Last week, I walked past what was originally the Squeezed! outlet at Waterway Point to find that it had been boarded up and soon Tuk Tuk Cha will take its place. I remember ordering many cups of juice from Squeezed some 7 months ago as they were running a promotion on Groupon. When the promotion ended, it seemed like the crowd stopped visiting too. And now they’ve been replaced by Tuk Tuk Cha. The latter seems to be expanding pretty fast all over Singapore. I’m not sure if they have done their homework or are super confident that they’ll be able to compete with Koi which is located just a few metres away and which almost always has a queue…
Why Squeezed!’s Closing Matters:
- Squeezed left before a year is up. Does Waterway Point’s management allow for flexible lease arrangements? Or did Squeezed simply decide to cut losses and leave?
- It’s not about the cost. Cold-pressed juices are expensive? Not really, if you compare them with some of Koi’s beverages – I’m fond of Yakult Green Tea with konjac jelly, by the way. A large cup costs me around S$6. So it’s not really about the money. Taste-wise, about 5 of Squeezed’s creations have my vote but somehow I never felt like returning after their Groupon promo was over.
- Promotions must be on an ongoing basis. I think one reason Waterway Point is so popular is because of the many promotions that they run all the time. There’s always something fun for people to visit the mall: movie ticket giveaways, children and family activities, lots of atrium fairs, etc. Squeezed did their opening promo and Groupon promo and that was it, I guess. And when deciding whether to get bubble tea from Koi (which is busy most of the time) or to get juice from Squeezed (which doesn’t usually have a queue), it seems people gravitate to queues. Call it social proof if you will. I think people want to have what everyone else is having too.
And besides, at Waterway Point’s Basement 2 you’ll find a fruit juice stall as well as another one that sells mainly coconut water. And oh… there’s GongCha too! Spoiled for choice are us Punggolians. I’m waiting to see how Tuk Tuk Cha will fare…
