Interior Layout
$2 in ION vs. $60 in ION
A pyramid structure
The mall's crowd concentration takes the shape of
the pyramid in contrast to many heartland malls,
with its main factor being the strategic layout of the shops. While ION houses a mix of brands ranging
from high-end to mid-range brands, the segregation between the two are evident in the placement of the shops belonging to each category.
Level 1 and above is dedicated to luxury brands while the price point drops as you descend to B1 through B4, where shoppers can find a wider variety of affordable brands. 89% of the respondents reported shopping at B1 to B4 the most, with 61.9% spending less than $50 each trip.
In fact, shops and services of lower price ranges are
in the basement, catering to the masses who usually travel to Orchard via the MRT. Shops and services with higher price points are on the upper floors, near the car park on the 7th floor, where patrons may enter if they drove to the mall.
The traffic flow in typical heartland malls mimic an inverted pyramid structure – the crowd is mostly concentrated in the upper levels where food courts, cinemas and arcades are located. However, the crowd in ION is mostly concentrated in the lower levels,because the upper levels house luxury brands that draw a more niche crowd.
The internal layout of ION segregates shops according to its degree of luxury, and divides socio-economic groups based on what they can afford, suggestive of the segregation between socio-economic levels in the Singaporean society we live in.
As Singapore sells itself as a country rich in outsourced resources, also known as globalisation, ION evidently houses brands from all around the world. But the sense of exclusivity emanated from its arrangement questions the definition of the real Singaporean
identity - are we all about the SES?
“...of course the levels in ION are different… Upstairs(Level 1 - 4), people are more intimidated to enter the stores. It’s a good idea not to mix because there would be a weird crowd flow.”
- Leonard Lim, Cartier Staff
Though, ION is not to blame for the creation of such consensus - 71.5% of survey respondents have also agreed that ION would feel ‘disorganised’ if a higher end brand were to open next to a low-end one, for example, if Louis Vuitton were to open next to a H&M.
This pyramidal flow was not constructed with bad intentions. The intent of the segregation was not
meant to be a show of who is more superior, but rather to make shopping experiences better for
the majority, even if it is at the expense of creating a psychological barrier between the people