Dunkin' Donuts to close 450 US stores, Singapore outlets unaffected

Doughnut lovers can heave a sigh of relief as Dunkin' Donuts will not be closing any of its outlets here.

The confirmation follows news of the popular US coffee chain permanently closing 450 of its outlets located in Speedway petrol stations across the US. Outlets not located in the petrol stations are not affected.

A spokesman for Dunkin' Donuts Singapore told The New Paper that it has no plans to close any of its 15 outlets here.

She said: "We have heard that Dunkin' in the US plans to close 450 stores by the end of the year. Dunkin' Donuts Singapore has no plans to follow suit."

Dr Kapil Tuli, professor of marketing at Singapore Management University's (SMU) Lee Kong Chian School of Business and director of SMU's Retail Centre of Excellence, said Singaporeans should not be worried about the shop closures in the US, as business operations are different in various countries.

When Japanese retail chain Muji announced the closure of all its stores in the US after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Muji's parent company, Ryohin Keikaku, said stores in other markets, including Singapore, will not be affected.

Dr Tuli said: "In Singapore, Dunkin's stores are in malls and not in petrol stations. The business it has is significantly different in terms of locations. So for now, we need not worry."