As the new year begins, ION Orchard reflects on a festive season filled with elegance, imagination, and luxury discovery. From Christmas to Chinese New Year, the mall featured immersive installations by Van Cleef & Arpels debuting its first Christmas forest in Singapore and Clé de Peau Beauté’s Dreams Express Holiday Pop-Up. Visitors also enjoyed exclusive pop-ups from Dior Beauty, Ladurée, BLACKPINK, and BYREDO, alongside new luxury boutique openings from Piaget, Chanel, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ duplex boutique.
These experiences exemplify ION Orchard’s approach to luxury retail: combining visually engaging installations with meaningful interactions, curated for families and discerning shoppers alike.
To gain insights into festive shopper behaviour and the evolving landscape of luxury retail in Singapore, our editorial team spoke with Ms Yeo Mui Hong, Chief Executive Officer of Orchard Turn Developments.
Interview with Ms Yeo Mui Hong, Chief Executive Officer of Orchard Turn Developments
1. Reflecting on ION Orchard’s recent festive installations, how did shoppers respond, and did the engagement meet your expectations?
Ms Yeo Mui Hong: The response has been very encouraging, particularly as we move from Christmas into Chinese New Year. At ION Orchard, festive programming is designed to flow across seasons. This is reflected in our upcoming Chinese New Year “Prosperity in Flow” campaign.
Over the past weeks, we have observed shoppers spending longer periods engaging with immersive brand experiences. For instance, installations by brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Clé de Peau Beauté during the Christmas season have encouraged visitors to pause, explore details, and return with family members or friends. These moments of repeat engagement signal a deeper connection beyond visual appeal.
As we approach Chinese New Year, this engagement naturally evolves into more intentional interactions around gifting, craftsmanship and symbolism, particularly within the Watches & Jewellery space. Shopper behaviour suggests that visitors are responding positively to experiences that feel thoughtful, culturally relevant and easy to enjoy together, which aligns closely with our expectations for the festive season.
2. What insights have you gathered about consumer behaviour during this festive period, and how is it shaping the way luxury retail experiences are designed in Singapore?
Ms Yeo Mui Hong: One key insight is that festive shoppers today are more intentional. During periods like Christmas and Chinese New Year, purchases are closely tied to meaning, whether it is gifting for loved ones, celebrating milestones, or marking the start of a new year.
At ION Orchard, visitors are spending more time exploring concepts that blend visual spectacle with meaningful interaction. Our Christmas highlights such as Van Cleef and Arpels’ debut installation, Clé de Peau Beauté’s Luminous Holiday Showcase, and Ladurée’s exclusive pop-up, illustrate how curated experiences can transform a simple trip to the mall into a moment of discovery. This has translated into stronger engagement with brands that combine craftsmanship, storytelling and experience.
In the Watches & Jewellery space, shoppers are also spending time understanding the symbolism behind designs and materials, particularly pieces associated with prosperity, longevity and renewal. Luxury purchases are now no longer impulsive but considered and values driven.
We also observed families looking for experiences that allow them to spend quality time together. In our recent “Live the Race” campaign during the Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 Race period, ION Orchard collaborated closely with brands such as LEGO to deliver immersive pop-ups, dynamic visual displays, and gamified activities—including exclusive app rewards and social sharing incentives. This initiative infused the energy of motorsport into luxury retail, inviting visitors to participate, celebrate, and co-create memorable moments. The idea was to turn the mall into a stage where everyone could feel the pulse of the world’s most glamorous motorsport, making luxury retail more dynamic, communal, and memorable.
3. How does ION Orchard balance creating a festive, photogenic environment with driving meaningful sales for retailers?
Ms Yeo Mui Hong: At ION Orchard, we balance creating a festive and visually engaging environment with driving meaningful outcomes for brands by ensuring that every campaign connects atmosphere with brand discovery. Festive moments are designed not as standalone photo points, but as part of a complete shopping and lifestyle journey that encourages deeper engagement.
This approach is evident in The Pinnacle of Christmas campaign, where festive decor is paired with luxury led experiences that offer unique experiences and invite shoppers to spend time exploring brand stories. Installations such as Van Cleef and Arpels’ winter installation and Clé de Peau Beauté’s Dreams Express holiday pop-up bring craftsmanship and creativity into shared spaces, encouraging shoppers to linger before continuing their discovery in store.
Many luxury brands further build on this engagement by offering store exclusives, guided walkthroughs, and craft or artist demonstrations. These experiences help translate festive interest into meaningful purchasing decisions, whether through the discovery of new collections or renewed interest in signature pieces, particularly within the Watches and Jewellery space.
