As Singapore’s pet economy continues to grow, more and more companies are seeing the efficacy of drawing “pawrents” in. Specifically, mall operators are now deliberately engineering their properties to accommodate Singapore’s many pet owners, recognising the commercially significant opportunities to be explored in this sector.
Global market researcher Euromonitor International says Singapore residents are expected to welcome some 2,300 more licensed pets this year, with the overall population set to rise to 891,500 furry friends. Meanwhile, the pet care market is expected to grow 3.5% y-o-y to US$184.4 million ($238.33 million) this year.
As e-commerce drives traffic away from retail hubs, mall operators are appealing to hearts and minds by opening their doors to pet owners — and discovering what sets tails wagging.
See also: It’s a vet’s life
From Jan 1, 2025, food businesses operating in outdoor refreshment areas (ORAs) no longer need to obtain a separate pet cafe licence to allow pets at their tables. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) estimated then that at least 120 food businesses across Singapore would benefit from the change. For malls, any property with outdoor dining precincts that qualify as ORAs under SFA’s definition can technically call themselves “pet-friendly”, without requiring individual tenants to bear the licensing cost and operational overhead that the previous rules imposed.
With these regulatory unlocks, it is even easier for malls to position themselves within the pet-friendly sphere. As Singapore’s pet population and pet spending continue to climb, mall operators are putting pets front and centre to get ahead of the curve.
The ‘purr-fect’ hangout
See also: The not-so-secret pet economy
One Holland Village is one such pet-friendly development, with its infrastructure clearly designed for “good pet walkability”, says Deborah Tan, director for operations and marketing, commercial group at Far East Organization (FEO), the mall’s owner.
The three-storey One Holland Village boasts infrastructure designed to draw in pet owners such as dedicated pet lifts, water dispensers, leash hooks and relief stations. The development is also naturally ventilated, which makes it well-suited as a pet-friendly mall, says Tan.
The mall is home to pet-friendly F&B tenants, such as Lo Hey, Ginkyo and Surrey Hills, with the latter allowing pets in both its indoor and outdoor areas. The pet-friendly ethos has also been “embraced by a broader range of tenants”, notes Tan, such as global retailers Marks & Spencer and Sony, which “warmly open their doors to pets”.
When the “highly coveted” 99-year leasehold residential and commercial site in Holland Road was launched for sale in 2017, FEO “saw an opportunity to create something that would blend with the unique character of Holland Village while adding value to the area”, says Tan.
Since opening in December 2023, management says the mall has maintained “strong occupancy”, without providing figures. “Our pet-friendly focus is part of a broader strategy to position the mall as a lifestyle destination where guests can enjoy shopping, dining and quality time with their companions,” says Tan.
One Holland Village is situated within the District 10 Tanglin-Holland area, home to well-heeled expatriates, families and young professionals. FEO is bringing the concept to its upcoming Bukit V mall in Beauty World, which shares a similar demographic.
Hoping to recreate their pet-friendly success at One Holland Village, Tan says Bukit V will welcome pets across both its naturally ventilated and air-conditioned common areas.
Slated to open in 2027, the four-storey Bukit V is the retail component of The Reserve Residences, a mixed-use development jointly developed by FEO and Sino Group. Situated in the Upper Bukit Timah district, the mall will be directly connected to Beauty World MRT Station, as well as a new bus interchange set to open in 2028.
The mall will span approximately 174,000 sq ft, according to FEO, and is projected to draw footfall from The Reserve Residences’ 732 residential units and 160 serviced residences, along with commuters from the integrated transport hub.
Running with the pack
The pet-friendly formula could also draw in crowds during the day. CQ @ Clarke Quay has been home to Fort Canine Swimming Club — Singapore’s largest indoor dog pool — since October 2024. The development by CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) has since doubled down on the pet-friendly angle.
“Following our asset enhancement initiative completed in 2024, we made a conscious choice to move CQ away from being primarily a nightlife destination and towards becoming a lifestyle precinct, one that reflects how Singaporeans actually live today,” says centre manager Nicholas Lee.
