Shopping
In Singapore, shopping is said to be the
national sport, strongly supported by numerous shopping areas,
malls and markets; at the mid-year Great Singapore Sale, the whole
island offers fantastic shopping discounts. Orchard Road is the
main shopping area and features mall after mall of fashion,
furniture and cosmetic shops. There are countless stores offering
every imaginable form of electronic device shoppers might require,
and the street markets and smaller shops sell Chinese seals and
painted fans - good souvenirs. There is also late night shopping on
Orchard Road every Saturday till 11pm. Exhibitions, fairs and
garage sales take place often and offer many discounted goods. Wet
Markets smell bad but sell well-priced fresh fruits, vegetables,
fish, spices and flowers. The general opening hours for shops are
from about 9am to 10pm, but many shops (especially those in Suntec
City and Funan IT Mall) do not open before 11am. A 7% GST is
charged in Singapore, refundable to international
visitors.
