Shopping in Singapore
Photo: Erwin Soo., CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Shopping is second only to eating as a national pastime, which means that Singapore has an abundance of shopping malls, and low taxes and tariffs on imports coupled with huge volume mean that prices are usually very competitive.
While you won't find any bazaars with dirt-cheap local handicrafts (in fact, virtually everything sold in Singapore is made elsewhere), goods are generally of reasonably good quality and shopkeepers are generally quite honest due to strong consumer protection laws.
Where to shopMost residential neighbourhoods in Singapore have at least one shopping mall, often next to a bus interchange or MRT station, but these are primarily designed to cater to the basic needs of local residents, and are…
Shopping hoursMost stores are open daily 10AM-10PM, although smaller operations (particularly those outside shopping malls) close earlier — 7PM is common — and perhaps on Sundays as well.
GST refundFor purchases of over $100 per day per participating shop, you may be able to get a GST refund if you depart by air within two months of making the purchase, but the process is a bit of a bureaucratic hassle.
What to buyThe second floor of the Tanglin Shopping Centre on Orchard and the shops on South Bridge Rd in Chinatown are good options if looking for the real thing (or high-quality reproductions).
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Shopping in Singapore" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Erwin Soo., CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons