Suggestions for good places to go shopping in Singapore?

[Mariell]

Hello!

I just wanted to ask if anyone here has any recommendations about where to go shopping (for clothes, shoes etc.) here in Singapore? I normally like to go shopping in the weekends, but I have the impression that the only place I can do that here is in Orchard road, which I absolutely hate! It's just way to crowded there, it's impossible to cross the road, and whenever I try to do that I get tricked into these enormous underground shopping centers which makes me completely disorientated.
So if there's anyone out there who feel the same way about Orchard road, but like to go shopping, where do you go? I just want to go to an area with ok selection, and that isn't too hard to manouevre around in. Any suggestions about where to go?

Hope to hear from you!

- Marie

[zzm9980]

Depends on the relative quality of the stuff you're looking for. Orchard has the 'upscale'/Western brands. Most of the local malls don't. Raffles City and VivoCity are partially upscale (some Western brands, but not quite as upscale as those on Orchard). Raffles City is pretty easy to navigate. Vivocity is quite large, but also not that bad.

[Sara.D]

I also absolutely hate to go shopping on Orchard Road/ION. I usually go to Raffles City (lots of Western brands), Plaza Singapura (Western and local brands) or VivoCity (mix of everything). I find these 'smaller' malls way easier to navigate since they don't ressemble a maze like ION. As for shoes I mostly go to Charles and Keith or to Pedro.

Apparently there is also an iphone app that helps you to find your way around in malls: Malls SG.

[JR8]

I'm not much into shopping and too have a problem that is the insanity of Orchard Road. I feel precisely the same way about Oxford Street in London; where despite living within a 15min bus ride of this touted 'shopping mecca', I would avoid it like the plague, to the point of essentially not frequenting it at all.

I believe the shopping malls in Singapore have internal floorplans intentionally designed to confuse. It's fact that department stores plan their layout so as to get potential customers through the maximum display aisles possible. The next level (in the UK) is the likes of M+S who will rotate aisles, and product areas once or twice a year, so that just when you've figured out where to get your routine weekend chicken curry + a bottle of vino, suddenly that aisle is now granma-knickers and tins of biscuits. It is to disorientate the customer, and again, get them though as much of the shop a possible. And yes, it used to drive me absolutely mad as it is so gratuitous and customer-unfriendly.

Next level? Maybe the likes of Plaza Singapura? Where to say walk in at ground floor and go to the top floor, you need to walk down the entire level at each floor, to get the next escalator up. Cynical.

And finally then we have Ion Orchard. Surely designed ('''organically architected''') to cause maximum disorientation. Escalators randomly all over, but very few going where you actually want to go. I recall last time there I was trying to figure out how to get from Jones the Grocer (basement) to the MRT. I figured out from a floorplan where the lifts were, but when I got to that point, they weren't there (behind hoardings IIRC). It was silly! I ended up going around and around, before giving up, exiting to the street and walking down the road, entering via Ngee Ann, and locating the MRT that way.

Alternatives, if you must. Harbourfront?
http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com.sg/st ... Name=A+-+C
Big, quite airy and spacious, not entirely the zoo Orchard tends to be.

[Fortan]

Go a little further and try Jurong Point which is quite nice

[Addadude]

Your semi-complete guide to the shopping malls of Orchard Road:

Tanglin Mall: For expat housewives of a 'certain age'

Orchard Towers: Before 7pm, for gullible tourists. After 7pm, for gullible male tourists, desperate expat males and US Navy men on shore leave.

Forum: For rich parents with young kids

Palais Renaissance: For posh locals and Tai Tais.

Far East Shopping Centre: for lost and confused tourists

Shaw Centre: For local middle income shoppers

ION: B3 to B1: For local youngsters. Level 1 and above: For newly rich PRCs whose wealth exceeds their taste and other wealthy tourists

Tangs: For locals and for locals who think queuing 3 hours for a donut is a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon

Wisma Atria: For middle income locals and expats

Ngee Ann City: For local Tai Tais and wealthy expats and Indonesians.

