In with the new cool: Old shopping mall gets new lease of life with vintage and thrift shops

An old mall near the bustling Arab Street is fast building a reputation as an emerging cool spot for Gen Zs to shop for vintage clothes and other trendy items.

Since 2023, Golden Landmark, best known for its traditional clothing shops catering to the Malay/Muslim community, has drawn new tenants in the form of thrift and vintage retailers.

Of the six thrift and vintage shops that have opened there in recent years, Woofie’s Warehouse $10 Thrift was the first mover, opening in 2023. Sonder Room, which opened in December 2025, is the newest.

These new entrants said they were drawn to the mall’s accessible location and attractive rents. Of the four new shop owners interviewed, two said rent in Golden Landmark is generally lower than in Haji Lane itself, where rent can go up to the high five digits.

On weekends, groups of young people patronise these shops, hunting for hidden gems or a bargain. The mall is often their first stop on a day out in Kampong Glam, before they go to Haji Lane to continue shopping.

Five of eight young patrons interviewed at Golden Landmark said they liked that the mall is in a central and convenient location close to public transport amenities like Bugis MRT station.

Besides the central location, Jae Liow, 17, a student at Zheng Hua Secondary School, said he was also drawn to the place’s relaxed vibe. He said: “It’s more chill. If you are looking for somewhere quieter, you can come (here) to explore.”

Young people like him learn about the thrift and vintage shops in the mall from the shops’ active online presence. Most of the shops have been operating online and have a following before opening their bricks and mortar outlets.

While they still have online presence, only Cerise Bagels, DAWDLE and Woofie’s continue to sell items online.

On setting up a physical shop, Mr Dion Lim, 25, owner of DAWDLE, said: “We want people to be able to try on items before buying them as many people make impulse purchases online.”

Ms Aretha Poh, 20, a second-year student at Lasalle College of the Arts, goes to Golden Landmark as it is near her school. She said: “If I have nothing to do, I prefer to try on things at Golden Landmark rather than buy on Telegram as it’s more worth it and there is guarantee that it (the item) will fit.”

Here’s a look at some of the stores.

Cerise Bagels (#02-42)

Starting in October 2022 as a handmade accessories seller on messaging app Telegram, university student Chloe Loh, 20, wanted to open a physical store to let customers try on her accessories.

“Turning my passions into some form of purpose has always been my aspiration, so when the opportunity presented itself in the form of Cerise Bagels, I felt like I had to go all in,” said Ms Loh.

The shop opened its doors in June 2024. Initially located on the third level of the mall, it moved to its current location in January 2025 as it needed more space.

Cerise Bagels sell handmade accessories alongside second-hand clothes that are priced from $28 to $40, as well as trendy items like blind boxes and plushies by Japanese brand Monchichi. A changing room is tucked in the corner of the store.

DAWDLE (#03-19 & #03-56)

Mr Dion Lim, 25, started off making handmade jewellery as a side hustle, then decided to expand into selling second-hand clothes. 

He opened DAWDLE in July 2024, selling not just his own inventory but also handmade accessories by other vendors.

“I wanted to also house other small businesses so that they can also sell their stuff here,” he said.

At DAWDLE, the men’s and women’s clothes are located in two different shops just across from each other.

Each piece of clothing is generally priced between $15 and $40, although there is a rack for $10 bargain item. The shop also sells trendy blind boxes and figurines like Sonny Angels.

Woofie’s Warehouse $10 thrift (#03-31) 

Initially wanting to get rid of all the excess second-hand clothes he had, Mr Matthew Tan, 24, co-founded Woofie.co as a side hustle with his girlfriend back in 2021.

Now the sole owner of the store, he continues to run the unmanned store in Golden Landmark on the side. Shoppers use PayNow to pay for their purchases. There is also a cash mailbox for those who want to pay cash.

“I feel like some shoppers, like myself, are a bit more introverted. You don’t really like that kind of pressure when you go into the store, and get eyeballed by the cashier,” said Mr Tan.

He added that from his own experiences as a shopper, he decided to open a completely unmanned second-hand goods shop with all items priced at $10 a piece.

Shoppers can look through the racks of shirts and bottoms, including oversized T-shirts and flowy skirts, neatly arranged on either side of the store.

Sonder Room (#01-31)

Easily accessed from the exterior of Golden Landmark on the ground level facing Raffles Medical Centre, Sonder Room opened in December 2025, making it the mall’s newest vintage and thrift tenant.

Owner Tan Shue Xin, 26, originally ran a Telegram channel in 2023 to sell her second-hand finds, and expanded into offline pop-ups before finding a spot in Golden Landmark.

“I love selling in ‘real life’ as I get to see customers pick up clothes that they like enough to wear, “ said Ms Tan.

The shop sells a variety of second-hand vintage clothes, handmade jewellery and other trinkets from different small businesses. Most of its products range in price from $28 to $40, and patrons can buy tops, pants, accessories and bags of different aesthetics.

“I hope we can build a small (vintage) community over here, build a relationship between store owners, with my vendors and my customers as well,” she said.

Also check out: TWOWORLDS Thrift Store (#02-31) and THEODDPARADISE (#01-35).

Correction report: An earlier version of the story stated the wrong year that DAWDLE was opened. The source has since clarified the correct year.