25 Jun 2024
The Retail Segment: Market Dynamics and Outlook
Property Insight

Economic Boost in Q1 2024

In the first quarter of 2024, Singapore's economy saw substantial growth fueled by significant events and international performances. The Singapore Airshow, held in February, along with concerts by Coldplay, Mayday, and Taylor Swift, attracted numerous visitors, contributing to economic expansion. The retail trade sector grew by 2.7% year-on-year, recovering from a 0.3% contraction in the previous quarter. This growth was driven by higher sales volumes of motor and non-motor vehicles. Similarly, the food and beverage services sector grew by 1.1% year-on-year, rebounding from a 1.5% contraction, driven by increased sales at food caterers, cafes, and food courts.

Retail Space Market Dynamics

Retail space prices increased by 1.8% in Q1 2024, up from 1.2% in Q4 2023, reflecting strong demand. Despite a reduction in the number of retail spaces from 85 units in Q4 2023 to 62 units in Q1 2024, the overall value of retail transactions also declined from $175.3 million to $107.8 million. However, the first four months of 2024 showed a positive trend, with a 23.9% year-on-year increase in retail space transactions and a 34.8% increase in total transaction value compared to the same period in 2023.

Significant Retail Transactions

Notable transactions in early 2024 included the sale of a unit at Royal Square at Novena for $11.0 million ($4,121 psf) and a ground-level unit at Lucky Plaza for $10.5 million ($15,242 psf). These transactions underscore the high value and demand for strategically located retail properties in Singapore.

Retail Rental Market

Retail rental rates saw a slight moderation of 0.4% in Q1 2024. The moderation in rental rates was influenced by evolving tenant demand, consumer behavior trends, and strategic pricing by property owners. Despite the overall moderation, the Outside Central Region (OCR) experienced a significant increase in median monthly rentals, rising by 10.6% quarter-on-quarter to $21.77 psf in Q1 2024. This growth highlights robust demand in suburban areas driven by increased consumer footfall and expanding retail activities.

Retail Space Occupancy and Vacancy Rates

The volume of retail rental transactions moderated by 21.5% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2024, with the total leasing value also decreasing by 24.6%. The occupied retail space increased by 8,000 square meters, while the stock of retail space expanded by 19,000 square meters. Consequently, the island-wide vacancy rate of retail space rose to 6.7% from 6.5% at the end of the preceding quarter, indicating a slight increase in available retail space.

Outlook

The continued recovery in air travel and tourism is expected to support growth in tourism-related sectors, including retail trade and food & beverage services. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) anticipates international visitor arrivals to reach between 15 to 16 million in 2024, generating $26.0 to $27.5 billion in tourism receipts. This influx of visitors is likely to drive up retail sales, particularly in key shopping districts and tourist areas. New hotel openings, enhanced experiences at integrated resorts, and a vibrant array of leisure activities will attract more visitors, increasing foot traffic and spending in retail establishments.

Overall, the anticipated growth in tourism, combined with strategic developments in the retail industry, presents a promising outlook for Singapore's retail sector in 2024.

Click here for the full report 

Prepared By: 

Mohan Sandrasegeran 

Head of Research & Data Analytics  

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07 Aug 2026
Singapore Shophouse Market 1H2026: Higher Value Deals Drive Investment Growth

Singapore's shophouse market in 1H2026 demonstrated continued resilience despite a moderation in transaction volumes, with investment activity increasingly concentrated in higher-value assets. While the number of caveated shophouse transactions declined from 34 deals in 1H2025 to 25 deals in 1H2026, the total transaction value increased by 14.9% year-on-year, rising from $234.7 million to $269.5 million. This suggests that investors remained willing to deploy significant capital into larger, well-located and higher-quality conservation assets, reinforcing confidence in the long-term fundamentals of the shophouse sector.

Investor preference continued to favour longer-tenure properties. Freehold shophouses accounted for 76.0% of total transaction value in 1H2026, broadly unchanged from the previous year, while transaction value within this segment increased substantially from $176.7 million to $224.0 million. Although 99-year leasehold properties recorded a higher share of overall transactions compared to a year ago, demand remained firmly concentrated in freehold and 999-year leasehold assets, which together represented 84.0% of total transaction value. This reflects continued demand for scarce commercial assets that offer long-term capital preservation, stable rental income and limited exposure to lease decay.

