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TANGS is a department store located on Orchard Road in Singapore, owned by C.K. Tang Limited. The store is regarded as a principal shopping destination in the city, comparable to Bloomingdale's in New York City and Selfridges in London. The company was founded by Tang Choon Keng in 1932.
Tangs historically used to not operate on Sundays as the Tang family were "devout" Christians.
When CK Tang bought the land, it was situated opposite a Chinese cemetery, which, according to cultural conventions, was perceived to bring bad luck.
TANGS is credited with sparking the transformation of the area into Singapore's most famous shopping district. In 1982, C.K. Tang purchased the adjacent Tang Plaza, which currently houses the Singapore Marriott Hotel.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, one of CK Tang's sons, Tang Wee Sung, assumed control of the store. He became chairman of the company in 2000 following his father's death. His appointment led to changes in operating policies, such as allowing the store to remain open on Sundays and introducing marketing strategies to enhance consumer choice.
In 2012, TANGS announced a S$45 million, three-year transformation plan for its flagship store on Orchard Road.
The design follows the Chinese belief of ‘feng-shui’, a traditional Chinese philosophical system, which is prominent in the octagonal decorations consistent all over the building. The eight-sided shape is auspicious as the number ‘8’, pronounced as ‘fa´ in Chinese dialect implies prosperity. Apart from the visually prominent octagonal roof form of the tower, there are several other instances of octagonal designs all over the building. These include the floor tiling, column base and ceiling decorations, and railings.
Other features like the distinctive ‘artichoke leaf’ or ‘xie-shan’ roof, designed to repel rain as well as allow wind circulation within the structure. The ridges of the roofs are aligned with figures of miniature mythical creatures which is a symbolism of formidableness in Chinese culture, along with the stone statues of lions up-front.
Prior to its 2012 transformation, TANGS occupied and boasted five selling floors, designed by New York-based Hambrecht Terrell International, noted for its work with Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's.
Tangs marked its return to the Malaysian market with a store within Pavilion KL in 2007. The store has since relocated to 1 Utama, this was followed by new locations in Subang Jaya (Empire Subang), and subsequent openings at Genting Highlands (First World Plaza) and Malacca. Tangs once again withdraws from Malaysia in 2020, with the branches at Subang Jaya and Genting Highlands renamed as Galeries Voir, the Malacca branch renamed as Best Value Outlet, while the 1 Utama branch closed down.
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