Shopping in one of the favourite Singaporean pastimes and no visit of Singapore is complete without serious retail therapy.
There are more than 150 shopping centres islandwide and there is even The Association of Shopping Centres (Singapore), to advance the development of the Singapore shopping centre industry, which proves how serious Singaporeans are when it comes to shopping.
Orchard Road is one of the most famous boulevards of South-East Asia, lined with dozens of flashy shopping centres and five-star hotels, including the excellent Meritus Mandarin Singapore.
Shopping centres in Singapore are generally open from 10 am until 9 pm. However, if you are dreaming of buying a new toaster or the latest gadget at 4 am, you can do it at Mustafa Centre in Little India, which is open 24 hours. Shopping paradise indeed.
Singapore ethnic souvenirs
Little India - shops in colourful Little India are well stocked with Indian goods, such as jewellery and sarees. Bargaining in small private shops is essential.
Yue Hwa - excellent shop with high quality Chinese goods in Chinatown.
Peter Hoe - ethnic crafts from all over South-East Asia. Prices are fixed. The shop is located at Chijmes.
Singapore shopping centres
Centrepoint - located at Orchard Road near Somerset MRT station houses a number of smaller retailers offering wide range of goods as well as Robinsons department store.
CityLink Mall - with some 60,000 sq ft of retail space, the 350-metre subterranean shopping mall connects City Hall MRT station to One Raffles Link, The Esplanade Theatres on the bay, Marina Square, Millenia Walk, Suntec City, Marina Mandarin Hotel and Pan Pacific Hotel.
Funan DigitaLife Mall - a shopping mall specialised for computers and electronics.
Heeren - among others it houses HMV - the biggest CD store in South-East Asia.
Lucky Plaza at Orchard Road - Popular for electronics, but you better know the prices as most of the retailers here are not particularly honest and you might get overcharged. Also - always check the warranty.
Mustafa Centre - located in colourful Little India, Mustafa Centre offers everything from household items to electronics at very competitive prices. Also, Mustafa moneychangers offer some of the best foreign currency exchange rates in Singapore. Oh, and the shopping centre is open 24 hours. Shopping at 3 o'clock in the morning, anyone?
Ngee Ann City - one of the most vibrant shopping complexes in the heart of Orchard Road. A lot of restaurants in the basement.
Parco Bugis Junction - interesting from an architectural point of view - the centrepoint of Parco Bugis Junction are air-conditioned pedestrian "streets".
Suntec City Mall - the biggest shopping centre in Singapore with the biggest fountain in the world, which made its way into the Guinness Book of Records. The fountain is rather ugly actually, but nobody really bothers as there are so many shops to check.
Tangs - good for household items, cosmetics and clothes. It is located next to five-star Singapore Marriott Hotel.
Wisma Atria - hip shopping centre at Orchard Road. Good for fashion..
Singapore book stores
Borders Books & Music - After Kinokuniya made its pompous opening in August 1999, Borders became second largest bookshop in Singapore. The size however is not everything so Borders remains incredibly popular (and unlike Kinokuniya, it stays open late).
Kinokuniya - the largest bookshop in South-East Asia, located at Ng Ann City, Orchard Road.
MPH - selection here might not be as good as in Kinokuniya or Borders, but there are several outlets scattered all around the island.
Singapore department stores
Isetan located in Shaw House (Orchard Road) carries a wide selection of Japanese food products.
John Little belongs to Robinsons, but the prices here are generally lower.
Takashimaya - one of the biggest and certainly best organized department stores in Singapore, located at Ng Ann City right in the heart of Orchard Road, a few steps from Meritus Mandarin Hotel.
Fashion
In Singapore you can naturally get the latest high-end fashion from around the world at the same time as in Paris, Milan or New York. Also, you are never too far from Mango, Zara, Benetton and alike. You might want to check some of the famous Singaporean boutiques too. The ones listed below are located at all popular shopping centres. Their prices are fixed.
Bossinni - our favourite shop for good and inexpensive cotton pants.
This Fashion - one of many successful Singaporean boutiques, selling cool, inexpensive clothes.
Giordano - they sell clothes, of course. But they are also famous for good quality umbrellas, which cost SGD 12 on a sunny day and only SGD 6 on a rainy day. So grab one if it rains!
Photography
Cathay Photo Store - not the cheapest photo shop in Singapore, but they send price quotes by email. Good, if you want to get an idea of prices before flying to Singapore.
Supermarket chains
Cold Storage - good selection of Japanese, European, Australian and American products. Located in major shopping centres, including Parco Bugis Junction, Takashimaya and Centrepoint.
NTUC FairPrice - cheaper in comparison with Cold Storage, with most of its outlets located in residential areas. There is an outlet in the basement of Changi Airport Terminal 1 as well.
Duty free shop
DFS Galleria - last minute airport shopping for perfumes, alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.