The Story of Metro in Singapore

Singapore's Metro is starting a new chapter after 70 years.

The big store will close its last two shops in Paragon and Causeway Point to move away from large stores.

CNA looks at Metro's history from a small shop to a well-known name.

Before Singapore, Metro had a store in Indonesia in 1953. A second store was closed due to anti-Chinese feelings.

The founder, Ong Tjoe Kim, then started the business in Singapore.

In 1957, he opened the first store on High Street, a small two-storey building.

He chose this place because it was better than Chinatown.

Ong, a movie fan, named the store Metro after a Hollywood company.

He said people loved movies and knew the Hollywood company, so he shortened it to Metro.

A movie star, Li Mei, opened the store on its first day.

Metro started as a textile shop selling fabrics for traditional clothes.

It sold imported fashion and fabrics from France, Switzerland, and America in the 1960s.

While other stores sold to expats and locals, Metro sold to wealthy women from Singapore and Indonesia.

Many early customers were Ong's Indonesian friends who bought in bulk.

In 1965, Metro opened a new store in Liat Towers on Orchard Road.

It was later renamed Metro Orchard and moved to Scotts Road in 1973.

Metro Supreme opened in 1971 on Penang Road in the Orchard area.

A Hong Kong actress, Nora Miao, opened Metro Supreme.

Since the 1970s, Metro brought in foreign brands like Cartier and Toys 'R' Us.

In 1973, Metro Holdings was formed to run the three Metro stores.

The company was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange that year.

In 1979, Metro entered the market for fine watches with The Hour Glass.

At its peak, Metro had five stores on Orchard Road, including Far East Plaza.

It opened a high-end store, Metro Grand Store, in Lucky Plaza in 1978.

Metro later opened stores in suburban areas but closed them in the late 1980s.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Metro helped local designers and launched the Marissa clothing label.

It reopened stores in suburban areas in the 1990s and 2000s.

Metro looked for a prime location on Orchard Road for a new store.

In 1976, it bought a site with frontage on Orchard Road.

Work on Ngee Ann City started in 1989, and Metro had a 27% stake in the complex.

Metro leased space to Japanese retailer Takashimaya Department Store.

In 2003, Metro sold its investment in Ngee Ann City for a profit.

Metro's subsidiary entered a joint venture in China in 1987.

More joint ventures followed in later years in Malaysia.

Metro diversified into construction, leisure, marketing, and distribution.

In construction, Metrobilt worked on the Central Expressway in Singapore in 1991.

Metro launched Sun Cruises and opened The Oasis Resort in Australia but exited the cruise business in 2000.

Across the 2000s and 2010s, Metro closed many department stores.

By 2015, it had just three stores left.

It started its online store in 2017 due to changing trends.

In 2019, Metro closed its flagship store at The Centrepoint.

The Metro Group now operates in retail and property investment, focusing on five key markets.

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