An interview with Carl Häggström our Managing Director

Spread of Covid-19 last year had resulted in a net outflow of expatriates moving out of Singapore due to job losses; many also chose to move home to be with their families

How has the moving industry been affected since the pandemic started – have you noticed any patterns related to the restrictions?

During the first circuit breaker we were categorised as “Essential Service Providers” which meant that we could continue to move families in and out of Singapore. At the time nobody could foresee the long-term impact of the pandemic and during this period we saw a small decline in enquiries as we all expected to go back to normality in the near future.

Once the circuit breaker was lifted, we saw a drastic increase (exceeding 2019) in families moving in and out of Singapore for both work and personal reasons.

What are the usual turnaround times from initial enquiry to move day? Has this changed?

Two to three years ago, customers would plan their move months ahead – contacting us around 2-3 months prior to their expected pack date. This has changed more recently as many clients now contact us and ask for us to move them out of the country with less than a weeks’ notice. Most of the time this is unfortunately a result of redundancies and the need to move before their employment passes are cancelled.

Are you able to share which are the top destinations that people are moving to?

Our top destinations include the UK, USA, Australia and to some extent the Nordic countries (as I am from Finland and have a broad network of people from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland).

Read the full article here: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/expat-flows-may-stabilise-later-this-year