It has been an eventful week. Besides the US election and Ant‘s failed IPO, we saw the 160-year old Robinsons closed the two remaining outlets at The Heeren and Raffles City. The departmental store is undergoing a liquidation procedure currently. The younger generation has no recollection or attachment to Robinsons. But my parents’ generation does. Departmental stores used to be the favourite place for shopping and hanging out because there was no internet, no indie shops, and no e-commerce. Departmental stores were among the most glamorous places you can be, and where you can see novel imported items. At least Robinsons survived longer than the others in Singapore – Daimaru, Sogo, Yaohan, Oriental Emporium and John Little (if you remember). If you dug into the history of Robinsons, it showed great resilience surviving a bombing, World War II and a ravaging fire. But eventually, no one escapes what evolution would...