Here's What to Buy in Singapore and Why You Should Expect to Go on a Shopping Spree on This Island Nation!

Singapore, the magnificent man-made city has so much to attract an avid traveller that it easily becomes one of the favourite destinations in the world. A city with something for everybody, right from children to senior citizens, Singapore is one of the most-travelled tourist destinations in the world. When it comes to shopping, there is nothing that you cannot find here. Large supermarkets, hypermarkets, malls, local vendors, street hawkers, and exciting shopping festivals can take you on an exciting shopping spree. From local delicacies to fashion apparel, from artifacts to the latest gadgets, from furniture to footwear, this land has everything you might ever need in a lifetime. So, if you are on a shop-a-cation in this thrilling city, a guide to some of the best-shopping outlets can be most useful. Mentioned below are some places where you must visit for shopping, even if you only intend to go window-shopping.

A shopping heaven for shopaholics, you can spend the entire day or more, shopping hard or just catching a glimpse of your favourite high-end brands. Orchard road has 20 huge malls, all within 2.5 km of each other. You find the costliest fashion brands here along with other staples like Aldo, H&M, and Sephora. The Ion Mall is the most popular one, here, as it has many luxurious brands under one roof. The Far East Plaza for Boutiques has special collection here, which the mainstream stores also do not have and so do take a peek in there. And while shopping, when you need refuelling, there are plenty of food outlets here offering all kinds of global cuisines.

On the way to Sentosa, do stop in for some time at Vivo City. Although, it is just one mall, it has everything you want under a budget. You will find brands here Forever 21, MAC, and TopShop and so you can shop till you drop. You can pick up some gifts for your friends back home, especially, those who have sent you to Singapore with a shopping list. From here, you can get on the train to Sentosa.

If you have some spare cash in your wallet and do want to splurge or if your boyfriend is treating you, then do go to this upscale Mall, where you will find the most expensive designers in the world. Don’t expect any discounts here, instead, live your dream of a lifetime and pick up a few of the fanciest things on the planet.

Arab Street has some of the most unique clothing and art boutiques in the world. If you love to possess clothing that no one has ever seen or worn before then Haji Lane near Arab street should be your go-to-shopping-destination. These boutiques are closed at night so make sure you hit them during daylight.

How can you end your shopping spree without investing in a few latest gadgets? Sim Lim Square has multiple stores offering everything, from iPhone lens clips to cameras, from cell phones to TVs. Although the price quoted is initially high, you can bargain to get your way.

Singapore has a whole galore of food products, artifacts, souvenirs, gadgets, fashion apparels and everything you ever need to possess. Many of these products are available elsewhere in the world too, and so, when you especially come to Singapore for shopping, you must pick up only those which are locally made and are a specialty of this place. So if you need some tips on what to buy in Singapore, given below is a comprehensive guide on shopping in Singapore.

The Merlion is the national symbol of Singapore and you will find this symbol almost everywhere from currency to statuettes. This weird looking half lion-half mermaid creature represents the city’s original name – Singapura, which means ‘lion city’. The lower half of this symbol depicts Singapore as a fishing village. Everyone who goes to Singapore does visit the huge statue of Merlion in many places. This symbol can be seen in keychains, fridge magnets, apparels, stationery, can openers, ashtrays and many such items. Getting a souvenir of a Merlion from Singapore becomes one of your favourite assets because it will always remind you of your visit to this magnificent city.

Singapore Sling is the national drink of this island and it dates back to 1930s when it was first created by a bartender at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar. He named is ‘Singapore Sling’ and the drink has been famous ever since. This drink is an interesting concoction made from lime juice, orange juice, cherry brandy, pineapple juice, and gin. Although many variations of this original recipe are available today, some still prefer the original mix of the cocktail. When travelling to Singapore and confused about what to buy for your relatives and friends back home, the Singapore Sling makes a great gift.

Orchids are the national flowers of Singapore. Buying an orchid infused perfume from Singapore as a souvenir for yourself or your friends back home ensures that you have taken a part of this city-state back with you on your return. It will not only fill your senses with its wonderful fragrance but also reminds you of your glorious stay here. Sold under the name of ‘Singapore Memories’, these orchid perfumes are carefully made by blending exquisite aromas of the native orchid varieties. The perfumes are sold in elegant bottles and one can get male, female and unisex fragrances. These fragrances also have captivating names such as Aranda 1965, Orchids by the Bay, One Degree North, and many others. One can select a scent that best suits your preferences. These scents help you keep the memories of Singapore always fresh in your minds.

When it comes to buying gifts for your friends and families, edible gifts are most preferred. When you take a local delicacy from Singapore back home, they too can taste what the local cuisines taste like. Bak Kwa is pork or beef meat marinated in soy sauce, with sugar and spices. It is slow-grilled over charcoal. This traditional barbeque sliced meat dish is a local snack and is widely gifted by people here to their parents and friends on Chinese New Year Festival.

Your trip to Singapore is incomplete unless you buy or taste this delicious local delicacy. Prepared from coconut milk, sugar, eggs, and pandal leaves, this flavoursome jam spread is best had on a hot piece of toasted bread. Singaporeans love to devour this Kaya jam for breakfast every morning. Kaya is also used as a topping for desserts and cakes.

Durian, a local fruit, is not allowed in hotels, metros, and airplanes in Singapore. But, when in Singapore, you must taste the fruit freshly cut. And to take back home a durian product, you can, instead, buy cookies, Durian flavoured coffee and candies to let everyone back home taste the flavour of this fruit. A very strong fruit with an intense aroma, not everyone has a liking towards it. But when in Singapore, you must at least try it once.

When in Singapore, you must, at least, buy one of these handcrafted artifacts as a souvenir. You can find unique antique pieces and some gorgeous scrolls for your house décor. Singaporeans buy a lot of these Asian artifacts for gifting purpose.

Laksa Paste is another local delicacy that travellers in Singapore buy. Laksa is a traditional Peranakan noodle soup made from coconut milk, lemongrass, prawn paste and laksa leaves. It was originally made by the Chinese and Malay people. To make it convenient to carry, it is available in frozen form and also sold as a ready-to-cook paste. For those who loved the taste of this traditional Singaporean dish, can take home this Laksa paste to make it back home too.

Orchid is the national flower of Singapore. If you want to pick up a premium gift for yourself or someone special back home, then this gold plated orchid would be just perfect. These gold plated orchid products from RISIS are real orchids plated with 24k gold. These are used to make stunning jewellery pieces such as pendants, earrings, bracelets, rings, brooches, etc. These orchids are also used to make office stationery such as card and pen holders and other artifacts such as picture frames, etc. This gold plated orchid is exquisite in every way because it not only contains a real flower but also showcases the spirit of Singapore.

Tiger Balm products initially originated from Chinese emperors. The business of selling these products commercially was first started by Aw Chu Kin – A Chinese herbalist. He later expanded his operations to Singapore from China. Tiger Balm products are famous worldwide for instant relief and healing effect. These are used as topical applicants. These products are found in various stores island wide.

If you want to buy something in Singapore, but, do not have a lot of money to spend, then there are some places where you get some lovely items dirt cheap.