Robinsons is a household name in Singapore, when it comes to department stores and the brand is one of Singapore’s own, which was established back in the colonial era and has managed to succeed throughout the more than once century period, during which it could remain one of the top visited department stores of the country. Let us look at the history of Robinsons along with its main brands and locations throughout Singapore.
Robinsons has similar role today for Singaporeans as Debenhams has for the UK or Galleries Lafayette is for France. Here you can find everything fashion connected from the best fashion brands to men’s and kids’ apparel, home ware and so much more. Phillip Robinson founded the iconic department store brand back in 1858 and James Gaborian Spicer both of whom had family members at important posts in the Singapore of the colonial era. The old location of the first Robinsons, formerly known as Spicer & Robinsons was at today’s Raffles Place from where they have moved to the corner of North Bridge Road and Coleman Street located close to Orchard Road. Robinsons has always been dealing with the selling of textiles, fashion apparel and home ware even in those times and thanks to its high success, the company has acquired John Little another brand of department stores and also acquired the right to be the main franchisee of Marks & Spencer stores in Singapore. The department store has celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. Today, Robinsons and Co. is owned by the Dubai Al Futtaim Group.
The main centre of Robinsons was in Centrepoint where it opened its 5-storey department store 1983 and its next store in Raffles City Shopping Mall in 2001, where it already appeared re-branded, representing itself as a premiere style department store. Robinsons offers over 30 women’s apparel brands such as the French Sinéqanone, Coast, Oasis and exclusive brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, DKNY, Benetton, Armani Jeans, and Calvin Klein among other luxury brands. Robinsons is also the retailer of well-known sports brands such as Adidas or Nike. As for men’s brands, the variety and quality is high with some of the best male apparel labels in the world including Emanuel Berg, Matinique or Bertoni but you can also find apparel from such brands as Springfield, Perry Ellis, Van Laack, IZOD, Cerrutti and Pierre Cardin among many other top brands.
Each Robinsons has a huge cosmetics and beauty department selling cosmetics, fragrances and all sorts of beauty products of the world’s leading brands such as Chanel, Dior, Clinique, Estée Lauder and many others. The department also has a chemist and lifestyle area where you can get to buy vitamins and other products that have healing effect or generally do good for the wellbeing.
The Lifestyle department offers a huge variety of home ware, kitchen ware and home textiles from brands such as Jamie Oliver, Guzzini, Yves Delome and other great brands, as well as Robinsons own products. The largest Robinsons department store will open next year in the Heeren department store, which is currently under renovation. Until then, you can find Robinsons Department Stores in Singapore at Centrepoint, Raffles City Shopping Mall, in the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and at JEM at Jurong East.
If you look for quality department stores selling some of the widest range of goods, do not miss visiting Singapore’s own luxury department store the Robinsons, where you are guaranteed to find something outstanding for you or your family members.