Singapore’s retail and lifestyle sector is set to experience a dynamic transformation as the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) introduces the innovative Wunderground Festival 2023. This immersive three-year initiative is primed to revitalize the retail landscape while fostering vibrant collaborations and enhancing the sector’s global footprint.
At its core, the Wunderground Festival seeks to breathe new life into the retail and lifestyle domain by infusing urban and heartland festivals with immersive and realistic elements. The aim is to captivate consumers by offering unique experiences and encouraging retailers to embrace novel approaches.
Wunderground 2023 marks the inaugural edition of this visionary endeavor, with two subsequent annual editions in the pipeline. The festival’s first year will concentrate on facilitating cross-brand collaboration within the “Wunderground” umbrella. The second year will establish a flagship event for local residents, while the third will open doors for international brands to participate.
Mr. Ernie Koh, President of SRA, emphasized the necessity of this initiative in a rapidly evolving retail sector. He noted that Wunderground arrives at a crucial juncture, enabling collective imagination for the future of retail and accelerating business transformation to adapt to new norms.
Ms. Jeannie Lim, Assistant CEO (Lifestyle & Consumer) of Enterprise Singapore, expressed support for the initiative. She highlighted the potential for novel experiential concepts and innovations from Singaporean lifestyle brands to inject vitality into the retail landscape. The encouragement for retailers to develop distinct experiences aims to set their brands apart.
Catalyzed by SRA’s Vision 2025 roadmap, titled “Inspiring Retail Experiences,” Wunderground serves as a dynamic platform to foster collaboration among industry players in the retail and lifestyle sectors. This aligns with the Retail Industry Transformation Map 2025, led by Enterprise Singapore in partnership with key industry stakeholders, aiming to elevate Singapore as a global lifestyle and retail hub.
Wunderground, catering to both urban and heartland audiences, aspires to not only invigorate local collaborations but also propel them into international markets. Additionally, it seeks to attract fresh local talent to support emerging experiential business models that will be pivotal in revitalizing Singapore’s retail ecosystem.
Highlights of Wunderground 2023:
Wunderground offers a platform for lifestyle brands to showcase innovative collaborations, providing fresh experiences through creative pop-up structures and leveraging popular social commerce personalities. The organizers are collaborating with artists, creatives, and design schools to curate captivating visual merchandising and interactive art installations.
The festival is divided into two parts, catering to cosmopolitan and heartland audiences. The “city” experience will unfold at 37 Emerald Hill from September 21 to October 1, 2023. Subsequently, the “heartland” experience will take place at Tampines West from October 6 to October 15, 2023.
The inaugural festival will feature 25 alliances, comprising 50 enterprises, participating through co-branded collaborations, cross promotions, and limited edition partnerships, creating a truly immersive and unique shopping experience.
