Let Your Credit Card Glow And Be Ready For The Biggest Mall On Earth, Singapore
I told you before and I have no issues repeating it. If you would have to press Singapore into any Cultural or Localized Frame, it would be one of a Shopping Mall. Last time I gave you the advice to leave your Credit Card at home, today I give advice to all of you who couldn’t resist. Which includes me.
Although sometimes not a bargain, is Singapore definitely a shoppers paradise, continue reading for the stuff you must buy here.
1. Fashion
Need clothes? No problem. Singapore offers every style for every budget. Be it the likes of Louies Vuitton, Channel and Prada on Orchard Road or the funky neon colored styles at Far East Plaza.
Buy traditional dresses and nice silk scarfs in China Town, and get a tailor made suit and shirts around the Business district at Raffles Place.
And besides that you can get cheap shirts, shoes and skirts all around the city at the many small shops like for example at Bugis Street.
2. Cameras
Although i managed to lose three new cameras within one year in Singapore, I still come back to buy my cameras here. You can get good bargains including all the “usual” features like “warranty” etc.
As a side note, you might have heard of Sim Lim Square, which I quickly want to mention here. Don’t go there!! I have many many reports of very unpleasant scams and cheating at that place.
If you want proper quality then I very much recommend “Funan Mall”, near City Hall.
3. Books
You can live here or you are only on stopover or holiday, but a nice and good book is something you can always use.
Singapore offers a couple of very interesting and huge bookstores with plenty of offers and nice items.
Check out “Page One” at Vivo City or the “Kinokuniya” at Orchard Road, they are my two favorite stores here.
4. Food
Food Food Food. If one might challenge Singapore’s title for being a Shopping Mekka, it only might be Singapore itself with the potential title for Food Mekka as well.
Shopping and Food are belonging to a Singaporeans daily life like Chicken Rice and Cuing. From Half Boiled Egg in the morning, over fresh fruits, all the local, Malay, Indian … dishes, Steamboat and so on, Singapore has so much to offer that I will write another post about this topic alone.
5. Fabrics
I already mentioned the silk scarfs in China Town to you, but speaking about fashion and fabrics in general, you can get some pretty amazing quality and deals here as well.
Without a doubt, the best places to obtain fabrics in Singapore (particular fabrics for Indian saris) include Arab Street and Little India. You can also find some batik there (exotic Malay fabrics).
6. Ethnic Items
You might think of the typical tourist “stuff” now, but besides the plastic Merlion Toilet Paper dispenser and the “Singapore Is A Fine City” T-Shirt, there are many really nice pieces of local art, and ethnic that you can either bring home as souvenirs or put in your flat as decoration.
Especially the little shops in China Town and the Arab Quarter ( not those with the “3 For 10$” signs) offer some little treasures that will give your home a special touch or make your friends at home a nice surprise.
7. Antiques
I finished refurbishing my flat and the next day a wonderful antique shop opened on the opposite side of the street. I could have put furnitures in my flat for half the price and much more style. Well Well.
In general antiques are always a nice item to buy from Singapore. The best places to get good value are either the small stalls around more rural areas or for example the 2nd floor of the Tanglin Shopping Center, or perhaps the shops along South Bridge Road in Chinatown (once again).
What Else Can We Buy?
Do you have any recommendations for good places to shop or items that have to be on your next shopping list?
Please let us know in the comments below!
by an Asia experienced 26 year young expat living and surviving in Singapore since years!
Discovering new interesting and strange things everyday, he provides guides, news and tips for how to survive Singapore and how to best prepare for it.
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6 Comments for this post
Mar 4, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I agree with 3.Books
There are few countries in the world where in front of almost every train stop is a shopping mall and in most shopping malls, there are bookstores.
I love “Page One” and “Kinokuniya” too, absolute favourites. At Kino, getting a membership card is very worth it (10% off regular items and 20% on special promotions)
Do you go to “Popular” bookstores too? I frequent there because they have books on 20-25% offer every now and then. 20% for best sellers. There are times when I found books about 70% off the regular price there and those are pretty good titles just a few years back.
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Technology stuff is huge here too, AAM. One of the countries where you can get the best bargains on tech stuff, esp on events like Comex and the computer fairs in Suntec.
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In Sim Lim, buy using cash :) more discounts.
Mar 5, 2009 at 7:14 am
Yes, agree with all the ’shopping’ hints as above…. and the books too …. but after awhile I find purchasing so many books (yes, I read a lot) gets a tad expensive. I found the Salvation Army Stores here in Sing a great place to purchase good condition books … usually 2 for the price of 1. Just last week I bought 5 books and only paid $4.50.
The Salvation Army have many centres around Singapore….. well worth checking their website.
Mar 6, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Maynas Eric, yes, popular has good discounts and i have memberships for all the big bookstores, at the end of the year i get a nice voucher :)
And Sim lim, well, its true you get better prices paying cash, but i usually dont go there at all.. warranty issues all over the place. Just check out some forums…
Mar 6, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Leone, thats so cool, i never heard about the Salvation Army Stores before… I must check them out soon!
Jun 1, 2009 at 2:01 am
that was really goood… U forgot about Mustafa..?
Jul 24, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I agree with Ash, Mustafa has the weridest stuff there. That was where i first encounted Cannabis incense (smells nothing like cannabis but really lovely scent), couple of years later then you start seeing it at town.
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