132 Best Places to Shop in Singapore

This aging, imposing blue building on the outskirts of Tiong Bahru hides a treasure trove of furniture and housewares stores. Don’t be fooled by the building’s exterior; some of Singapore’s most stylish and sought-after furniture brands have stores somewhere in the vast block. While the majority of the stores focus on larger pieces, you’ll find many small pieces, artworks, and keepsakes as you browse. Highlights include vintage treasures at Journey East, Asian gifts and home products at Singapore Trading Post, and Chinese antiques at Emperor’s Attic. Handy tip: if you can’t find the store you are looking for, ask the friendly parking assistants.

Tucked into one of the oldest residential areas in Singapore, this inconspicuous store hides a wealth of yellow gold. A collector of oft-forgotten, rare cheeses, founder Ai Ming Syu is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about cheese from around the world; in fact, the shop will only sell you the right cheese when it is ripe and ready, so do go with an open mind. They also have crackers, chutneys, charcuterie, wine, and more. If you are looking for something to elevate your picnic, this is the perfect stop.

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.

Opposite IKEA, this mall is popular for its fashion and salon options. In the basement are a couple of interesting gift and lifestyle stores. You'll also find a great range of bakeries and coffee shops throughout.

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.

Owned by the Shanghai-born art dealer and author Marjorie Chu, Art Forum is a beautiful contemporary art gallery with a focus on Southeast Asia. Paintings and sculptures from more than 150 local and international artists are on display within this restored, whitewashed terrace house, and Chu herself is a wonderful resource for learning about the region's evolving arts scene.

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.

Given its somewhat hidden location on the second level of the aging and nondescript Bras Basah Complex, there's a good chance you'd miss this indie-minded boutique if you didn't know it was there; it's well worth seeking out. Low-res Lomography and 35mm cameras, stylish camera bags, vintage postcards and stationery, handbags from thhe Singaporean designers Uyii, and a small-but-thoughtful selection of books, music, and journals highlight the mix of goods here.

One of the rare outlet malls in Singapore, Changi City Point houses more than 140 shops, including the factory stores of big-name sports and fashion brands like Nike, Adidas, Clarks, and Esprit. The landscaped rooftop garden of the three-story mall is a great place to take a breather in between shopping, and the top floor also houses a free playground and tree-house trail for kids.

One of the more modern shopping malls in the Chinatown area, this mall is a great place to grab a cool drink in the crisp air-conditioning—a welcome break from the busy market streets nearby. You'll also find a range of chain restaurants if you are looking for a quick lunch, as well as such expected amenities as drugstores in the basement. There are regular promotions and events held in the main area on the first floor, near the Cross Street entrance.

The Singapore River is more known for its bars and restaurants, so isn’t somewhere locals usually come to shop. If you do need something, though, this large mall has the usual brands, including eateries and amenities from fast food restaurants to drug stores. Japanese superstore Don Don Donki has a large space in the basement with a good range of Japanese food stalls.

The trendy fashion retailer Club 21 offers sharp men's and women's clothing lines from such well-known designers as Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, and Alexander McQueen. Naturally, the price tags match the big-brand names. There are several other branches around Singapore.

This well-respected Singaporean tailor has stood the test of time by creating quality suits and custom-made dresses using the finest fabrics from Europe and Japan. Book an appointment for bespoke tailoring, or check out their mail order service online.

Rather than buy a ready-made memento, why not spend a few hours learning the art of leathercraft and personalizing your own souvenir? At local leather brand Crafune, the 3 Small Accessories workshop ($65) teaches one how to craft and personalize a key holder, coin pouch, and card sleeve. If you’re short on time, the retail store has a variety of leather goods to choose from. 

Open since 1935, this upscale clothing store specializes in stylish men's and women's shirts, suits, and skirts custom-made from more than 1,000 different fabrics. A second branch is at Capitol Piazza.

If you are looking for high fashion items (with a matching price tag) COMO Lifestyle’s Dover Street Market is a good option. Founded by Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo and set in a former barracks on Dempsey Hill, the large space features collections from Gucci, Comme des Garçons, Thom Browne and Simone Rocha.

One of the CBD’s few dedicated retail spaces, Downtown Gallery houses unique shops, including Bold&Craft and The Fashion Pulpit, as well as a range of barbers and healthcare studios. The mall is also home to fitness and gym spaces, with a concentration of sports, cycling equipment, and apparel shops. There’s also a nice selection of cafés and restaurants here for a quick refuel.

This shop sells rare and upscale fragrances and beauty products from more than 30 leading international brands, including Acqua Di Parma, Diptyque, and Hermès. Personal makeovers, beauty events, and fragrance profiling are available by appointment. There are additional outlets in the TANGS and ION Orchard malls along Orchard Road.

Not to be confused with the nearby mall Far East Shopping Centre, Far East Plaza is a five-story mall packed with stores selling everything from electronics to trendy street wear to bespoke tailoring, and much more. Although it's on the older side, it's still a popular Orchard-area hangout for local teens. Of course, it wouldn't be a Singapore mall if there weren't also dozens of restaurants, snack counters, and cafés.

Forum is one of the more family-oriented shopping malls on Orchard, with more than ten kids' clothing outlets and a variety of children's learning and fitness centers. There's also a delicious Cantonese dumpling restaurant called Jade Palace alongside a dozen restaurants and coffee shops.

Add a little glamour to your wardrobe with a gown fit for the red carpet from the award-winning Singaporean designer Francis Cheong. High-end jewelry and other accessories suited to fashionable finery are also available.

Head to Gajah Gallery to browse an eclectic collection of contemporary works from Vietnamese, Singaporean, Indonesian, and other regional artists.

This double-story Minangkabau-style market and hawker center is the beating heart of Singapore’s Malay community. Here, you can pick up a vast range of Malay groceries, fashion accessories, and some of the best—and most reasonably priced—Muslim food in town. The ground floor of the open-air structure contains a wet market that peddles everything from halal meat to the fabled tongkat ali drink (meant to help with male fertility). The second floor has a dry-goods bazaar and food center.

This large mall used to be the site of Great World Amusement Park, which provided entertainment to local Singaporeans up until the 1970s. Now home to some of Singapore’s most popular chain stores, the mall is often frequented by families exploring the shops and activities aimed at kids. There are two high-quality supermarkets here as well as several delicatessens and specialty grocers, so it’s a good place to shop for food souvenirs. As with all malls in Singapore, there’s a wide range of options for eating and drinking throughout; highlights include Malaysian hawker stalls at Malaysia Chiak!; Japanese food court &JOY Dining Hall; and branches of dim sum favorite Imperial Treasure.