Robinson Silom Closing After 24 Years

[george]

Robinson Silom closing after 24 years

BANGKOK: -- The Robinson Silom department store will close on May 23 to make way for True Fitness as the new major tenant at the prime central Bangkok site.

Robinson Department Store Plc decided to return the space to the landlord, Silom Asset, before the lease expiry in 2014 because the space was limited at only 5,000 square metres excluding other Central Retail Corporation business units such as Power Buy, said Usara Yongpiyakul, Robinson's assistant vice-president for marketing.

The limited space made it difficult for the company to renovate and extend retail space for additional fashion brand names to match the Silom consumer lifestyle. As well, there are many other retail players located nearby, she said.

Robinson Silom opened 24 years ago and was the company's third flagship store after the Victory Monument branch, opened in 1979, and Ratchadamri. Both of those stores have also closed.

Silom Asset said it would pay 230 million million baht in compensation to Robinson above the market value. The company will stop all sales activities at the branch on May 23 and transfer the building back to the landlord on June 1.

''From now, we will expand our new stores in the shopping complexes that are developed by Central Pattana as we can develop the stores under the format we want,'' Ms Usara said.

SET-listed Central Pattana Plc is the retail property development flagship of the Central Group, the country's largest department store operator, which also counts SET-listed Robinson among its affiliates.

Ms Usara said that the closure of Robinson Silom would not affect overall sales performance because the company planned to open six new stores over the next two years with an investment cost of three billion baht, bringing its total branches to 29.

An executive at True Fitness said the company would start presales of memberships at True Fitness Silom next month and would open the service at the site in the fourth quarter of this year.

Shares of Robinson (ROBIN) closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 10.30 baht, down 70 satang, in trade worth 1.74 million baht.

-- Bangkok Post 2008-05-03

[khun_j]

oh, what a pity - i almost grew up with that store

[PrBkkPr]

Going to be turned into a speciality branch of True Fitness catering to the gay markets of Silom Soi 2 to Soi 6.Will be an interesting concept to watch.

[Scott]

Well at least all the guys who frequent the restrooms there, can continue to go to the same place!

[Seizhin]

How sad..

I remember shopping there during my 2 years in Bangkok

[pampal]

so I take it the Mc Donalds inside the Robinsons will also be closed

[flightcrew1]

Going to be turned into a speciality branch of True Fitness catering to the gay markets of Silom Soi 2 to Soi 6.Will be an interesting concept to watch.

And where did you read this interesting bit of news? Is this your hope?

[flightcrew1]

Well at least all the guys who frequent the restrooms there, can continue to go to the same place!

Including you? It always amazes me how "so called" straight guys know where all the cruising action is? Hmmm?

[Scott]

Well, flightcrew, I am not straight, and I do know where most of the cruising areas are! Robinson is no longer in my geographical area, so I seldom get there anymore. I've moved on to other pastures...I can't say greener pastures, but other pastures for sure!

[geriatrickid]

Ok so that explains something. When I first visited that Robinson's maybe 7 or 8 years ago, I couldn't understand why so many Thai guys were hanging around the bathroom combing their hair and staring at themselves in the mirror, and why one fellow was trying to get a tad too close to me while I took a whizz. He was not particularly attractive and had bad breath. That's how close he was.

Anyways, I think the cruising stopped. I was in there a month ago and aside from a farang that was suffering from some sort of rotting bowel syndrome, the restroom was pretty quiet. I got to pee undisturbed. My friend who always pees in a stall (I dunno why Thai guys are uncomfortable with urinals, unless it's their tight pants or something) did say he had to hold his breath because the place was a bit smelly.

And the store was not busy. Lots of clerks standing around chatting or in one case, popping his blackheads in one of those big display mirrors. I don't think the business was very good at this store, particularly since you can get alot of the stuff outside from the vendors for a fraction of the price.

so I take it the Mc Donalds inside the Robinsons will also be closed

I'm sure the street will survive the loss of gourmet cooking. Addicts can walk over to the next block to get their dose of high sodium high fat over priced blandness.

[backflip]

"so I take it the Mc Donalds inside the Robinsons will also be closed"

Starbucks, too. Unfortunately, there isn't another McD or Starb for at least 100 meters.

[Scott]

I very much doubt that the cruising there has stopped. Cruising has to do with timing and you probably got there at one of those times when it wasn't very active. Robinson in general doesn't have a very appealing cruising crowd to begin with--the same guys that were cruising there 20 years ago are still around and they aren't young and cute anymore. Their old and desperate. Unfortunately, desperate folks aren't always either polite or discreet!