myCK stores in Ang Mo Kio & Chinatown to scale down offerings, focus on clothes

Homegrown department store myCK is expected to scale down its offerings at its Ang Mo Kio and Chinatown outlets to mostly clothing items.

Since early May, the Ang Mo Kio outlet has been having a clearance sale with discounts up to 30 per cent off, largely on food and household essentials, Zaobao reported.

An employee told Zaobao on May 24 that the outlet will not be closing down, but will no longer sell food and household essentials after Jun. 2.

Instead, it will be focusing on clothes and shoes.

There has also been a clearance sale at the Chinatown outlet, which occupies two storeys, from as early as Apr. 2.

The staff there told Zaobao similarly that once their food and household essentials have all sold, they will also be focusing on clothing.

Eight outlets remaining

Founded in 1997, myCK has aimed to offer affordable apparel and daily essentials to households, according to its website.

In 2015, it reportedly had 18 outlets across Singapore's heartland areas.

But outlets have closed in recent years, leaving only eight today, along with the online store.

Affordable essentials

On May 24, most of the people Zaobao saw shopping at the Ang Mo Kio outlet were the elderly.

A 62-year-old woman said that she and her husband often shopped there because some of their items were priced lower than at supermarkets.

An elderly couple, who said they travelled to visit the store, similarly highlighted the affordable prices.

"Items like instant coffee and shampoo are cheaper here," they said.

Competitive market

The department store industry has been facing high costs in terms of rent, utilities, and labour, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School Department of Strategy and Policy told Zaobao.

They have also suffered from a declining number of customers, she added, due to fierce competition from e-commerce platforms such as Taobao.