94 Best Places to Shop in Singapore

One of Orchard Road's best-loved megamalls contains eight levels of shopping and dining distractions. Key fashion tenants include UNIQLO, Zara, and Love, Bonito, though there are plenty of tech, jewelery, and homeware stores, too. Along the mall's open-air Discovery Walk is a clutch of buzzing bars and restaurants, including JiBiru Yakitori & Craft Beer, which deals in local and imported microbrews. Refuel with a caffeine hit at uber-cool spots % Arabica or Flash Coffee, or join the long lines for bubble tea at Gong Cha.

Haji Lane is known for turning up some of the island's more unusual fashion finds so it’s no surprise that founder Astou Montfort decided to set up shop there. In particular, AS’FALL’s seasonal collection of made-in-Singapore clothing sports intricate embroidery specially crafted by Senegalese artisans for the brand. With limited runs and monthly rotating cultural patterns and motifs, each season sees different ethnic fabrics (batik, wax African fabric) being used, turning out truly unique luxe-yet-ethical clothing. 

A team of craftsmen and designers makes the unique handmade products, including jewelry, accessories, leather goods, and woodwork that are sold in this boutique. You’re bound to find something unique here.

Wooden planks painted like piano keys mark the entrance to BooksActually, a vintage bookstore on hip Yong Siak Street. Here you can browse an excellent selection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to the sound of light indie-pop tunes. The back room has interesting bric-a-brac, and there's selection of book-vending machines out front, where you can purchase a "mystery" book wrapped in white paper for S$10.

This is one of the most popular spots in the city to souvenir shop. The stalls sprawl across Pagoda Street, Trengganu Street, Sago Lane, Smith Street, and Temple Street, so you just need to pick a starting point and get walking. You can buy everything from lacquerware and handmade fans to paintings and T-shirts. Prices are usually fixed.

A unique concept in Singapore allows you to trade in your unwanted clothing and "swap" for pieces you do fancy. The store, with a goal to “make fashion a force for good,” has saved over 200,000 fashion items since inception, reducing the energy and resources needed to create new items. It’s great fun to search through the racks for a new look, especially with a clear conscience.

Following a renovation that was completed in 2019, this electronics and tech-lifestyle center now has funky retail, dining, and entertainment offerings like a food court where you can pay with cryptocurrency, a theater, a rock-climbing wall, and more. One of the most interesting things is the 5,000 square-foot rooftop urban farm that's part of the city's commitment against food insecurity, and whose produce is directly sourced by Noka, a modern-Japanese restaurant on Funan's 7th floor. 

Need a break from Singapore's fun but sometimes suffocating mall culture? Head to the open air and this strip of restored shophouses, which stretches from Beach Road to North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam. Among the numerous indie fashion and lifestyle shops like Flame Vintage Store (genuine branded vintage finds), Crafune (DIY leather goods), Hygge (imported bags, handcrafted accessories), and The Nail Social (which uses nontoxic, eco-friendly, fair-trade, and cruelty-free nail products). The best way to tackle Haji Lane is to simply give yourself a few hours to wander and window-shop at random.

With a bold, sci-fi-inspired facade and a 56th-floor viewing deck replete with high-powered telescopes, this is not your everyday megamall, even by Singapore's lofty standards. In addition to local boutiques and more than 300 luxury shops, you'll find a cavernous food hall and a gourmet supermarket. But that's still not all: the fourth floor has the 3,640-square-foot ION Art Gallery, which regularly exhibits works by local and international artists.

Locals flock to Jamal Kazura Aromatics for high-quality perfumes and essential oils. Allow about 30 minutes for a consultation with one of the shop's staff members, who'll ask you a few questions about your lifestyle and favorite smells before concocting your personalized take-home fragrance. Call ahead to make an appointment. There are two other nearby outlets: one at 21 Bussorah Street and another at 39 Bussorah Street.

Located in the Holland Road Shopping Centre, which is an expat landmark, Lim's Arts and Living carries an eclectic range of handcrafted furniture, silks, paper products, Asian-style housewares, and sundry knickknacks. Even if you don't buy anything, it's a fun shop to browse. This is just one of several of Lim's outlets across the city, having first opened in 1970.

