http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20090501-138622.html
Fri, May 01, 2009
The Straits Times
3 weeks to toast 'new' Orchard Road
AFTER its $40 million makeover, iconic Orchard Road is going all-out to sell its charms to Singaporeans and tourists alike.
From May 1, a three-week bonanza called Orchard Reloaded will be staged. It will feature makeover sessions, body art painting demonstrations, fashion events atop Singapore's longest-ever catwalk and outdoor shows by radio stations 91.3FM and 100.3FM.
The free event is organised by SPH Magazines, SPH MediaBoxOffice - Singapore Press Holdings' events arm - and Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA).
This is all part of the effort to brand the shopping precinct as 'Orchard Road - A Great Street'.
The efforts are also supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which will use the slogan when it markets the Orchard shopping belt during its promotions.
Orchard retailers are upping the ante in the face of impending competition, such as Marina Bay, touted as the new downtown with its integrated resort opening in phases from the end of this year.
ORBA chairman May Sng said Orchard Road also has to compete with other shopping areas in the region.
'A lot of Singapore shoppers are going to the likes of Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong for shopping trips. So, we get competition from all over. This is a year when we can really make a statement, because it is amidst the transformation of Orchard Road.'
The rebranding effort is the culmination of a 10-month-long transformation of the street, which sees about 80 to 100 million visitors every year. The $40 million facelift saw flower totems (large pillars decorated with fresh flowers) erected, old lamp posts and electrical boxes removed, and walkways repaved.
And by the end of the year, three new malls - Orchard Central, Ion Orchard and 313@Somerset - will have opened their doors.
'It is heartening to see the individual private sector players come together,' said Mr Andrew Phua, director of tourism shopping and dining at the STB.
'The launch of the brand positioning articulates simply what many people already feel about Orchard Road.'
It is important, he added, to have a personality for the road so that shoppers will be able to differentiate between Orchard Road and Marina Bay.
Orchard's new branding will lure people out of their homes to dine, window-shop, or even make a few purchases, said Wing Tai Retail's executive director Helen Khoo.
Other moves set to shake up Orchard Road include stores staying open later, and more promotional events being staged throughout the year.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
For more The Straits Times stories, click here.
Fri, May 01, 2009
The Straits Times
3 weeks to toast 'new' Orchard Road
AFTER its $40 million makeover, iconic Orchard Road is going all-out to sell its charms to Singaporeans and tourists alike.
From May 1, a three-week bonanza called Orchard Reloaded will be staged. It will feature makeover sessions, body art painting demonstrations, fashion events atop Singapore's longest-ever catwalk and outdoor shows by radio stations 91.3FM and 100.3FM.
The free event is organised by SPH Magazines, SPH MediaBoxOffice - Singapore Press Holdings' events arm - and Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA).
This is all part of the effort to brand the shopping precinct as 'Orchard Road - A Great Street'.
The efforts are also supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which will use the slogan when it markets the Orchard shopping belt during its promotions.
Orchard retailers are upping the ante in the face of impending competition, such as Marina Bay, touted as the new downtown with its integrated resort opening in phases from the end of this year.
ORBA chairman May Sng said Orchard Road also has to compete with other shopping areas in the region.
'A lot of Singapore shoppers are going to the likes of Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong for shopping trips. So, we get competition from all over. This is a year when we can really make a statement, because it is amidst the transformation of Orchard Road.'
The rebranding effort is the culmination of a 10-month-long transformation of the street, which sees about 80 to 100 million visitors every year. The $40 million facelift saw flower totems (large pillars decorated with fresh flowers) erected, old lamp posts and electrical boxes removed, and walkways repaved.
And by the end of the year, three new malls - Orchard Central, Ion Orchard and 313@Somerset - will have opened their doors.
'It is heartening to see the individual private sector players come together,' said Mr Andrew Phua, director of tourism shopping and dining at the STB.
'The launch of the brand positioning articulates simply what many people already feel about Orchard Road.'
It is important, he added, to have a personality for the road so that shoppers will be able to differentiate between Orchard Road and Marina Bay.
Orchard's new branding will lure people out of their homes to dine, window-shop, or even make a few purchases, said Wing Tai Retail's executive director Helen Khoo.
Other moves set to shake up Orchard Road include stores staying open later, and more promotional events being staged throughout the year.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
For more The Straits Times stories, click here.
