Everything you need to know about Smoothie King’s quiet disappearance from SG in 60 secs

Last Updated on 2016-06-01 , 10:13 am

If you were to ask someone where you could get a good smoothie in Singapore, their answer would most likely be ‘Smoothie King’, one of the more well-known stores specializing in various kinds of Smoothies.

Most of us have patronized, or at least seen a Smoothie King outlet around Singapore in the past few years. Personally, I found Smoothie King to be my go-to spot for delicious and filling smoothies, and their recent low-profile closing has shocked many.

Establishment of the king
With the first store established in December 2012, and six more following rapidly over the course of 3 years, Smoothie King became a favorite of many students looking for healthier, unique alternatives to other popular drinks such as fancy coffee or fruit juices.

With a wide menu catering to those looking for a protein boost or a low-calorie drink, one would’ve thought that it would become a long-staying face in the F&B industry.

However, despite its initial plans to open at least 30 outlets, Smoothie King has quietly withdrawn from the Singapore F&B scene over the past month without any notice, deactivating both their Facebook Page and website.

Why did Smoothie King pull out?
When further investigation was conducted, it was observed by other people that while the outlets enjoyed good business from students towards the weekend, on weekdays, business was not the best, not even during lunch hours.

A reason suggested was possibly because of the prices. Although fairly reasonable for the quality of their smoothies, $6-$7 was perhaps something that not many people were willing to spend on a non-essential drink, as compared to say a latte or frappuccino needed for a caffeine fix.

As quoted by Mr Steven Goh, a retail consultant, ‘It’s a premium to pay $6, $7 for a smoothie and they are, unlike coffees, not something most people will drink every day.’ Therefore, although their products were decent in terms of quality and pricing, maybe Singaporeans just weren’t ready enough for it to become a regular item in their routine.

The way they left Singapore
Shockingly, their leaving was of an extremely low-profile nature. Many thought that they were merely closing down an outlet or two, and were surprised to learn that they were shutting down the entire chain of stores in Singapore. To have to say goodbye to the face of Singapore’s smoothie scene, what does this mean for all the other similar shops out there?

Regardless, we bid our farewells to Smoothie King. Thank you for providing us with three years of quality smoothies and we hope you return sometime in future, and stay for even longer!