This used to be a humble store frequented only by local shoppers—until word spread about its low prices and mind-boggling variety of goods. A visit to this sprawling, 24/7 complex just might be your most memorable Singapore shopping experience, provided you don't mind patiently navigating the sometimes overwhelming crowds. Surrounded by scores of Indian restaurants, some of which are similarly open all day and night, Mustafa Centre carries just about any manufactured product you can imagine—and they're often sold at cut-rate prices. It's great fun to wander and see what kind of treasures you can turn up. Be sure to check out the massive supermarket, and, if you have spare money to change, do it here as the foreign-exchange rates (available online) are competitive.

The Japanese department store Takashimaya dominates this gigantic shopping mall, but there are also more than 130 other shops and dining outlets packed into the first few floors of the Ngee Ann towers. The basement food center is fun for snacking on everything from Hokkaido-style ice cream to bubble tea, and there's also, of course, a large food court if you're craving something more substantial. Books Kinokuniya—a must-visit—is one of the biggest bookstores in Southeast Asia, and special sales on clothing, housewares, and other goods are regularly held in the basement-level square.

This Chinatown gallery houses a collection of over 30,000 Peranakan tiles—colorful ceramics based on designs created by descendants of Chinese traders who settled in Singapore as early as the 15th century. A blend of Malaysian, Indonesian, and Singaporean influences, the intricate tiles can be seen adorning shophouses and residential properties across the island. Peranakan tiles make a distinctive (if fragile) souvenir of your time in Singapore, so Victor Lim’s gallery is well worth a visit if you still have room in the suitcase.

Perhaps the best way to bring home a piece of Singapore is to buy from this local brand helmed by husband and wife Edwin and Mei Ling. They design and produce meaningful omiyage (contemporary gift ware) using Singapore’s rich culture as inspiration. Plates, cups, and bowls are emblazoned with uniquely local icons like the Merlion, the Singapore Flyer, and Jewel Changi’s Vortex (that jaw-dropping airport waterfall you've been hearing about). Their Supermama Porcelain line is made in collaboration with Kihara, a well-known Japanese porcelain label and their stockist now includes glassware, tea towels, and commemorative bone china. 

Head to this long-established store inside the Tanglin Shopping Centre for an interesting selection of vintage Southeast Asian artifacts and collectibles, including original books, photos, maps, and prints.

If you’re traveling around SEA, the second floor of the Arcade mall is by far the best place in Singapore to buy currency, with over 20 vendors competing for the best rates. If you are at lunch hour, though, expect long lines.

Occupying a 5,000-square-foot space on Dempsey Hill, this store specializes in jewelry, art, and home furnishings from around the world and with a focus on natural and recycled materials. Even if, as a short-term visitor, you aren't in a position to purchase some of the larger items, it's still a fun shop to walk around, getting lost in the maze of old goods. There are also personalized services like custom-made furniture.

This unique shopping complex is worth visiting just to see its shophouse facades, all enclosed under glass domes and cooled with arctic-strength air-conditioning. While you're here, look for affordable streetwear boutiques, a movie theater, cafés and restaurants, and the Kinokuniya bookstore. The center of Bugis Junction connects to the InterContinental Singapore hotel and Bugis MRT station.

This shop in Peninsula Shopping Centre carries not just the latest cameras and accessories from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, and Mamiya, but also analogue models and serious shutterbug equipment like dry cabinets. You can even get camera issues diagnosed by the staff, have your cam cleaned, or sell a pre-loved gadget.

This complex, inside what was Singapore's first skyscraper when it was built in 1939, has eight floors of quirky stores and entertainment outlets, including an eight-screen cineplex and the funky Brunswick Pool & Billiards. Check out Leftfoot (#01–19/20) for an excellent selection of hard-to-find sneakers and VOL.TA Marque (#02–09) for sharp men's fashion. The complex is across the street from the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station; look for the building's original art deco facade.