Singapore runners, rejoice: On opens store at Jewel as Asia revenues soar
The Swiss sportswear brand, known for its cloud-like soles and slick minimalist designs, has become a breakout hit across running clubs and TikTok feeds. Social media traction has exploded, thanks to performance-forward models such as the Cloudmonster and fashion-friendly lines like the Cloudnova.
Yet, walk into a shoe store such as RL2 by Running Lab or JD Sports – and you are likely to hear the sales assistant say: 'Sold out already.' Well, runners need not fret any more.
On's flagship store in Singapore's Jewel Changi Airport is a gateway into the South-east Asian market. PHOTO: ON
On has opened its first South-east Asia flagship store at Jewel Changi Airport – a two-storey, 9,300 square foot store that offers the full suite of On gear: from high-performance footwear and warm-weather training apparel to its lifestyle silhouettes and even a kids' collection.
For the 15-year-old brand, the Singapore flagship is 'a strategic response to rising demand' and a way to deepen the brand's long-term presence in the region, said On CEO Martin Hoffman. It was created in partnership with Gill Capital, the Singapore-based regional operator for several international brands such as COS, H&M and Hershey's.
The launch comes at a time of record-breaking growth for the Zurich-headquartered On. In 2024, On's revenue in Asia-Pacific grew 84 per cent to 260 million Swiss francs. In Q1 2025, it surged another 130 per cent year-on-year to 120.6 million Swiss francs (S$193.8 million), making Apac the company's highest-growth region by year-on-year performance.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Sign Up
Sign Up
On CEO Martin Hoffman says Asia-Pacific is a primary focus, thanks to a stunning sales surge. PHOTO: ON
Globally, On generated 2.32 billion Swiss francs in revenue in 2024, up 29 per cent from the previous year. Net profit more than tripled to 242 million Swiss francs. Hoffmann expects that a 'significant portion of our future growth will be driven by markets outside our more established regions', adding: 'Asia-Pacific is a primary focus – and we're just at the beginning of our journey here.'
Inspired by Singapore's coastal running routes, the Singapore store's facade and interior mimic the movement of light bouncing off the sea and skyline, as seen through the eyes of a runner. Curved walls, kinetic lighting and greenery-inspired textures evoke motion and airiness.
The flagship is split into two levels: Level one features hero products such as the Cloudmonster and Cloudrunner, as well as the Zendaya x On Zone Dreamers training collection. Level two houses casual models such as the Cloudtilt, performance tennis gear co-designed with Roger Federer, and a compact kids collection which signals On's family-friendly direction.
The On store design is inspired by Singapore's coastal running routes. PHOTO: ON
Beyond Singapore, On already operates a test store in Jakarta and is preparing to launch in Bangkok. Markets including Malaysia and the Philippines are under active consideration.
'Our strategy isn't about planting flags on a map,' Hoffmann told The Business Times. 'We grow thoughtfully, with the right partners and the right community. Whether it's direct to consumer or strategic local partnerships, it's about offering premium experiences with precision.' Currently, On has a presence in 80 countries.
Hoffman added that while demand is high, supply will remain intentionally limited. 'We never discount. We don't chase volume. Even if we see that there is a strong momentum, we will always work through a protected supply. And we will not flood the market.'
The store will also host the On Run Clun Singapore for running enthusiasts. PHOTO: ON
The Jewel store will also serve as home base for the On Run Club Singapore, hosting weekly group runs, form clinics, injury prevention workshops and athlete meet-ups. 'Movement is a universal language,' said Hoffmann. 'And Singapore – with its vibrant fitness culture – is the perfect place to speak it.'
One catch: On's sustainability programme Cyclon – a recyclable, subscription-based running shoe – is not yet available here due to logistical limitations of serving a small market like Singapore. Such a programme requires 'scale and infrastructure', Hoffmann noted.
