'Residents suffer the consequences': Multiple closed shops seen at Woodleigh Mall

Recent shop closures at The Woodleigh Mall in Bidadari have sparked discussion among residents, according to online posts.

Discussion threads speculated that low footfall, expensive parking, and rental concerns could be possible reasons behind the high turnover.

In an email to Mothership, an individual said he'd seen more than 15 shops vacate the mall within the past year, particularly in the basement food cluster known as Feast@Woodleigh.

He suggested that some tenants might have chosen not to renew their leases due to rising rental costs.

Mothership visited the mall to observe the situation firsthand.

Basement food cluster appeared the quietest

The basement level, especially the Feast@Woodleigh section, appeared to have the highest concentration of shuttered or vacant units.

Several adjacent stalls were boarded up with “Coming Soon” hoardings on display, while others had signs removed entirely.

Former tenants in the mall include brands such as Burger King, Lee Wee Brothers, and Fish & Co, whose units appeared vacated during Mothership's visit on May 5.

Some vacant units displayed hoardings for incoming new tenants, including dessert shop Tsuzumi Dango, dumpling eatery Yuen Kee Dumpling, and beauty salon Pixie Nail Spa.

Still, parts of the basement felt noticeably subdued.

The area looked less welcoming than expected for a relatively new mall, with multiple shuttered units between stalls that were still operational.

Other levels appeared more stable

However, Levels 1 and 2 appeared comparatively livelier, with cafés, restaurants and service-based businesses continuing to operate.

Several enrichment centres, clinics, and family-oriented businesses also appeared to be moving in, including children’s apparel store Happy Rei, tuition centre Wang Learning Centre, and Venusia Medical Aesthetics Clinic.

During our visit, outlets like Chagee and Soup Spoon Union still saw customers, though foot traffic overall remained modest.

"Stagnant" footfall: Employee

Mothership spoke to a 45-year-old shop employee who has worked at the mall for about three years, who wished to remain anonymous.

The employee said high turnover among F&B tenants has been happening “since the start.”

“Since the start, the mall is not doing very well. The footfall is low over here compared to other malls,” she said.

While she did not think crowds had drastically decreased over time, she said they also had not grown as expected for a newer mall.

“Normally for a new mall, the crowd will slowly build up, but not for this mall. It has been very stagnant,” she added.

Customers complained about mall's parking layout

The employee also said some customers had complained about the mall’s parking layout and cost.

“Initially there [were] a lot of [traffic jams] because the carpark and pickup point is the same entrance. They don’t have a proper drop-off point,” she said.

“Another [point] is that parking is not cheap here.”

She also felt the mall’s retail mix was limited. “People don’t come here to shop because there’s nothing to shop,” she said.

“I have one clothes store, then used to have one shoe shop. No bag store, no children’s clothes. It’s really more for residents nearby.”

According to the employee, several larger brands had already exited the mall.

“A lot of shops close, I can understand. Even Skechers, Challenger, big brands, they cannot survive here,” she said.

High rent: Employee

Mothership also spoke to another 20-year-old employee, who has worked in the mall for about a year. She too wished to remain anonymous.

When asked why she thought many shops had closed, she replied: “The rental is very expensive.”

She also said most customers visiting the outlet were nearby residents from areas such as Potong Pasir and Boon Keng.

The employee added that footfall appeared to have declined during her time working there.

"Residents suffer the consequences"

In his email to Mothership, the resident said that Woodleigh Mall should be seen as a heartland mall, due to its proximity to HDB blocks.

But when units are left vacant and the retail mix is inadequate, "residents suffer the consequences", he said.

Another resident of Woodleigh that Mothership spoke to said it was "sad" to see the shops go, but it wasn't surprising.

"The layout of the mall is not the best so if you're located on the inside, it's hard for people to see. Plus everything is so expensive," she said.

The Woodleigh Mall officially opened in late 2023, and is a "key pillar" of the Bidadari integrated development.

It is connected to Woodleigh MRT station, Bidadari Park, and surrounding HDB estates.

Mothership has reached out to Cuscaden Peak Investments and Kajima Development, the companies which own The Woodleigh Mall in a joint venture, for comment on May 6. Both companies have yet to respond.

The joint venture put the mall up for sale for an asking price of S$800 million back in July 2024.