Sharing his insights on the struggles of department stores in Singapore to survive, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami pointed out the difficulty of hiring retail staff willing to work long hours on their feet while providing personalised service to diverse customers. Assoc Prof Ramaswami also said that Singapore's status as a shopping destination for tourists had declined in the last decade for multiple reasons. He suggested that department stores in Singapore should target young shoppers through integrated omnichannel experiences, allowing shoppers to buy online and pick up at a store, or order from a store and have their purchases delivered to them.