Looking ahead, investment demand is expected to remain resilient through the second half of 2026, supported by Singapore's healthy economic performance, lower interest rate environment and the structural scarcity of conserved shophouses. Investors are likely to continue prioritising well-located assets offering resilient rental income, asset enhancement opportunities and long-term capital appreciation. The combination of limited supply, heritage value and stable income-generating potential is expected to provide continued support for transaction values and reinforce the long-term attractiveness of Singapore's shophouse market.

Click

here

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Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

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07 Aug 2026
Berlayar Drive GLS Attracts Sole Top Bid of $576.8 Million

The Berlayar Drive Government Land Sales site attracted a sole bid of $576.8 million, equivalent to $1,515 per square foot per plot ratio, from a joint venture between Intrepid Investments Pte. Ltd. and GuocoLand (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. The bid underscores the developers’ continued conviction in the long-term potential of the Greater Southern Waterfront and their commitment to establishing a presence within one of Singapore’s most significant waterfront transformation precincts. 

Although the site received only one bid, this should not necessarily be interpreted as weak confidence in its prospects. Instead, it reflects increasingly disciplined land-acquisition strategies amid a larger GLS pipeline and more selective capital deployment. With a wider range of sites available, developers are likely to prioritise parcels that best complement their existing landbanks, development pipelines and risk profiles.

Berlayar Drive is the second private residential parcel within the new estate, following the Telok Blangah Road site. A further residential parcel at Berlayar Close is expected to be launched in December. This phased release reflects the Government’s measured approach to developing the Greater Southern Waterfront, allowing future housing supply to be introduced progressively rather than all at once.

The Berlayar Drive site is expected to yield approximately 415 residential units. Its smaller project scale should require a lower upfront capital commitment and reduce construction, financing and market-absorption risks compared with larger developments. The site also carries a maximum building height of five storeys, creating the potential for a distinctive low-rise residential offering focused on privacy, greenery and resort-style living.

Future residents are expected to benefit from proximity to Telok Blangah MRT station, VivoCity, Sentosa, the Southern Ridges and Labrador Nature Reserve. This combination of connectivity, retail and lifestyle amenities, waterfront surroundings and access to nature is likely to support healthy long-term owner-occupier demand.

Click

here

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Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

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07 Aug 2026
Chitty Road and Veerasamy Road GLS Tender Draws $35.3 Million Top Bid

The tender for the Chitty Road and Veerasamy Road Government Land Sales site attracted seven bids, with YK Land Pte. Ltd submitting the highest offer of $35.3 million. The bid translates to approximately $962 per square foot of site area and was substantially higher than the second-ranked bid of $23.8 million, or $650 per square foot, submitted by Conint Pte Ltd and SEEDoE Ventures Pte Ltd. RPC One Pte Ltd placed third with a bid of $23.7 million. 

The site benefits from strong accessibility and a central location. It is within walking distance of Jalan Besar and Little India MRT stations, while Bugis, Rochor and the Central Business District are also nearby. Opportunities to acquire an entire cluster of conserved residential buildings in Singapore’s Central Area are exceptionally rare, giving the project the potential to become a distinctive heritage residential development.

Under the SA2 option, the site may accommodate up to 36 serviced apartment units with a minimum stay of three months. This could appeal to professionals, expatriates and other residents seeking medium- to longer-term accommodation. The higher unit yield may also offer the developer recurring rental income and greater operational flexibility.

Alternatively, the site could be developed into up to 18 strata landed houses, subject to approval. This option may appeal to affluent owner-occupiers and collectors seeking rare, restored heritage homes within a city-fringe location. With few new landed developments entering the market, the combination of conservation architecture and modern residential use could create a highly differentiated product.

The development’s value creation potential will depend less on maximising density and more on delivering a high-quality restoration. The investment proposition is therefore centred on placemaking, heritage preservation and product differentiation. The site may also benefit from the wider transformation of the surrounding precinct, including continued public investment and the nearby River Peaks I and II public housing developments.

Click

here

for the full report:

Prepared By:

Mohan Sandrasegeran

Head of Research & Data Analytics

Email: mohan@sri.com.sg

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