Compass One Opening in Sept 16, But The Shops Are Just Meh

Other than JEM, it is not common for a shopping mall in Singapore to receive so much backlash publicity—until Compass One comes along and break the status quo.

Formerly known as Compass Point, it used to be one of the key shopping malls in the northeast. Its closure for renovations last year has brought inconvenience to residents staying nearby, although alternative like Hougang Mall is nearby. According to the management, the renovation is to “refresh the facilities and meet the latest safety, environmental and energy efficiency standards.”

But what got into headlines then was this: a naming contest for the public was initiated, and the shortlisted names were Sengkang Central Mall, Sengkang Mall, One Sengkang, SengKang Square, One Sengkang square, Sengkang One, #1 Sengkang Square and 1SM. If you still don’t get it, here’s the word: Boring.

Then came even more shocking interesting news: the name 1 Sengkang Mall was chosen. The Internet went bonkers, and like a M. Night Shyamalan movie, the plot twist came during the last minute: it was finally named Compass One.

When a name change from Compass Point to Compass One garnered so much publicity, the publicist deserves a medal.

So, after one year of renovation, it’s announced that the mall will be reopened in September 2016. One year of waiting, countless name changes and lots of headlines later, the 13-year-old mall is “refreshed”.

But once again, the Internet wasn’t happy.

To save you the trouble of going through all the images posted by the mall, here’s a list of shops confirmed to be in Compass One.

Arnold Palmer, Bata, Body Perfect, Bossini, KFC, Sakae Sushi, Shihlin Snacks, The Face Shop, Old Chang Kee, Famous Amos, Gong Cha, Lego, Kawaii, Koi, Kopitiam, Skechers, Standard Photo, Smile Dental Surgery, Toast Box, Xin Wang…okay, there’re just too many to list, but you get the idea.

One of the Facebook users summed it all up.

Actually, it’s pretty disappointing. SK residents waited for a year, and nothing’s changed. The retailers are boring, when compared to punggol Waterway Point. All the good shops and restaurants are there. The refurbishment should have been done earlier than Waterway Point, and I’m sure that you will be able to attract some of the popular retailers to compass one, including Shaw, Daiso, NTUC finest, etc. For me at least, looking at the retailers and restaurants announced so far, it’s a big disappointment.

But…here’s the thing: all the malls in Singapore have the same shops. Even those in JB have almost similar shops as well. If you really want something new, an online mall is the place to go, not a shopping mall.

At least to me, here’s the best news: there’s a larger library and it comprises two levels. A shopping mall with a library is the best shopping mall, because where else can you sleep go when your girl is out there shopping?

Featured Image: Facebook (Compass One)

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com