Singapore Shopping

Singapore has lots of shopping malls. Further, low taxes and tariffs on imports are highly attractive for shopaholics. Little India, North Bridge Road, Marina Bay, Bugis Street, Chinatown, Geylang Serai, Kampong Gelam, Arab Street, Orchard Road and The Suburbs are the major shopping hubs in Singapore.

As virtually everything sold in Singapore is made elsewhere, bazaars with inexpensive local handicrafts are not found in Singapore. Stores in Singapore open daily at 10 am and usually do not close before 7 pm, including Sundays.  

Mustafa in Little India is a prominent shopping place that is open 24 hours, 365 days. Major shopping belts in Singapore are Orchard Road and Scotts Road, among others that facilitate late night shopping. The Great Singapore Sale held in June-July attracts numerous tourists from across the world.

Tanglin Shopping Centre on Orchard Road and South Bridge Road in Chinatown are famous for antiques. Peninsula Plaza near City Hall, Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall are prominent places to purchase electronics. A cluster of branded boutiques are found on Orchard Road. Traditional Malay and Indian souvenirs can be purchased from Geylang Serai and Little India, respectively.

Arab Street is famous for local fabrics like batik. Peranakan or Malay-Chinese goods can be availed from Katong on the East Coast. International brands like Piaget and Cartier can be purchased from Ngee Ann City and Millenia Walk. Holland Village, Katong and Tampine are also famous places for shopping in Singapore.

GST (Goods and Services Tax) is a sales tax that is added to the price of goods and services. The current rate of GST in Singapore is 7%. A GST refund of 5% can be claimed back and to be able to claim a refund, one must shop for at least 4,573.93 INR from retailers participating in the Tourist Refund Scheme. The scheme is valid only for goods purchased at Changi International Airport and Seletar Airport.