Many of us here in Singapore mourned the loss of Robinsons, the well-loved department store which closed its last outlet at Raffles City on 9 January this year. 

Flocks of people swarmed to the outlet on its final day, eager to get their hands on the goods before they would have to bid farewell to the store. 

But if you thought that would be the last you would hear of Robinsons, that’s where you’re wrong, because the retailer is back better than ever! 

The 163-year-old retailer is gaining a whole new lease of life as Robinsons Online, an online department store that will be making its debut on 24 June 2021.

Robinsons was acquired by Canningvale Australia, a multi-million dollar e-commerce enterprise, in June 2021, and is now relaunching as a completely digital platform. 

The online department store will carry over 200 specially-curated brands: some well-loved, some local, and others up-and-rising. 

You can also anticipate sensational collaborations that can be found only on Robinsons Online. 

The head office of the company is based in Singapore and is headed by Mr Jordan Prainito, the former Managing Director of Canningvale Australia, one of Australia’s most rapidly growing online businesses. 

“I’m excited to be relaunching such an iconic brand. The brand has a rich history, and it strongly resonates with Singaporean and South-East Asian customers. It just needs to be catapulted into the 21st century.

“The global pandemic has expedited the mainstream adoption of online shopping. We think now is the right time to pivot to a digital-first strategy.

“Singaporeans are avid online shoppers, Robinsons Online will not disappoint. The website is easy to navigate, visually pleasing, perfectly curated, and will provide a trusted, safe and secure checkout process,” said Mr Prainito. 

He added that lessons learned from Canningvale’s digital transformation (which boosted e-commerce sales tenfold in under five years) will be applied to Robinsons.

This impressive growth was “achieved through a combination of sourcing expertise, range clarification, system automation, marketing expertise, and a forensic focus on [their] customers.”

He intends to employ Singaporeans to hold a variety of positions across the company. Two former Robinson’s employees have already been hired for the new online venture. 

‘Robinsons is a Singaporean icon, if it is to respond to the needs of Singaporeans, it must be run by the people who understand the market. We look forward to introducing our customers to a whole new online shopping experience.’

Be sure to mark your calendar for Robinsons’ online debut this month, and happy shopping!

Featured Image: Claudine Van Massenhove / Shutterstock.com