Purposeful design, engaging shoppers can boost Singapore retail sector: Beyond The Vines co-founder

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s retail scene has seen some difficult years, with high-profile store closures such as Isetan Tampines and the Isetan NEX branch set to close in April 2026.

But local fashion and lifestyle brand Beyond The Vines, which runs seven bricks-and-mortar retail stores in malls like Takashimaya, Funan and Marina Bay Sands, and another 16 stores overseas, continues to find bright spots for home-grown retailers.

The secret to success lies in constant innovation, clarity in brand identity, and a strong understanding of what customers truly value, said Beyond The Vines co-founder Rebecca Ting, who started the brand with her husband, Mr Daniel Chew, in 2015.

“It’s no secret that running a retail business in Singapore can be challenging. Rentals are high, and the market here is limited, which means competition is tight even among local brands,” she told The Straits Times.

“And with retail becoming so accessible online, customers can shop from anywhere in the world now, so physical stores really need to work harder to stay relevant.”

For Beyond The Vines, the selling point was that the brand sat right at the intersection of design and purpose.

Ms Ting said: “Everything we create has to serve the customer in a meaningful way while still expressing a clear and considered aesthetic.

“We think a lot about how people actually live, from what they carry and how they move to what they reach for every day, and we design to solve those real, everyday problems. Purposeful design, customer awareness, and a strong, consistent visual language guide everything we do.”

She also remains optimistic about the local retail scene, despite the many challenges, “because there’s so much creativity here”, she said.

“I’ve met so many small entrepreneurs, be it from independent creators like Sonogo with its 3D-printed lamps or other young design-led businesses, who are bringing fresh, exciting ideas into the market,” she added.

“Yes, they face real challenges: rising rental costs, the need to keep product variety interesting, and the realities of production. But the ideas are strong. The appetite for good design is strong. And Singapore consumers are becoming more open to supporting thoughtful, home-grown brands. That makes me optimistic.”

Beyond The Vines itself continuously innovates according to customer feedback, which Ms Ting says is very vital to the brand.

“We’ve grown by listening closely to the people who use our products, understanding their needs, learning from their feedback and evolving together. That ongoing dialogue with our community keeps us grounded, inspired and always designing with intention,” she said.

The retailer, which started with just women’s fashion, expanded to men’s and children’s apparel during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also sells its signature Dumpling Bags and other accessories, including backpacks, tote bags, pouches and phone straps.

She said: “In 2015, when we first started, there were not many brands that sat at the intersection between fashion and design, and was democratic in the sense that it was accessible to many.”

She noted that there were either the high-end locally designed products that could cost $400 a piece, or the pieces that were sold en masse in blog shops.

“We’re coming from a place where the vision of the brand has always been to make good designs accessible,” she said.

She is also unfazed by the crowded retail scene and the competition in the sector.

“We don’t approach it from a competitor point of view, or how crowded the space generally is. We design our products from the lens of problem-solving and from the lens of design more than what’s in fashion and what is trend-driven. And we’re quite vocal about that part as well, about how things need to be intuitive, packable and washable.”

And while bricks-and-mortar stores have found it tough to compete with retailers online, Ms Ting says there is still a future for physical shops in malls. But the approach is not to use the shopfronts as places to sell things, but as places to “entertain” and “create an experience that is tactile and sensory”.

The brand had its first physical store as a pop-up in Mandarin Gallery in 2016, but opened its first permanent location at Takashimaya on the cusp of the pandemic in 2020.

It now has 23 stores across the region, with seven in Singapore and the rest in Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and China.

“Daniel and I like to do things in person,” Ms Ting said. “It is very difficult to build a brand and a community from a distance. Design is tactile and needs to be felt and worn and seen, especially when we are building a brand that lasts.”

Beyond The Vines is also expanding in the region with its double-pronged approach of physical stores and an online presence, capitalising on the growing consumer market in Asia. Its first overseas store was opened in Manila in 2019. It now has nine stores there, with more stores opened in Bangkok and most recently in 2025, Shanghai and Tokyo.

When asked about how she views the retail industry, Ms Ting said: “It’s cyclical... I don’t think you can completely eliminate the retail industry because people still want to go out.”

She noted that the mall culture is still very strong in places like the Philippines and Japan.

“Maybe there has been a bit of softness in the retail space, but I do think that if anything, it pushes brands to think a little bit. It has been five years since the pandemic and it does push brands to maybe cut the fat off and ask: What do the consumers really want?”

She added that the macroeconomic headwinds also force the brand to remain nimble as a company even as it scales up.

“It keeps us in touch with the pulse on the ground, whether on the e-commerce level or retail level,” she said.

An important aspect of ensuring the brand is in touch with customer needs is also hiring a young team that can be nimble and creative. Ms Ting said the brand does not face challenges hiring Gen Z staff.

Ms Ting added: “A large part of being Gen Z is having individuality and looking for purpose over progress. For us as a brand, we can articulate that, and Daniel and I are very intentional and purpose-driven.”

Looking back, Ms Ting said the couple never thought that they could get to where they are now.

“We knew we wanted to build a global brand but we didn’t know how long it would have taken or how to get there,” she said.

The couple were married in 2015 and used their money to fund the business instead of buying a home. They now have two sons aged six and nine.

“Somebody recently asked me this question: How do you build a hype brand?” Ms Ting shared.

“It’s about being consistent. For us, it’s more important that we are trusted and honest and consistent. We never started out wanting to build a hype brand. We just genuinely have a good time.”