Lucky Plaza: Mini Manila where all the Tailors think you need a new shirt

Paragon: See Ngee Ann City

Mandarin Gallery: For wealthy locals, tai tais and rich Indonesians

Cathay Cineleisure: For semi-wealthy ah bengs and ah lians

Robinsons/The Heeren: For people who like to wander around huge department stores and not buy anything

313 Somerset: For younger locals and expats

Orchard Central: For younger locals and people curious about how much empty, useless space one can squeeze into the middle of Orchard Road

Centrepoint: For older wealthy Indonesians

Orchard Plaza: More tailors who want to make you shirts and also Orchard Towers for Japanese

Plaza Singapura: See Cathay Cineleisure

The Cathay: For younger locals and gays

[nakatago]

Your semi-complete guide to the shopping malls of Orchard Road:

Tanglin Mall: For expat housewives of a 'certain age'

Orchard Towers: Before 7pm, for gullible tourists. After 7pm, for gullible male tourists, desperate expat males and US Navy men on shore leave.

Forum: For rich parents with young kids

Palais Renaissance: For posh locals and Tai Tais.

Far East Shopping Centre: for lost and confused tourists

Shaw Centre: For local middle income shoppers

ION: B3 to B1: For local youngsters. Level 1 and above: For newly rich PRCs whose wealth exceeds their taste and other wealthy tourists

Tangs: For locals and for locals who think queuing 3 hours for a donut is a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon

Wisma Atria: For middle income locals and expats

Ngee Ann City: For local Tai Tais and wealthy expats and Indonesians.

Lucky Plaza: Mini Manila where all the Tailors think you need a new shirt

Paragon: See Ngee Ann City

Mandarin Gallery: For wealthy locals, tai tais and rich Indonesians

Cathay Cineleisure: For semi-wealthy ah bengs and ah lians

Robinsons/The Heeren: For people who like to wander around huge department stores and not buy anything

313 Somerset: For younger locals and expats

Orchard Central: For younger locals and people curious about how much empty, useless space one can squeeze into the middle of Orchard Road

Centrepoint: For older wealthy Indonesians

Orchard Plaza: More tailors who want to make you shirts and also Orchard Towers for Japanese

Plaza Singapura: See Cathay Cineleisure

The Cathay: For younger locals and gays

I chortled.

Someone should put this in a wiki somewhere. Spot-on; also based on times when I'm soooo bored, I walked Orchard Road from end-to-end.

[Fortan]

Your semi-complete guide to the shopping malls of Orchard Road:

Tanglin Mall: For expat housewives of a 'certain age'

Orchard Towers: Before 7pm, for gullible tourists. After 7pm, for gullible male tourists, desperate expat males and US Navy men on shore leave.

Forum: For rich parents with young kids

Palais Renaissance: For posh locals and Tai Tais.

Far East Shopping Centre: for lost and confused tourists

Shaw Centre: For local middle income shoppers

ION: B3 to B1: For local youngsters. Level 1 and above: For newly rich PRCs whose wealth exceeds their taste and other wealthy tourists

Tangs: For locals and for locals who think queuing 3 hours for a donut is a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon

Wisma Atria: For middle income locals and expats

Ngee Ann City: For local Tai Tais and wealthy expats and Indonesians.

Lucky Plaza: Mini Manila where all the Tailors think you need a new shirt

Paragon: See Ngee Ann City

Mandarin Gallery: For wealthy locals, tai tais and rich Indonesians

Cathay Cineleisure: For semi-wealthy ah bengs and ah lians

Robinsons/The Heeren: For people who like to wander around huge department stores and not buy anything

313 Somerset: For younger locals and expats

Orchard Central: For younger locals and people curious about how much empty, useless space one can squeeze into the middle of Orchard Road

Centrepoint: For older wealthy Indonesians

Orchard Plaza: More tailors who want to make you shirts and also Orchard Towers for Japanese

Plaza Singapura: See Cathay Cineleisure

The Cathay: For younger locals and gays

Absolutely spot on

[Sergei82]

Tampines Mall - ?
Century Square - ?
Tampines One - ?
Bugis Iluma - ?
Tiong Bahru Plaza - ?
Nex - ?
Funan - ?

