Musica Boutique concept stores opens at Ion Orchard

Electronics retailer Challenger Technologies has launched a Musica Boutique concept store at Ion Orchard in a move to enter the luxury audio market.

“Online is about convenience and price”, said brand founder and CEO Loo Leong Thye in an interview with The Business Times. “If you don’t sell cheap, people don’t buy. If we do promotions, we do very well. If we don’t do promotions, it’s so-so … Online business is burning money. We don’t have the money to burn.

“If I sell online cheaper, everybody will flock online,” he continues. “It will cannibalise the retail, same time I will be very busy doing a lot of services. Because we are strong in providing customer service, so the more you sell, the more problems you will have.”

The 2000sqft shop is designed for audiophiles seeking superior sound systems, featuring both popularly established and niche brands – 80 per cent of which are not carried in regular Challenger stores, which do not generally stock high-end audio products.

According to Loo, profitability for the new concept is not expected for the first six months of trading.

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