Guide to shopping malls in Singapore
Little India's Mustafa Centre stays open 24/7
Singapore is often described rather unkindly as one great big shopping mall. This is not strictly true but there is certainly no shortage of gleaming multi-storey shopping centres wherever you wander. There are countless modern air conditioned malls dotted throughout the island from homely neighbourhood arcades in the suburbs to the fancy flagship malls of world famous Orchard Road.
Everyone who comes to Singapore eventually gets seduced by the mega malls of Orchard Road. This long, wide boulevard is home to over 40 malls, each one trying hard to outdo the rest for dazzling neon lighting, amenities and sheer size. This is Asian capitalism at its most ostentatious. Orchard Road malls are typically big, brash and bewildering and you could easily lose yourself for hours in each one. More on Orchard Road.
Recommended Singapore shopping malls
The new kid on the block here is ION Orchard (2 Orchard Turn, Tel: +65 6238 8228, Open daily 10:00 – 22:00), which has set a new standard in refinement and visitor facilities. Not only can you check out over 300 fashion stores, but also make a day of it at its onsite art gallery or catch a movie at its very own cinema.
A more down to earth experience can be had at Lucky Plaza (304 Orchard Road, Tel: +65 6235 3294, feedback@luckyplaza.com.sg, open daily 10:00 to 21:00) just a stone’s throw away. This is one of the early pioneers of Orchard Road and just as popular today for its low cost outlets where you can still haggle for bargains. Best buys here include street fashions, batik garments and everyday home wares.
The Marina Bay area is fast becoming a shopping Mecca too and can boast the huge Raffles City Complex, Marina Square mall and the brand new Marina Bay Sands, complete with 300 stores, a casino and a rooftop swimming pool. This is purely the reserve of shoppers with deep pockets where international designer labels predominate such as Bulgari, Prada and Tiffany.
Singapore also has a handful of malls dedicated entirely to IT and electronics products such as Sim Lim Square (1 Rochor Canal Road, Bugis MRT, Tel: +65 6338 3859, open daily 10:30 to 21:00) and should be the first port of call for people looking for a new laptop or state of the art hifi equipment. It will certainly save a great deal of time and foot slogging. More on electronics shopping.
Sim Lim Square specialises in high-tech gadgets
If art and craft is your thing, then a visit to Tanglin Shopping Centre (19 Tanglin Road, open 10:00 to 21:00) will pay dividends. It is almost completely filled with specialist antique sellers and art and craft shops and the ideal place for souvenir hunters. More on antiques shopping.
Venturing out into the suburbs offers a more authentic shopping experience and a refreshingly slower pace. While some local malls lack character and the cosmopolitan amenities of downtown, prices are lower and the variety wider. The pick of the bunch and a favourite with suburban expats is Tampines Mall (Tampines Central 5, Tel: +65 6788 8370, open 10:00 to 22:00). It has many interesting speciality stores, a market-style atmosphere and a cheap hawker food centre.
Back to the bright lights of the big city and Singapore’s largest malls are still going strong well into the night. When the boutiques start to close, the restaurants, bars and clubs start to fill up with young revellers keen to dance all night, lounge or listen to lively rock music or jazz. Orchard Central mall and the huge VivoCity (Harbour Front, Tel: +65 6377 6860, Open daily 10:00 – 22:00) shopping complex in the Harbourfront district are worth checking out for stylish lounging and late night cocktails. More on nightlife.
No guide to Singapore’s malls would be complete without a mention of the famous Mustafa Centre (145 Syed Alwi Road, Little India MRT, Tel: +65-6295 5855, mms786@mustafa.com.sg). This Singapore institution is located in the heart of bustling Little India and stays open 24 hours a day. It features five floors jam packed with all manner of merchandise where pungent Indian spices rub shoulders with electronics, hardware and textiles. It is a one stop Aladdin’s cave of cheap wares and has a refreshingly unpretentious ambience. Whatever you are seeking, you can almost guarantee the very cheapest prices here.