For now at least, the Singapore runners who have been chasing restocks for months can finally slip into the Clouds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
35 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump unveils investments to power AI boom
Find out what's new on ST website and app. US President Donald Trump during the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 15. PITTSBURGH - US President Donald Trump went to Pennsylvania on July 15 to announce $92 billion in energy and infrastructure deals intended to meet big tech's soaring demand for electricity to fuel the AI boom. Mr Trump made the announcement at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University, with much of the talk about beating China in the global AI race. 'Today's commitments are ensuring that the future is going to be designed, built and made right here in Pennsylvania and right here in Pittsburgh, and I have to say, right here in the United States of America,' Mr Trump said at the event. The tech world has fully embraced generative AI as the next wave of technology, but fears are growing that its massive electricity needs cannot be met by current infrastructure, particularly in the United States. Generative AI requires enormous computing power, mainly to run the energy-hungry processors from Nvidia, the California-based company that has become the world's most valuable company by market capitalisation. Officials expect that by 2028, tech companies will need as much as five gigawatts of power for AI – enough electricity to power roughly five million homes. Top executives from Palantir, Anthropic, Exxon and Chevron attended the event. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee World Trump says Indonesia to face 19% tariff under trade deal Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore CDL's long-time director Philip Yeo to depart after boardroom feud Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years The funding will cover new data centres, power generation, grid infrastructure, AI training, and apprenticeship programs. Race to beat China Among investments, Google committed US$25 billion (S$32 billion) to build AI-ready data centres in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. 'We support President Trump's clear and urgent direction that our nation invest in AI... so that America can continue to lead in AI,' said Ms Ruth Porat, Google's president and chief investment officer. The search engine giant also announced a partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to modernise two hydropower facilities in Pennsylvania, representing 670 megawatts of capacity on the regional grid. Investment group Blackstone pledged more than US$25 billion to fund new data centres and energy infrastructure. US Senator David McCormick, from Pennsylvania, said the investments 'are of enormous consequence to Pennsylvania, but they are also crucial to the future of the nation'. His comments reflect the growing sentiment in Washington that the United States must not lose ground to China in the race to develop AI. 'We are way ahead of China and the plants are starting up, the construction is starting up,' Mr Trump said. The US president launched the 'Stargate' project in January, aimed at investing up to US$500 billion in US AI infrastructure – primarily in response to growing competition with China. Japanese tech investor SoftBank, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and Oracle are investing US$100 billion in the initial phase. Mr Trump has also reversed many policies adopted by the previous Biden administration that imposed checks on developing powerful AI algorithms and limits on exports of advanced technology to certain allied countries. He is expected to outline his own blueprint for AI advancement later in July. AFP
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
They started a cafe selling Teochew kueh that's also a safe haven for female former drug offenders
Qara Yoon's quaint neighbourhood cafe at Upper Aljunied Lane winds down Saturday afternoon in familiar fashion – with her puttering around behind the counter to the sputter and hiss of the coffee machine dribbling out last orders, as clutches of lingering customers draw out their conversations. With her brisk cadence and deft movements, the spry 47-year-old appears, at first blush, your run-of-the-mill F&B proprietor. But once the till is closed and shutters cranked down, she heads upstairs to an apartment that she shares with her co-founder, Talia Lee, and employees: Two formerly incarcerated women, decades apart in age, both rebuilding their lives under her roof. As you'd imagine, the idea of co-living with employees initially raised eyebrows among Yoon's friends and family members. 'They said, 'Huh? Really?' Some may view it as an invasion of privacy, but we see it as an opportunity to build relationships,' said Yoon, who acknowledges the blurred lines between work and personal time she treads. 'Employees may come sit on the sofa at my office space in the evening to share something. Having that relationship helps us understand why they would turn to drugs.' BONDED OVER KARAOKE AND TEOCHEW KUEH It's an unconventional arrangement, but you could say that Yoon and Lee are unlikely business partners to begin with. Yoon, who formerly worked at the Ministry of Education (MOE), became fast friends with Lee while frequenting her KTV pub. While the former had always walked the line as prescribed by her stable, upper-middle class upbringing, Lee's backstory is far more tempestuous. As a rebellious adolescent, she went off the rails and experimented with drugs, then flew the coop at the age of 19. Introduced to sleeping pills by her first husband, she spiralled into alcoholism and drug use, before resolving to get clean following an overdose in her thirties. She is now 54. Determined to pay it forward, she went on to run a beauty school for delinquent girls, then served as executive director of a Christian halfway house The Turning Point. Along the way, she became homeless after a failed second marriage, and moved in with Yoon and her mother. The pair had long bonded over making Teochew kueh, with Yoon running a side hustle selling the glistening traditional delicacies. It was Lee who floated the idea of launching a kueh-making studio, after witnessing their success conducting a one-off workshop for Teochew philanthropic organisation Ngee Ann Kongsi in 2019. Their weekend venture took off, with the women running fully subscribed workshops. In 2020, it gave rise to Yoon's Social Kitchen, a social enterprise/cafe that's staffed by female ex-drug offenders. Alongside Teochew kueh, they serve local fare such as mee siam and Hokkien mee. The pair run kueh-making workshops on the premises, at Blk 4 Upper Aljunied Lane, #01-18, Joo Seng Green. