For years, retailers have been told that the future belongs online. Faster deliveries and endless choice have reshaped consumer expectations, while physical stores have been judged by one simple metric: Sales per square foot. IN GOOD COMPANY sees things a little differently.
IN GOOD COMPANY co-founders: Kane Tan, Julene Aw, Jaclyn Teo, Sven Tan
When the Singapore fashion label opened the doors to its new three-storey shophouse along Joo Chiat Road, it wasn't just unveiling another flagship. Instead, it was presenting a new vision for what retail could become – a place where fashion, hospitality, and community coexist under one roof.
For Jaclyn Teo, Co-Founder and Managing Director of IN GOOD COMPANY, the move represents a natural evolution after more than a decade of building the homegrown brand. "We've always believed that a physical store should offer something that can't be replicated online," she says. "Over the years, we have seen how people increasingly come into our stores not just to shop, but to spend time, have conversations, and reconnect with the brand in a more personal way. That has always told us something about what people value when they walk through our doors."
Rather than expanding by opening a larger retail space, the team chose to create an environment where fashion sits alongside hospitality, design, and creative collaboration. Visitors can browse the brand's collections, pause for tea and wagashi at MIURA, discover the work of independent makers, or even return for workshops, conversations, and neighbourhood-led programmes to be held at the boutique’s attic space.
The ambition, however, extends beyond offering more reasons to visit. "A retail business needs to perform commercially, but there are other things we pay close attention to," says Teo. "We hope people come in not only to shop, but to stay awhile – to have tea, join a workshop, meet a collaborator, or discover something new from a maker we admire."
"For us, success is when the space becomes part of people's habits."
That emphasis on everyday habits feels especially relevant at a time when convenience often defines the retail experience. Online shopping has undoubtedly made purchasing easier, but ease alone isn't always enough.
"Efficiency isn't always what people value," Teo reflects. "There is value in discovery that happens unexpectedly – noticing a detail, meeting a collaborator, or spending time somewhere that feels considered. Those are things that are difficult to recreate online."
Instead of competing with e-commerce on convenience, IN GOOD COMPANY has chosen to invest in something the digital world struggles to replicate: The experience of lingering.
That philosophy also explains why Joo Chiat became the natural home for the concept. Long known for its heritage architecture, independent businesses, and growing creative community, the neighbourhood already possesses the qualities the brand wanted to nurture rather than recreate.
"Joo Chiat has always felt like a neighbourhood with a strong sense of identity," says Teo. "We wanted to be part of a neighbourhood that already has its own rhythm, rather than trying to impose something on it."
It is an approach that mirrors the brand's wider philosophy. Rather than treating collaborators as tenants or commercial partners, IN GOOD COMPANY has curated a community of people whose practices it already admired. From ceramicists and tea specialists to designers and local makers, each contributes to an environment that encourages visitors to slow down, explore, and engage through shared curiosity rather than shared professions.
"I think brands can create the conditions for community, but they can't manufacture it," Teo says. "What matters is being thoughtful about the people you bring together and the kind of environment you create."
(Related: Meet Kent Teo – the unassuming architect behind Singapore's favourite creative events)
Community cannot be programmed into existence. But spaces can be designed to make unexpected encounters more likely. Someone might arrive for the clothes and discover ceramics instead. Another might attend a workshop and leave having met a new collaborator. Others may simply stop in for tea before continuing with the rest of their day.
In that sense, the shophouse space is less about expanding a retail footprint than about cultivating a sense of belonging. "We hope people see us as a good neighbour before anything else," reveals Teo.
Fashion, she says, will always remain at the heart of IN GOOD COMPANY. Yet, the brand increasingly sees its role extending beyond clothing.
As our lives become more digital and transactional, spaces that encourage people to slow down, linger, and connect are becoming increasingly rare. In Joo Chiat, IN GOOD COMPANY isn't simply asking people to shop – it’ inviting them to stay.
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