One in three people in Singapore have pets today, notes Lee. He wants CQ @ Clarke Quay to be the “default answer” when a pet owner in Singapore asks: “Where can I go with my dog today?”
This positioning has attracted “genuine interest” from lifestyle and pet-related trade categories that “would not have considered CQ two or three years ago”, says Lee. “Tenants like Fort Canine, which offers grooming, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy for dogs, are exactly the kind of differentiated operators that reinforce our positioning and attract a broader customer base.”
Lee’s team tracks footfall trends, dwell time and tenant sales performance throughout CQ @ Clarke Quay. “Month-on-month footfall at CQ has grown steadily by approximately 8%, and we continue to monitor whether pet-friendly programming days correlate with stronger traffic and spending.”
CQ @ Clarke Quay has added hydration bays, pet-parking zones (leash holders) and waste bins throughout the grounds. On top of the 21 pet-friendly F&B and retail tenants in the precinct, CQ has also introduced a “Furry Playzone” — a play area with dog tunnels and shaded rest areas. Carved out of what Lee describes as a “hidden space”, there are plans to turn similarly underutilised areas in the precinct into play areas for pets.
The kennel clauses
While being able to foster an inclusive environment with animals is commercially attractive, it could pose some operational challenges.
Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) and PLQ Parkside by Lendlease are both malls that allow pets in the common outdoor spaces. Audrey Balakrishnan, general manager of PLQ, says maintaining a pet-friendly environment “does come with additional considerations and upkeep” and relies heavily on the community’s sense of responsibility.
“While there have been isolated instances of pet-related wear and tear, such as staining of the grass turf that required cleaning or partial re-turfing, we encourage our patrons to practice responsible pet ownership and civic-mindedness,” says Balakrishnan.
Frasers Property’s malls in the northeast of Singapore — Waterway Point and NEX — manage their environments by containing pet-friendly areas to specific open-air sections.
Meanwhile, Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust’s VivoCity sits at the stricter end of the spectrum, with tightly enforced pet policies governing where and how pets may be brought into the mall in order to maintain cleanliness in the indoor air-conditioned areas.
Malls also often have to be retrofitted in order to become more pet-friendly, like Woodleigh Mall. Jointly owned by Cuscaden Peak Investments and Kajima Development, the mall is directly connected to Bidadari Park via a 700m park connector, which allows it to tap on a community of pet owners. Though it has been pet-friendly since its opening in 2023, the mall has plans to introduce additional amenities, including leash points and a water refill station along the park connector.
While enjoying such spaces, pet owners should also be mindful of other visitors. “Simple acts of consideration by pet owners help keep common areas hygienic, prevent inconvenience to fellow shoppers and promote a respectful, pet-positive atmosphere throughout the mall [One Holland Village],” says FEO’s Tan.
“Echoing the advisory from the Animal and Veterinary Service, posters are placed to remind pet owners to ensure their pets are always leashed, with certain breeds leashed and muzzled. They are also advised to use the correct leash length and keep their pets close while walking around the mall,” she adds.
This extends to moving between floors. For the safety of their pets and other users, pet owners are strongly encouraged to use dedicated lifts instead of the escalator, says Tan.
A ‘pawsitive’ outlook
Pet-friendliness is fast becoming “a baseline expectation, rather than a novelty”, says CQ @ Clarke Quay’s Lee. As more malls adopt pet-friendly features, could they run the risk of losing their edge by facing commoditisation?
Lee argues that the risk is overstated for operators willing to commit resources. “Adding a water bowl at the entrance is very different from curating a tenant mix, programming a calendar of meaningful events and building long-term relationships with the pet-owner community.”
FEO’s Tan echoes this sentiment, saying that the “organically pet-welcoming” nature of One Holland Village is thanks to the authenticity “built into the very fabric of the development”. “It is what sustains the mall’s appeal among the pet-owning community over time.”
There is a “significant difference” between a precinct that is pet-friendly and one that is genuinely built around that community, says Lee. The broader market shift is validation that the feature is becoming the norm, he adds. “For CQ, our advantage is that we are doing it with intent.”