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yoon's Traditional Teochew Kueh (@yoonstraditionalteochewkueh) MORE THAN JUST A JOB To build their team, the women visited halfway houses and recruited residents – many of whom are over 55 and uneducated – with the aim of supporting their recovery in the shadow of incarceration. These women would typically be written off as inveterate criminals, having shambled through multiple prison stints over the course of several decades. '(My family) had to sell our landed home when my dad passed on in his fifties, which really emphasised how women need to have their own skillsets to be independent,' said Yoon, who worked as an operations manager under the Fei Siong Group before joining MOE. 'So, Talia's idea of equipping mature women with kueh-making skills resonated with me.' According to Yoon, their employees are paid market-rate wages for shifts that run from 7am to 2pm, with the sole stipulation that they reside at the apartment above the cafe. Boarding is free, and the space can accommodate up to six beneficiaries. Yoon and Lee have helped close to 20 beneficiaries so far, some of whom have reconciled with their families. While some may question the ethics of a live-in model, Lee contends that having a structured and supportive environment distanced from well-worn triggers is vital to their recovery. Lee said that such women are often estranged from family and live alone in rental flats typically in neighbourhoods plied by drug dealers. They gravitate toward solitary occupations such as cleaning, which lend them idle time that's ripe for a relapse. The social isolation deepens their vulnerability, as Yoon's employee Ah Kuen (nickname used) can attest to. 'After leaving DRC (Drug Rehabilitation Centre), we still bump into old friends during urine tests – so it's hard to leave that circle,' said the 68-year-old grandmother, who has been with then since last year and works seated due to her bad back. It's one of several adjustments Yoon and Lee have made for their older employees – alongside installing an automatic coffee machine to ease the burden of brewing traditional kopi, and replacing bunk beds that the elderly women struggled to climb up. Still, for all her physical limitations, Ah Kuen finds quiet contentment in her work. 'I tell myself, I cannot do big things but I can do small things with big love,' she told CNA Women. The taciturn woman is roommates with a streetwise 23-year-old who has cycled through Singapore's correctional system since the age of 15. She calls her vivacious counterpart her 'happy pill' and their playful banter evinces an endearing relationship. Today, the younger of the two burbles over in laughter as her roommate bashfully professes her love for Korean boy band BoyNextDoor. 'The older staff adore her because she's very respectful and brings them joy,' Yoon said. Observing their interactions, it's easy to see the bonhomie she and Lee share with their employees, with whom they attend church and enjoy casual makan outings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yoon's Traditional Teochew Kueh (@yoonstraditionalteochewkueh) But the kitchen can also be a tinderbox. They've seen staff members quit in a fit of pique after being on the receiving end of criticism. 'Some of them cannot control their anger. The reason they turned to drugs is that they lack coping skills,' said Yoon, who admitted she had to soften her approach. By contrast, Lee, with her soothing tones and intuitive demeanour – giveaways of her background in social work – serves as a foil to her forthright friend. Yoon shares that the women turn to her co-founder, whom they refer to as Sister Talia, when they need a sounding board. To prevent flare-ups, the team implemented a 'cooling-off' period for employees to pause and regroup. 'We've become like a family. You quarrel with your sister, but you don't disown her, right?' mused Yoon. Yet, her work is fraught with an emotional undertow. It's always difficult when employees relapse – detected through their routine drug tests. In such cases, the women are referred to the National Addictions Management Service's two-week detoxification programme, with the assurance that they can return once clean – a promise that has been honoured multiple times. Unsurprisingly, this can be a drag on the co-founders, who bear the brunt of added duties in employees' absence. 'Many a time, we've wanted to close the business because we were so physically and mentally drained but thinking of our purpose of transforming lives kept us going,' admitted Yoon, who said they find recourse in their shared faith. They still carry the sting of having to let go of a long-time employee who repeatedly relapsed and brought drugs into their shared space. 'She endangered the others. I had to expel her,' Lee said. She wouldn't be the first to fall off the wagon. A 2024 report from the Central Narcotics Bureau revealed an uptick in arrests of female drug abusers in 2023. Experts have cited factors such as shame and internalised gender norms as key hurdles that continue to stymie their progress. Yoon hopes to tip the scales in their favour, by boosting their resilience through gainful employment with a view to self-sufficiency. Remarkably, they've helped an employee set up her own canteen stall selling economic rice. Ah Tee (nickname used), who gritted through a long prison term and homelessness, now shares a rental flat with another former inmate and works weekends at Yoon's. The business has turned a corner, with Yoon revealing that they've finally crossed into the black, after five years. Having recently secured an adjacent shop unit with a connected apartment, they're now looking to expand, welcoming more ex-offenders into the fold. 'We can't control their recovery journey, but we can create the environment for them to change,' said Yoon.
