OG has cut short its 7.5-year lease deal with Hao Mart at Taste Orchard. The retail space at 160 Orchard Road will empty by December 31, 2025.
Hao Mart handed out termination letters on September 12, 2025. Sub-tenants got two and a half months to pack up and restore their units to original condition.
Tenants Fight Back
Twenty business owners huddled with a lawyer on September 16. They’re cooking up a plan to bypass Hao Mart and lease directly from OG.
William Yang runs Huicai Education across eight units on the fourth floor. He dropped over S$1 million on renovations after opening in March 2025. His tuition center hit break-even in July and now teaches 200 students with 20 staff members. This location serves as his company’s flagship among four branches.
An unnamed tenant sunk S$390,000 into renovations, equipment and stock. The business launched in late 2024 but hasn’t turned a profit yet.
Multiple tenants still have two years left on their agreements. Most opened shop within the past twelve months after hefty upfront spending.
Empty Chairs Tell the Story
BHC Chicken near the main entrance has vanished. Stacked chairs and cardboard boxes occupy the spot where customers once ate fried chicken. The chain posted on Facebook about its move to The Star Vista.
Hao Mart’s Eccellente supermarket is winding down operations across three floors. The second level stays open but shelves sit bare with remaining items stuffed in plastic bags.
Foot traffic upstairs has dropped off a cliff. Ikura Japanese restaurant and several other shops have shuttered.
The Mall’s Short Run
Taste Orchard opened in February 2024 after OG’s department store closed in October 2022. Hao Corp leased all five retail floors plus the basement from OG.
Food outlets fill the first two floors. Education centers, beauty clinics, an eye doctor and specialty stores occupy the upper levels.
Radio Silence
Hao Mart’s senior vice-president of operations signed the termination letters but won’t take phone calls. Staff redirected tenants to email instead. Those messages have gone into a black hole.
Closing shops are already hurting foot traffic and sales for businesses still operating. Some tenants sold packages and memberships upfront, creating headaches for customer commitments.
OG said it’s working with Hao Mart for “smooth and orderly vacation of the premises.” The company refused to share more details to protect the process and privacy of those involved.