Pets and their pawrents’ wallets
Would you spend $1,000 a month on your pets? City & Country asks pet owners how much they spend on their furkids on average.
Zaara Kazi is a 20-year-old undergraduate. She has had two cats since 2018, and spends around $120 on food and $10 on litter per month.
Average monthly spend: $130
Phoebe Tan is a 20-year-old undergraduate. She owns a five-year-old golden retriever. Her dog goes for grooming once every two weeks at around $70 each time, and monthly food expenditure is around $100.
Average monthly spend: $250
Clara Poh is a 20-year-old undergraduate and owner of a two-year-old miniature dachshund. Each month, $200 is spent on food, $120 on grooming and $30 on medication. The other costs come from annual insurance premiums of $700, yearly vaccines costing $50 each, and biannual check-ups at around $120 each.
Average monthly spend: $400
Ruth Chai is a 23-year-old undergraduate. She owns two older dogs — a maltipoo and a labradoodle — aged 12 and 13 respectively. Her monthly expenditure includes $100 on the maltipoo and $200 on the labradoodle’s food and treats, with the older dog requiring more frequent vet visits that amount to $300 monthly for grooming and vet check-ups.
Average monthly spend: $600
Phang Hui Ying is a 29-year-old who has had her cat for 2.5 years. She spends up to $300 on average each month, including $20 on litter, $50 on food, and $50 for vet visits as her cat is prone to ear infections. She also pays $200 for pet boarding when she travels — along with the occasional $20 on treats and toys.
Average monthly spend: $300
Dave Sear is a 30-year-old real estate agent who owns two dogs aged 11 and five, as well as four cats aged between two and three. He spends around $1,000 a month on his six pets, which includes $400 for food, $300 for grooming and $200 to $300 on average on vet visits.
Average monthly spend: $1,000
Carolyn Sang is a 31-year-old HR manager. She owns a Persian cat and spends around $210 each month; which can be broken down into $150 on grooming, $30 on food and $30 on litter.
Average monthly spend: $210
Eugene Yao is 36 and works in tech. He owns a five-year-old Holland lop rabbit and a four-year-old Havanese dog, normally spending slightly over $4,000 annually on them. For his rabbit, he spends $50 per month on food, $150 per check-up and $40 per grooming session every six months, then $14 a day for daycare when needed. For his dog, he spends $200 per month on food, $300 annually for vet check-ups, $50 per grooming session every two months and $50 a night for daycare when needed. Additionally, he had to pay a little under $1,000 for an emergency weekend procedure when his dog ingested raisins on accident.
Average monthly spend: $333
Kam Sui Ping is a 46-year-old cybersecurity specialist. He is the owner of a Yorkshire terrier and a maltipoo aged five and eight respectively. He spends $100 per month on fresh food and kibble, $300 for a grooming session every three to four months, $10 per month for daily grooming and dental necessities and $5 to $10 per month for toys and clothes. The dogs’ medications cost $20 per month, and their annual visit to the veterinarian (including vaccinations) costs around $100.
Average monthly spend: $210
Dayna Sng is a 49-year-old senior operation manager and has two five-year-old cats, on which she spends around $1,200 annually. She spends $100 monthly on food and around $350 on vet care year-round. She also pays to board her pet when she goes on vacations.
Average monthly spend: $130
Boon Ngee Teo is a 51-year-old senior manager who has a two-year-old whippet hound. Other than a $250 annual vet expense, she spends around $200 on food and $30 on grooming every month.
Average monthly spend: $250
Kwek Siew Wee is a 60-year-old lecturer who owns an eight-year-old maltipoo. She spends an average of $180 a month, which can be broken down into $100 for vet check-ups, $30 for grooming, $30 for food and $20 for medicated shampoo. As her dog has a skin condition, her spending on vet care and medication has doubled in recent months.
Average monthly spend: $180
Photos and images: Belle Neo and Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore, Far East Organization, Shutterstock
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