SINGAPORE: For decades, Orchard Road was, to many Singaporeans, an iconic shopping belt where global lifestyles converged and where trends were set. It was the destination that welcomed the country’s first McDonald’s at Liat Towers in 1979, where the first supermarkets like Cold Storage and Fitzpatrick’s made their mark in Singapore, and where Japanese emporium Yaohan redefined what a store could be.For others, it was also the place for bold, new experiences. At night, the strip became a hive of activity – known in the 80s and 90s for the nightclub Xanadu, theatre-restaurant Tropicana, and the discotheques Rumours and Sparks.Stepping onto the 2.2km-long boulevard also meant experiencing a concentrated showcase of global brands that was not replicated anywhere else in the region.But today, this unique selling point has largely faded away, industry observers and Orchard Road stakeholders told CNA.E-commerce marketplaces have permanently altered consumer habits, and regional shopping districts in Shanghai, Seoul and Bangkok are siphoning tourists away with sprawling flagship stores of international brands alongside successful local retailers. Within Singapore, the Marina Bay area and Changi Airport have become retail destinations in their own right, and so too have neighbourhood enclaves like Tiong Bahru and other shopping malls in the heartlands.With consumers spoilt for choice, Orchard Road faces an existential crisis, said experts.“Unless there is a collective effort to reinvent Orchard Road and differentiate itself from other shopping districts, we may find ourselves slowly losing our edge,” said Ms Sulian Tan-Wijaya, executive director of retail and lifestyle at Savills Singapore.The Singapore government is fully aware of these shifting dynamics. Over the years, it has sought to make Orchard Road competitive through successive rejuvenation schemes that started with an inter-agency commission in 2005.As a result, the infrastructural landscape around Orchard Road has gradually transformed. A board sports facility opened in 2023, and a carpark near Grange Road is being turned into an events venue that is slated to open in the coming months.Further changes are afoot. Last month, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it would start a new Orchard Road Rejuvenation Initiative from the middle of the year, which invites stakeholders to submit proposals on facade enhancements, experiential concepts and night-time initiatives.This comes on top of new tenders for the design, build and management of pop-up spaces, as well as the rezoning of four heritage bungalows for hotel use.