With over 250 shopping malls to visit and more than ten major shopping districts to roam around in, shopping in Singapore is a sport. It will be best to arm yourself with a good-sized map of the country and a few street directories as you navigate through the city on your shopping sprees in Orchard, Raffles Place, Shenton Way, Kampong Glam, Arab Street, Marina Bay, Bugis, Riverside, North Bridge Road, Chinatown, Little India, Geylang Serai, and the suburbs.

Bugis

Sheltered walkways and air-conditioned shopping zones on Bugis Street can be reached through the Bugis (EW12) MRT station. A unique shopping street opposite Parco Bugis Junction area, Bugis is the location of over 600 shopping stalls and clothes shops, as well as a few cafes and hawker food stalls. Shoppers can easily find electronic items, clothes, knick-knacks, and accessories while enjoying a distinctive street shopping ambience in one of the most popular areas in Singapore.

Parco Bugis Junction is Singapore’s first glass-covered air-conditioned shopping street. It houses shops, modern retail outlets, the large Japanese department store Seiyu, and a cineplex. Also found in the Bugis district is OG Albert, a one-stop family store that is a household name in Singapore.

Little India

Accessible through the Little India (NE7) MRT station, the best shopping on this district is located on Serangoon Road where Indian imports and cultural items are found. At the end of this busy street stands the 24-hour emporium called Mustafa Centre where every conceivable item is found. This gigantic department store occupies two city blocks and houses such real finds as electronic gadgets and rows of saris and silk fabrics. Gold jewelry in Indian designs may be found on two floors. Spices, embroidered casual wear, perfume oils, cotton tapestries, handicrafts, and textiles for the home come at very low fixed prices.

Known as KK Market to the local citizenry, the Tekka Centre on Buffalo Road is a sprawling wet market full of fresh vegetables, fish, meat, spices, and flowers. Other notable shops in the district are Little India Arcade, Kuna’s, Zhujiao Centre, Punjab Bazaar, and Roopalee Fashions. Little India is a treasure trove of silverware, brassware, ethnic jewelry, Indian fashion, and spices.

Chinatown

The cultural hub of Chinese migrants is right behind the towering skyscrapers of Singapore’s financial district. Chinatown is accessible via the Chinatown or Outram Park MRT stations. It is popular for being a bargain haven for antique pieces, cultural artifacts, apparels, accessories, and food. Popular spots are Chinatown Complex, People’s Park Complex, Chinatown Point and People’s Park Centre. The Singapore Handicraft Centre in Chinatown Point which is right above the Chinatown station is bustling full of shops that offer bronze works, paintings, antiques, pottery, porcelain wares, wood carvings, and embroidery.

Along the alleyways of this quaint district, you can find exotic medicine and all sorts of potions for any ailment. Exotic fruits abound on stalls along the streets. Fortune-tellers read palms on makeshift tables. Hawkers offer thinly-sliced pork barbecues to passersby. Exciting bargains can be had along the narrow Smith Street, Trengganu Street, Temple Street, and Pagoda Street. Modern shops can be found around the junction of Cross Street and New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Seng Street. The large shopping complexes here are Chinatown Point, Yue Hwa, People’s Park Complex, and Chinatown Complex.

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Via Bugis Street/Virtual Tourist/New Asia Singapore