Singapore furniture brand Castlery will open its first brick-and-mortar store in New York this May, becoming one of the few homegrown companies to establish a permanent retail presence in one of the world’s most competitive markets.
The 3,000 sq ft flagship in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood will be Castlery’s first US store, opening seven years after the company entered the market online in 2019. Today, the US contributes about 70 per cent of its global revenue.
“We have seen strong and consistent growth in the US, so the question was less about if and more about when,” said Declan Ee, co-founder and president of Castlery.
Castlery’s New York debut is a rare move for a Singapore-founded, digital-first start-up entering an increasingly crowded global retail landscape – particularly in furniture, where scale, logistics and capital are significant barriers.
Its decision to enter New York was not made lightly. Instead of rushing into a physical store, the company spent years refining its e-commerce operations and preparing for a retail presence that reflects the brand.
“We spent close to two years looking for the right space because we didn't want just a store,” Ee said, adding that the company reviewed more than 200 listings across Manhattan. “We wanted to create an experience that adds something meaningful to what people already know from Castlery online.”
Castlery’s Chelsea flagship marks a major step in its US expansion. The company said it reviewed more than 200 Manhattan listings before choosing the site. (Image: Castlery)
That deliberate approach has shaped Castlery’s growth from the beginning. Founded in Singapore in 2013 by Ee and Fred Ji, the company set out to fill a gap between high-end designer furniture and mass-market offerings. Today, Castlery employs more than 500 people globally and has sold more than one million pieces of furniture.
From the outset, Castlery adopted a digital-first model, selling directly to consumers while retaining control over design, sourcing and logistics – an approach that has helped it scale across multiple markets without losing sight of product quality and customer experience.
Even so, Ee is clear-eyed about the need for a physical space. “We have always seen retail as an important part of the overall customer experience, complementing digital, especially in furniture, where people still want to sit on a sofa, feel the fabric, understand the proportions and imagine how a piece will live in their home,” he said.
Its expansion, however, has not always been straightforward. Forbes reported that its early international growth efforts came with setbacks, particularly in Australia, where the company’s initial showroom strategy proved misaligned with local consumer behaviour. At the same time, Castlery was also expanding in Singapore, stretching its resources across multiple fronts. The business remained unprofitable for three consecutive years during this period as it recalibrated its approach.
Declan Ee, co-founder of Castlery. (Photo: Aik Chen)
“Coming from Singapore, where everything is relatively compact, you get used to thinking people will travel across the city if they are interested in your brand,” he said. “In larger markets, that is just not how people behave, and we ended up shutting our original Sydney showroom before recalibrating and re-entering brick-and-mortar retail in Australia. We now have two showrooms in Brisbane and Sydney.”
“One of our biggest lessons was that you cannot simply replicate what worked in one market in another,” Ee said. “We learned that early on, particularly when we first opened a physical showroom in Australia.”
Instead, Castlery adopted a more measured strategy in the US, starting with a focused product offering and expanding gradually based on customer feedback. Within the US, New York emerged as a natural location for its first flagship showroom. The city’s density and housing constraints mirror those of Singapore, creating similar design challenges around space, functionality and comfort.
“Singapore has shaped us a lot more than people may realise,” Ee said. “It is a city where space is precious, homes have to work very hard, and people tend to be very thoughtful about what they bring into them.”
That perspective informs Castlery’s design philosophy, which emphasises versatility, proportion and practicality in urban environments. These principles carry through to the Chelsea showroom, which is designed to reflect how people actually live in cities rather than present idealised interiors.
The space features 17 curated room settings that recreate compact living environments and show how furniture can work in smaller homes without sacrificing comfort or style. It also offers styling consultations on space planning, layout and furniture selection.
The US has also given the company valuable insights into how customers interact with furniture and retail more broadly. Unlike in Singapore, where purchasing decisions tend to be more considered, American consumers often expect faster turnaround times and quicker fulfilment.
An artist’s render of Castlery’s 3,000 sq ft flagship in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood. (Image: Castlery)
“In the US, many are renters. They sign a lease and need a sofa the next month,” Ee said. “That shifts delivery from being a support function to being part of the product.”
At the same time, the scale and diversity of the US market have required Castlery to adapt its approach to different cities and lifestyles rather than treat the country as a single, uniform market.
“A customer in New York lives very differently from someone in Los Angeles, Austin or Seattle,” Ee said. “Space is limited in New York, while other cities may have more room for larger homes and outdoor living.”
There is also a cultural difference. American customers tend to be more vocal in their feedback, a dynamic Ee said keeps the company on its toes. He added: “If something doesn’t work, it shows up quickly and publicly. We learned early on that you can’t just sell a beautiful product. In Singapore, trust builds more quietly. In the US, it’s built or broken in the open.”
These differences are beginning to shape the company’s product development as it deepens its presence in the US market.
“Our product line is always evolving,” Ee said. “As we grow in the US, we’re learning more about differences in scale, materials and how homes are used across cities and climates. The deeper we go, the more our products reflect those insights.”
When asked about potential collaborations with American designers, Castlery said it remains selective about such partnerships.
“We’re open to collaborations, but we’re quite disciplined about it,” Ee said. “We do have a few things in motion right now, and we’ll share more when the timing is right.”
For Castlery, the New York opening marks its transition from a digitally native brand to a global retail player with a physical footprint in key markets.
“New York is not just another store for us,” Ee said. “It’s the trigger for what comes next.”
Success in the city, he suggested, will be measured not simply by sales, but by the brand’s ability to build trust and long-term customer relationships. The showroom will open to the public on May 15, with a weekend of events introducing the brand to New York.
“If we can turn customers into believers, and believers into advocates who bring others in, then we’ve done our job.”
