For generations of Singaporeans, Metro was simply part of going shopping. Soon, that familiar department store experience will disappear.
Metro Holdings announced the decision following a strategic review of its retail business, with the company choosing not to continue operating its existing department stores after their respective leases end. However, Metro has not publicly disclosed when either lease expires at press time. Shoppers still have time to visit, although exactly how much time remains is currently unknown.
Metro Could Return In A Different Form
Metro may be moving away from the traditional large department store format. However, the retailer is considering smaller stores, multi-speciality concepts, curated retail experiences and pop-ups as it works out what the next version of Metro could look like.
Interestingly, Metro could even maintain a presence at Paragon. The retailer has expressed interest in remaining at the Orchard Road mall through new retail concepts, with discussions ongoing. So while Singaporeans may be saying goodbye to the Metro department store as they know it, the Metro name itself may still survive in a very different form.
In Singapore Since 1957
Metro’s Singapore story began in 1957, when founder Ong Tjoe Kim opened a modest two-storey shop at 72 High Street. The original space measured just 250 sq m and specialised in textiles and fabrics.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the company had five department stores around the Orchard Road area. Metro also played a role in introducing Singapore shoppers to international names including Cartier, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Esprit and Burberry. It later expanded into heartland malls, with Metro stores appearing in locations including Century Square, Compass Point and City Square Mall.
Images from Metro Private Limited
Another Department Store Era Is Fading
Metro is the latest name in a long line of department stores that have disappeared or downsized in Singapore.
Yaohan, which arrived in Singapore in 1974, exited in 1997. John Little closed its final department store in 2016 after 174 years, while Robinsons shut its last physical stores in 2021. Other retailers have also reduced their footprint. BHG closed its Clementi outlet and One Assembly at Raffles City, while Isetan has shuttered several stores over the years.
With e-commerce, specialised retailers and changing shopping habits reshaping retail, Metro’s eventual department store exit marks the fading of yet another familiar part of Singapore’s shopping culture.
