Singapore is a fabulous shopping destination. By Southeast Asian standards, the city-state is quite expensive because you won’t find night bazaars or marketplaces, but compared to more developed nations, products are still rather affordable. The only thing missing is local handicrafts, which are limited to Chinatown as most of the items in Singapore are imported. Wander the different districts to get a feel for the neighborhoods- Orchard Road, Chinatown, Little India, and Riverside.The Great Singapore Sale is a magnificent discount event held across the city in June/July in which major department stores and shops participate.
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is the center of Singapore’s shopping culture. Plenty of upscale stores abound in this shopaholic haven, including Takashimaya Shopping Center, Wisma Atria, ION Orchard, and Paragon. These beautiful malls are the place to be when seeking out the latest in high-end fashion. More on the cheaper side, Far East Plaza is starting to creep up towards the high-end level, but bargains can still be found. Plaza Singapura is also less expensive and the entire district is walkable, which makes for a nice day outing. Getting here is relatively easy via the MRT.
Chinatown
Slightly different to Orchard Road, Chinatown is mostly made up of older-style shop-houses which offer a range of goods. Fine silk, souvenirs, antiques, and tea are a small list of the items found here. Electronics, jewelry and clothing can be picked up at People’s Park Complex, the main mall. Pearl’s Center is an older style mall, while OG People’s Park is awash with clothing stores and accessories.
Riverside
Riverside is more renowned for its sights, sounds and culinary delights, but there are several exciting shopping attractions located within this district. Raffles City is the best mall, which is connected to the Swissotel, and a great place to buy international brand names and local products. Also notable within this area is Funan Digital Life Mall, The Arcade and Peninsula Plaza.
Little India
Little India is famous for two things in Singapore. One is the large electronics department store called Sim Lim Square, a massive shopping complex with hundreds of electronics shops. The other is Tekka Mall, a modern, air-conditioned mall that rivals Orchard Road. The streets of Little India are bustling bastions of energy, selling an assortment of interesting goods for reasonable prices.