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The 3,000 sq ft flagship in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood will be Castlery’s first US store, opening seven years after the company entered the market online in 2019. Today, the US contributes about 70 per cent of its global revenue.
“We have seen strong and consistent growth in the US, so the question was less about if and more about when,” said Declan Ee, co-founder and president of Castlery.
A MEASURED APPROACH TO GLOBAL EXPANSION
Castlery’s New York debut is a rare move for a Singapore-founded, digital-first start-up entering an increasingly crowded global retail landscape – particularly in furniture, where scale, logistics and capital are significant barriers.
Its decision to enter New York was not made lightly. Instead of rushing into a physical store, the company spent years refining its e-commerce operations and preparing for a retail presence that reflects the brand.
“We spent close to two years looking for the right space because we didn't want just a store,” Ee said, adding that the company reviewed more than 200 listings across Manhattan. “We wanted to create an experience that adds something meaningful to what people already know from Castlery online.”
Castlery’s Chelsea flagship marks a major step in its US expansion. The company said it reviewed more than 200 Manhattan listings before choosing the site. (Image: Castlery)
That deliberate approach has shaped Castlery’s growth from the beginning. Founded in Singapore in 2013 by Ee and Fred Ji, the company set out to fill a gap between high-end designer furniture and mass-market offerings. Today, Castlery employs more than 500 people globally and has sold more than one million pieces of furniture.
From the outset, Castlery adopted a digital-first model, selling directly to consumers while retaining control over design, sourcing and logistics – an approach that has helped it scale across multiple markets without losing sight of product quality and customer experience.
Even so, Ee is clear-eyed about the need for a physical space. “We have always seen retail as an important part of the overall customer experience, complementing digital, especially in furniture, where people still want to sit on a sofa, feel the fabric, understand the proportions and imagine how a piece will live in their home,” he said.
LESSONS FROM EARLY EXPANSION
Its expansion, however, has not always been straightforward. Forbes reported that its early international growth efforts came with setbacks, particularly in Australia, where the company’s initial showroom strategy proved misaligned with local consumer behaviour. At the same time, Castlery was also expanding in Singapore, stretching its resources across multiple fronts. The business remained unprofitable for three consecutive years during this period as it recalibrated its approach.
Declan Ee, co-founder of Castlery. (Photo: Aik Chen)
“Coming from Singapore, where everything is relatively compact, you get used to thinking people will travel across the city if they are interested in your brand,” he said. “In larger markets, that is just not how people behave, and we ended up shutting our original Sydney showroom before recalibrating and re-entering brick-and-mortar retail in Australia. We now have two showrooms in Brisbane and Sydney.”
“One of our biggest lessons was that you cannot simply replicate what worked in one market in another,” Ee said. “We learned that early on, particularly when we first opened a physical showroom in Australia.”
Instead, Castlery adopted a more measured strategy in the US, starting with a focused product offering and expanding gradually based on customer feedback. Within the US, New York emerged as a natural location for its first flagship showroom. The city’s density and housing constraints mirror those of Singapore, creating similar design challenges around space, functionality and comfort.
DESIGN SHAPED BY SINGAPORE LIVING
“Singapore has shaped us a lot more than people may realise,” Ee said. “It is a city where space is precious, homes have to work very hard, and people tend to be very thoughtful about what they bring into them.”
That perspective informs Castlery’s design philosophy, which emphasises versatility, proportion and practicality in urban environments. These principles carry through to the Chelsea showroom, which is designed to reflect how people actually live in cities rather than present idealised interiors.
The space features 17 curated room settings that recreate compact living environments and show how furniture can work in smaller homes without sacrificing comfort or style. It also offers styling consultations on space planning, layout and furniture selection.
The US has also given the company valuable insights into how customers interact with furniture and retail more broadly. Unlike in Singapore, where purchasing decisions tend to be more considered, American consumers often expect faster turnaround times and quicker fulfilment.
An artist’s render of Castlery’s 3,000 sq ft flagship in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood. (Image: Castlery)
“In the US, many are renters. They sign a lease and need a sofa the next month,” Ee said. “That shifts delivery from being a support function to being part of the product.”
At the same time, the scale and diversity of the US market have required Castlery to adapt its approach to different cities and lifestyles rather than treat the country as a single, uniform market.
“A customer in New York lives very differently from someone in Los Angeles, Austin or Seattle,” Ee said. “Space is limited in New York, while other cities may have more room for larger homes and outdoor living.”
There is also a cultural difference. American customers tend to be more vocal in their feedback, a dynamic Ee said keeps the company on its toes. He added: “If something doesn’t work, it shows up quickly and publicly. We learned early on that you can’t just sell a beautiful product. In Singapore, trust builds more quietly. In the US, it’s built or broken in the open.”
These differences are beginning to shape the company’s product development as it deepens its presence in the US market.
“Our product line is always evolving,” Ee said. “As we grow in the US, we’re learning more about differences in scale, materials and how homes are used across cities and climates. The deeper we go, the more our products reflect those insights.”
When asked about potential collaborations with American designers, Castlery said it remains selective about such partnerships.
“We’re open to collaborations, but we’re quite disciplined about it,” Ee said. “We do have a few things in motion right now, and we’ll share more when the timing is right.”
A SINGAPORE BRAND ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
For Castlery, the New York opening marks its transition from a digitally native brand to a global retail player with a physical footprint in key markets.
“New York is not just another store for us,” Ee said. “It’s the trigger for what comes next.”
Success in the city, he suggested, will be measured not simply by sales, but by the brand’s ability to build trust and long-term customer relationships. The showroom will open to the public on May 15, with a weekend of events introducing the brand to New York.
“If we can turn customers into believers, and believers into advocates who bring others in, then we’ve done our job.”
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