Beyond luxury, the festive experience at ION Orchard feels complete because it extends naturally into dining and lifestyle. Our shoppers can take a break at Southeast Asia’s first Prada Caffè after shopping, or families can unwind at Taste Paradise or ION Sky—enjoying a well-paced visit that combines gifting, dining and shared moments, allowing shoppers to move seamlessly across categories and leave with both memorable experiences and meaningful purchases.
4. With prestigious new boutiques from Piaget, Chanel, and Van Cleef & Arpels already open, what does this say about Singapore’s position as a luxury retail hub?
Ms Yeo Mui Hong: The arrival of flagship boutiques and world-first store concepts at ION Orchard highlights Singapore’s growing importance as a global launchpad for luxury. Major maisons recognise that Singapore offers a rare combination of a resilient and sophisticated local customer base, alongside a steady flow of international visitors who actively seek out new and elevated retail experiences. This makes Singapore one of the most strategic markets for brands to introduce new formats, test innovative ideas, and present their storytelling at its highest level.
At ION Orchard, the Watches & Jewellery space is a particularly strong reflection of this confidence. Brands are increasingly investing in larger, more immersive boutique formats that allow them to showcase craftsmanship, heritage and personalised experiences in greater depth. A recent example is Van Cleef & Arpels’ expanded duplex boutique at ION Orchard, which features a refreshed design concept and enhanced experiential elements that elevate how shoppers engage with the brand.
These openings strengthen Singapore’s position as the luxury centre of Southeast Asia, reaching not only local shoppers but also visitors from across the region. In many cases, concepts launched at ION Orchard go on to influence how brands shape future boutiques globally, reinforcing the mall’s role as a reference point for luxury retail innovation.
5. How have experiential elements, like the Van Cleef & Arpels forest or Clé de Peau Beauté’s Dreams Express pop-up, influenced shopper engagement and perception of luxury at ION Orchard?
Ms Yeo Mui Hong: Experiential elements such as the Van Cleef and Arpels forest, Clé de Peau Beauté’s Dreams Express pop up, and ION Orchard’s Christmas decor have had a clear influence on how shoppers engage with the mall and how they perceive luxury.
From an engagement perspective, these experiences encourage visitors to slow down and spend more time with brands. The Christmas decor creates a refined and welcoming atmosphere that draws families into the space, while immersive brand installations invite shoppers to pause, explore details and engage with storytelling. As a result, luxury is experienced more deliberately rather than as a quick or purely transactional interaction.
These experiential moments shift luxury from feeling distant to feeling personal and approachable. By bringing craftsmanship and brand narratives into shared festive spaces, luxury becomes part of a broader lifestyle experience that shoppers can enjoy together.
Together, these elements reinforce ION Orchard’s position as a destination where luxury is defined not only by product, but by the quality of experience. By integrating festive decor with thoughtful brand led activations, ION Orchard creates moments that are memorable, emotionally resonant and effective in building long term brand connection.
6. Looking ahead, how do you see experiential retail shaping the future of luxury shopping in Singapore, and what role will ION Orchard play in that evolution?
Ms Yeo Mui Hong: Experiential retail will continue to redefine luxury shopping, and ION Orchard will remain at the forefront of that evolution. Shoppers today expect spaces that feel immersive, intuitive, and emotionally engaging, especially as physical retail takes on a more experiential role alongside digital channels.
ION Orchard has long been a pioneer in this space. We were among the first to introduce duplex luxury boutiques, and today we are seeing this evolve further, with brands expanding into triplex concepts at ION Orchard, including maisons such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Cartier. These larger formats allow brands, particularly in the Watches & Jewellery space, to showcase their full universe, from craftsmanship and heritage to client experience and storytelling.
Looking ahead, our focus will be on continuing to elevate these experiences through thoughtful design, deeper brand collaboration and culturally relevant storytelling. By doing so, ION Orchard will continue to shape how luxury is experienced in Singapore as not just as a place to shop, but as a destination for discovery, celebration and meaningful moments.
ION Orchard’s festive programming highlights the evolving landscape of luxury retail in Singapore, where immersive experiences, curated pop-ups, and landmark boutique openings create moments of discovery, engagement, and delight. By blending craftsmanship, storytelling, and interactive installations, the mall continues to set the standard for memorable luxury experiences, inviting shoppers to explore, celebrate, and enjoy every moment of the season. To find out more about ION Orchard, please visit https://www.ionorchard.com/
