The Entry of Value Retailers into Singapore:
The Cases of Kmart and Carrefour
Hean Tat Keh
Wenjing Liu
Abstract
This paper discusses the experience of two foreign value retailers in Singapore. Kmart, the American discount store chain, entered the Singapore market in 1994. Less than two years later, it exited the market. Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world, came to Singapore in 1997, following its entry into various Asian countries. While it suffered initial losses, Carrefour has turned around profitably in the last two years. We compare and contrast the experiences of these two companies, and provide guidelines that could potentially enhance the performance of foreign retailers in Singapore.
Key words
Value Retailers, Kmart, Carrefour, Singapore
