

One of Century Square’s first tenants, eyewear shop Universal Optical, has also seen business slow 10 to 20 per cent over the past decade. Director Stella Kok says she is in discussions with the mall’s management and hopes to return. “This shop was my late father’s baby …  I’ll miss this place.”

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