[triste]

Next level? Maybe the likes of Plaza Singapura? Where to say walk in at ground floor and go to the top floor, you need to walk down the entire level at each floor, to get the next escalator up. Cynical.

I complain about this every time I visit a mall with this set up, yet I've apparently been conditioned already. On a recent trip home, I immediately went all the way round the escalator in one mall, and made a fool of myself trying to go up the down escalator.

[triste]

Your semi-complete guide to the shopping malls of Orchard Road:

Tanglin Mall: For expat housewives of a 'certain age'

Orchard Towers: Before 7pm, for gullible tourists. After 7pm, for gullible male tourists, desperate expat males and US Navy men on shore leave.

Forum: For rich parents with young kids

Palais Renaissance: For posh locals and Tai Tais.

Far East Shopping Centre: for lost and confused tourists

Shaw Centre: For local middle income shoppers

ION: B3 to B1: For local youngsters. Level 1 and above: For newly rich PRCs whose wealth exceeds their taste and other wealthy tourists

Tangs: For locals and for locals who think queuing 3 hours for a donut is a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon

Wisma Atria: For middle income locals and expats

Ngee Ann City: For local Tai Tais and wealthy expats and Indonesians.

Lucky Plaza: Mini Manila where all the Tailors think you need a new shirt

Paragon: See Ngee Ann City

Mandarin Gallery: For wealthy locals, tai tais and rich Indonesians

Cathay Cineleisure: For semi-wealthy ah bengs and ah lians

Robinsons/The Heeren: For people who like to wander around huge department stores and not buy anything

313 Somerset: For younger locals and expats

Orchard Central: For younger locals and people curious about how much empty, useless space one can squeeze into the middle of Orchard Road

Centrepoint: For older wealthy Indonesians

Orchard Plaza: More tailors who want to make you shirts and also Orchard Towers for Japanese

Plaza Singapura: See Cathay Cineleisure

The Cathay: For younger locals and gays

Fantastic. According to this, I have the tastes of both a tai tai and an ah lian, but I should start checking out Wisma Atria.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Tampines Mall - ?
Century Square - ?
Tampines One - ?
Bugis Iluma - ?
Tiong Bahru Plaza - ?
Nex - ?
Funan - ?

There not on Orchard road.

Your semi-complete guide to the shopping malls of Orchard Road:

But yeah, I hates the layout of NEX and that's the closest shopping centre to where I call home.

[Addadude]

Tampines Mall - ?
Century Square - ?
Tampines One - ?
Bugis Iluma - ?
Tiong Bahru Plaza - ?
Nex - ?
Funan - ?

I'm not as familiar with all these places as I am with Orchard Road but I'll do my best.

Tampines Mall, Century Square, Tampines One, Nex and Tiong Bahru Plaza: True blue 'heartlander' malls - ie. malls with 50% more shops than they are physically capable of containing.

Funan: Sim Lim Square for wimps

[zzm9980]

Tampines Mall - ?
Century Square - ?
Tampines One - ?
Bugis Iluma - ?
Tiong Bahru Plaza - ?
Nex - ?
Funan - ?

I'm not as familiar with all these places as I am with Orchard Road but I'll do my best.

Tampines Mall, Century Square, Tampines One, Nex and Tiong Bahru Plaza: True blue 'heartlander' malls - ie. malls with 50% more shops than they are physically capable of containing.

Funan: Sim Lim Square for wimps

Bugis Iluma (now Bugis+) is basically Cathay Cineleisure.

All of his other ones except Funan are basically what you described, Heartland "True Blue" malls of varying ages. Targetting low-middle income locals who consider Girodano nice, G2000 upscale, and those fake asian Levis (Levi just licensed their name) at $189SGD fashionable.

As they age, the lighting inevitably dims and more massage, reflexology, and Chinese medicine places show up.

[nutnut]

Try shopping on the internet like us normal folk!

Of course, you have to pay $40 in postage for everything.

You can order from Tesco clothing (F&F), Debenhams and Next without too much bother and less than $20 delivery.

US tends to be slightly more expensive for delivery.