- Being a shopping-mall landlord is a risky business in the age of e-commerce, even in retail-crazy Singapore. So it's only sensible that CapitaLand Mall Trust is merging with CapitaLand Commercial Trust, which owns offices.
That will be a relief. CapitaLand Mall Trust's income available for distribution grew a healthy 7.5 per cent last year, but the Reit's tenants saw sales decline 1.4 per cent on a per-square-foot basis, with electrical and electronics, home furnishings and information technology and telecommunications recording falls of more than 10 per cent, according to figures released Wednesday.
Mind you, Singapore's office market is also showing signs of fatigue. Rents for Grade A offices stopped rising in the December quarter as the city's small, open economy slowed amid US-China trade tensions. Colliers International forecasts they will climb just 1 per cent in 2020, before sliding 4 per cent next year. Things could get uglier still if the co-working trend comes under strain following last year's WeWork debacle.
Singapore's office market will also undergo transformation as city planners make a deliberate attempt to have more people living in and around the central business district. The idea is to increase the utility of the island's priciest real estate so that it's not a ghost town after working hours. As part of the plan, old office towers near the central bank and the stock exchange will be redeveloped as mixed-use properties that have more space to sell or rent out.
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Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »