Some malls with youth enclaves include Marina Square, Suntec City and Bugis Junction. --PHOTO: BT
YOUTHS in Singapore are the new darlings of retailers, going by the effort made by malls to woo them.
While they lack earning power, they have 'staying power' - they linger longer, and hang out in groups.
The 1980s saw a rash of malls, but with only a few becoming youth hangouts. There were the 'Centrepoint Kids' while a teen haven nestled at Far East Plaza, still a popular hangout.
Today, it's the malls the merrier for the youngsters whose choice of hip places include The Heeren, Cathay Cineleisure, Square 2 and new player Iluma at Victoria Street.
Other malls with youth enclaves include Marina Square, Suntec City and Bugis Junction.
Not to be outdone, Ngee Ann City and Orchard Central are carving out space for the young clientele.
By year's end, Ngee Ann City will have a lifestyle cluster called Eighth Floor, comprising 19 hip stores and food and beverage outlets modelled after Tokyo's trendy Aoyama district.
The new Orchard Central - its soft opening is on July 2 - has a retail section of more than 30 small stalls called The Ramp which is a platform for budding entrepreneurs to showcase their wares.
'The country just became a giant shopping mall but I'm not complaining,' said private university student Maia Goh, 23, a confessed shopaholic who shops for clothes online or at Orchard Road.
Retailers and mall operators agree that the youth dollar can be a burgeoning one, provided the right buzz can be created.
