Inside Plaza Singapura's blogshop cluster
Local blogshop fans who want to check out online merchandise should head to Plaza Singapura - the mall plans to have its Basement 1 cater to millennials.
Started online in 2014, Fayth, this month, joined the growing cluster of blogshop labels-turned-retailers on the level, which houses five other blogshops, namely Ninth Collective, Shop Sassy Dream, Runway Bandits, Addicts Anonymous and Zavendar.
Ms Janis Gan, co-founder of Fayth, said having similar businesses in close proximity creates great synergy.
She also felt being near the escalator gives it a strategic location and higher connectivity because of the high foot traffic.
Fayth's Plaza Singapura outlet is its third - the other two outlets are at CityLink Mall and Westgate Mall - and Ms Gan said the brand has plans to expand into the east.
She told The New Paper: "We don't view online and offline as separate entities. We want to provide a seamless shopping experience for customers.
Ms Gan added that the brand created a physical presence due to customer demand and "growth has been healthy since".
And there are benefits to having an offline space.
BOYFRIEND CORNER
At Fayth, there is a corkboard where customers can leave feedback and an arrangement of chairs affectionately called the "Boyfriend Corner" for men to rest while their girlfriends shop.
New collections will also appear at the physical store before they are officially released online.
Ms Gan added: "Our customers are at the heart of what we do. Keeping designs current and providing excellent service will keep us ahead of our competitors."
Ms Ariel Lim, founder of Ninth Collective, is confident its diverse and versatile apparel range will help it stand out.
It has store-exclusive promotions not found online, and shoppers can also seek fashion advice from sales assistants.
The oldest blogshop on the block, Ninth Collective - which started online in 2007 - went physical in 2014 at Plaza Singapura, followed by two more outlets, and results have been "optimistic".
Said Ms Lim: "Opening a brick-and-mortar was hard as we had no experience in this area. We faced difficulties in the presentation of clothes in the shop and manpower management, among other things.
"But we have attracted new demographics since, such as like tourists and last-minute shoppers who urgently need a new dress."
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