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SINGAPORE: Retailers rang in S$5.5 billion in sales at the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) last year, but the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) said it would be tough to beat the 2007 sterling sales performance this year.
With no let-up in labour and rental costs, along with discerning consumer spending in the face of an impending economic downturn, retailers are going all out to give customers more options to exercise their dollars.
The Great Singapore Sale kicks off on Friday and ends on July 20.
Into its 15th year, the sale will offer late-night shopping in Orchard Road and in selected heartland malls such as Causeway Point, Compass Point, Jurong Point and Northpoint.
There will be freebies, weekly lucky draws and competitions, with cash prizes of up to S$100,000 and hefty discounts of up to 70 percent.
Lau Chuen Wei, executive director, SRA, said: "The Great Singapore Sale is not just at Orchard Road where you have the high-end brands and so on. It stretches all over the island, including the heartland centres.
"You have a wide variety of choices and you have options where you want to go. (If) you're after the high-end brands, perhaps you can get a larger discount. For slightly cheaper items where you may not get a huge discount, the absolute dollar that you pay is much lower."
Tourists will also get special discounts on clothing, accessories, consumer technology and culinary delights by flashing their Tourist Privilege Card, passport and airline ticket stub.
They can also sign up for special shopping tours, giving them a taste of Singapore's food and culture.
Andrew Phua, director of Cluster Development, Tourism Shopping and Dining, Singapore Tourism Board, said: "Besides big shopping malls and branded stuff, we also have the ethnic districts and enclaves which offer a very different shopping experience.
"Be it Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam or even Katong, visitors travelling to this part of the world will be able to try different cuisines."
This year's sale will also feature the 'Shop for A Cause' night on June 14.
T V Seshadri, vice president and senior country manager, MasterCard Worldwide, said: "Customers need to submit a write-up of about 100 words and 20 of them will be selected by a panel. They'll be given a MasterCard with a value of S$2,000 which they can use at the GSS for items that will be given to charity."
- CNA/so
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