Nanyang Optical to wind up after 65 years in Singapore’s eyecare industry
Singapore's home-grown eyecare brand Nanyang Optical is set to cease operations after 65 years, with a creditors' meeting scheduled for 13 February to appoint liquidators and oversee the winding-up process.
- Nanyang Optical will hold a creditors' meeting on 13 February to appoint liquidators and start winding up.
- Once boasting 16 stores, the company now operates five, with only two franchised outlets set to continue.
- The closure follows challenges such as rising rents, manpower shortages, and changing consumer habits.
Nanyang Optical, a home-grown brand in Singapore’s eyecare industry, will be closing after 65 years in business.
A notice published in the government gazette on 26 January announced a creditors’ meeting scheduled for 13 February, where liquidators are expected to be appointed.
The meeting, to be held via Zoom at 2.30pm, will also include the presentation of the company’s financial statement, a list of creditors, and estimated claims due to them.
Business filings on the Bizfile portal confirm that Nanyang Optical Co is currently in the process of voluntary liquidation.
From lens workshop to household brand
The company began as a lens grinding workshop in Geylang in the 1950s and officially became Nanyang Optical in 1960.
Over the decades, it grew to become a familiar name across Singapore. At its peak in 2017, the business operated 16 outlets islandwide, offering eyewear options for a broad range of customer budgets.
However, the firm has seen a gradual reduction in its physical footprint in recent years.
As of early 2026, Nanyang Optical lists six outlets on its website. These include locations at Northpoint City, Stars of Kovan, Parkway Parade, The Clementi Mall, Junction 8, and the Wisma Atria mall, where the store is branded as Alexis Eyewear Boutique.
Four of these will be closed during the liquidation process.
The Business Times reported that only two franchised outlets — at Junction 8 and The Clementi Mall — will remain operational following the wind-up.
Mounting challenges in recent years
Nanyang Optical had been contending with operational difficulties for some time.
According to CNA, the brand had been hit by sluggish retail sales and rising operational costs, particularly rent.
In a past interview, Managing Director Bernard Yang shared that the company had been forced to reduce staff hours and downsize its Marine Parade outlet.
Yang also pointed to shifting consumer behaviours, such as an increased comfort with purchasing spectacles from overseas or online platforms.
In response, the company had considered pivoting to a “hybrid retail” model focused on e-commerce.
Despite these efforts, the situation worsened in late 2025. In May, the company closed its Causeway Point outlet after the lease expired. By December, the Stars of Kovan outlet had moved to an appointment-only system due to manpower shortages.
The Northpoint City store, which opened in May 2025, will also be among those closed.
When contacted by CNA, Yang declined to provide further comment, citing the ongoing liquidation process.
Liquidation process begins mid-February
The upcoming creditors’ meeting will formalise the beginning of the winding-up procedure.
During the session, a liquidator will be appointed, and a committee of inspection is expected to be formed to oversee the process. Full details of the company’s financial affairs, including liabilities and creditor claims, will be shared.
While most of the company’s operations are being shut down, it remains unclear whether the franchised outlets will continue using the Nanyang Optical name long term.
The liquidation marks the end of a significant chapter in Singapore’s retail landscape, closing the book on one of the country’s oldest home-grown optical chains.
