In July 2012, Goods of Desire, the Hong Kong lifestyle label known as G.O.D., opened its first overseas store on the second floor of Central at Clarke Quay. It took up more than 6,000 square feet and was packed with kitschy, tongue-in-cheek everyday objects.
For anyone who loves retro knick-knacks, the shop was a treat. It was also a good place to get to know the brand’s playful take on Asian design.
What the shop offered
The brand was founded in Hong Kong in 1996 by Douglas Young. Its trademark is a cheeky reinterpretation of Hong Kong and Asian culture. At Central, that came as home decor, stationery, phone cases, even men’s boxers printed with humorous captions, along with prints inspired by Chinese motifs.
Home & Decor Singapore described the homeware floor as a mix of bold colours that sat between kitsch and contemporary. Shoppers could find crockery, dinnerware and bedding, as well as pouffes made to look like Chinese chess pieces and bean bags. Many of the pieces carried prints commonly associated with Chinese culture. Alongside them were gifts, stationery and cheeky fashion items.
A store built like a set
The space was designed mostly by Young, who was also the brand’s creative director. The entrance was crafted to look like an old Chinese copper coin. This was the first G.O.D. store to put the brand’s red lampshades on its exterior. The shades recall the lamps over butchers’ stalls in Hong Kong wet markets.
Inside, the store was divided into zones, each with its own mood. The homeware section recreated the feel of old Hong Kong tenement homes, with retro windows and grille gates along the wall. Furniture and materials salvaged from old establishments were worked into themed collages to add a sense of nostalgia.
Plans for local flavour
At the opening, Young and his fellow co-founder Benjamin Lau said they wanted to add Singapore-inspired products in the following season. Young said the aim was to work with Singapore designers and to make things that felt authentic rather than souvenirs aimed at tourists. He also said he hoped Singaporeans would find his reading of the buildings fresh, yet true to life.
What happened next
The Singapore shop ran under a three-year franchise agreement with Far East Organisation. In April 2015, Inside Retail reported that Goods of Desire had closed the store after three years, citing rising rents and other costs. Far East Organisation said profits were not enough to justify extending the contract.
Young told The Straits Times that the challenges were the same as those in Hong Kong. He added that the brand had a loyal following of 18 years in its home city, but was still new in Singapore. At the time the company had six stores in Hong Kong. It said it would keep an online presence, and Young noted that online sales to Singapore residents had risen noticeably.
Where it stood in 2015
Clarke Quay Central has since carried on as a retail and dining complex above the MRT station. The Goods of Desire shop that once anchored its second floor is gone, and the brand has not operated a Singapore store since the April 2015 closure.