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Trump sets 19% tariff on Indonesia goods in latest deal, EU readies retaliation
[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Jul 15) said the US would impose a 19 per cent tariff on goods from Indonesia under a new agreement with the South-east Asian country and said more deals were in the works as he continued to press for what he views as better terms with trading partners and a path to reducing a massive US trade deficit. The pact with the relatively minor US trading partner is among the handful struck so far by the Trump administration ahead of an Aug 1 deadline for tariffs on most US imports to rise again, and it came as the top US trading partner - the European Union - readied retaliatory measures should talks between Washington and its top trading partner fail. As that deadline approaches, talks were underway with other trading partners eager to avoid yet more levies being imposed on their exports to the US beyond a baseline 10 per cent on most goods that has been in place since April. It is a policy regime - rolled out often chaotically by Trump - that has upended decades of trends toward lower trade barriers, often roiling global financial markets and economic activity along the way. Based on Trump tariff announcements through July 13, Yale Budget Lab estimates the US effective average tariff rates will rise to 20.6 per cent from between 2 per cent and 3 per cent before Trump's return to the White House in January. Consumption shifts would bring the rate down to 19.7 per cent, but it's still the highest since 1933. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Trump outlined an Indonesia deal that had rough contours resembling a pact struck recently with Vietnam, with a flat tariff on exports to the US roughly double the current 10 per cent and no levies placed on US exports going there. It also included a penalty rate for so-called transhipments of goods from China via Indonesia, and a commitment to buy some U.S. goods. 'They are going to pay 19 per cent and we are going to pay nothing ... we will have full access into Indonesia, and we have a couple of those deals that are going to be announced,' Trump said outside the Oval Office. In addition, Trump said later on his Truth Social platform that Indonesia had agreed to buy US$15 billion of US energy products, US$4.5 billion of American farm products and 50 Boeing jets, though no time frame for the purchases was specified. Trump: India talks moving same way Indonesia's total trade with the US - totalling just under US$40 billion in 2024 - does not rank in the top 15, but it has been growing. US exports to Indonesia rose 3.7 per cent last year, while imports from there were up 4.8 per cent, leaving the US with a goods trade deficit of nearly US$18 billion. The top US import categories from Indonesia, according to US Census Bureau data retrieved on the International Trade Centre's TradeMap tool, last year were palm oil, electronics equipment including data routers and switches, footwear, car tires, natural rubber and frozen shrimp. Susiwijono Moegiarso, a senior official with Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, told Reuters in a text message: 'We are preparing a joint statement between US and Indonesia that will explain the size of reciprocal tariff for Indonesia including the tariff deal, non-tariff and commercial arrangements. We will inform (the public) soon.' Trump had threatened the country with a 32 per cent tariff rate effective from Aug 1 in a letter sent to its president last week. He sent similar letters to roughly two dozen trading partners this month, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20 per cent up to 50 per cent, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on copper. The Aug 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate agreements that could lower the threatened tariffs. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump's pattern of backing off his tariff threats. Since launching his tariff policy, Trump has clinched only a few deals despite his team touting an effort to bring home '90 deals in 90 days.' So far, framework agreements have been reached with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and an interim deal has been struck with China to forestall the steepest of Trump's tariffs while negotiations continue between Washington and Beijing. Trump said talks with India were moving in a similar direction. 'India basically is working along that same line. We're going to have access to India. And you have to understand, we had no access into any of these countries. Our people couldn't go in. And now we're getting access because of what we're doing with the tariffs,' he said. EU readies retaliation The breakthrough with Indonesia came as the European Commission, which oversees trade for the EU, gets set to target 72 billion euros (S$108.1 billion) worth of U.S. goods - from Boeing aircraft and bourbon whiskey to cars - for possible tariffs if trade talks with Washington fail. Trump is threatening a 30 per cent tariff on imports from the EU from Aug 1, a level European officials say is unacceptable and would end normal trade between two of the world's largest markets. The list, sent to EU member states and seen by Reuters on Tuesday, pre-dates Trump's move over the weekend to ramp up pressure on the 27-nation bloc and responds instead to US duties on cars and car parts and a 10 per cent baseline tariff. The package also covers chemicals, medical devices, electrical and precision equipment as well as agriculture and food products - a range of fruits and vegetables, along with wine, beer and spirits - valued at 6.35 billion euros. Following a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels on Monday, officials said they were still seeking a deal to avoid Trump's heavy tariff blow. But EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said those at the meeting expressed unprecedented resolve to protect EU businesses using European countermeasures if negotiations with Washington fail to produce a deal. REUTERS
