By Gloria Wong . Urban Wire email reporter
. email story . printer friendly version
Plot your spree in town with our
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The Great
Singapore Sale (GSS) is THE event that any shopaholic worth her
discount coupons looks forward to with anticipation, rubbing her hands
gleefully as she counts down the days left to the start. New strategies
are formulated, stores are targeted with precision, and items are eyed
with as much accuracy as someone aiming at a bull’s eye.
GSS, which lasted from May 30 to Jul 12, has left
many a shopaholic moaning over missing out on that little black dress,
ruing the fact that the brown suede shoes that went on 70% discount
are not sitting in their shoe cupboard, grumbling about the white shirt
that ran out in size 10. Amid the endless string of complaints, the
wait for next year's GSS begins.
With the demise of the GSS signs along Orchard road, avid shoppers might
be suffering withdrawal symptoms. However, contrary to popular belief,
post-GSS shopping isn't all that bad. Yes, even in town, there are still
items that are chic, trendy, and, of course, a good bargain too.
Warning: The following few paragraphs may
encourage further spending and inflict further harm to your already-damaged
wallet. Gloria Wong will not be held liable for any excessive spending.
Far
East Plaza
14 Scotts Rd
Far East Plaza
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
Far East Plaza has been 'THE' teenage hangout since the 90s. A place
favoured by those in secondary school uniforms and others toting their
junior college files, Far East, as it is more affectionately known,
remains a choice location to chill, relax and unwind at, and UrbanWire
pops by to check out the post-sale action.
Level One, which opened in 2002, has made Far East
an even greater reason for teens to pop by Far East. It sees 90 stores
vying for the young person's attention, hoping to draw a following among
them. From Gelare to Shibuya
to Bus Stop to 37 Degrees, teenagers are spoilt for choice.
Radioactive at Far East Plaza
However, it isn't just Level One that has the bargains.
On the 3rd level of Far East, there's Radioactive,
a Malaysian streetwear label, which caters to both men and women. Bags,
clothes, and accessories are aplenty even within the limited space in
the store.
Manager Joe Yu, in his 30s, said that the 4-month-old store plans to
open another branch, though nothing concrete has been planned yet.
"We want to ensure that business is good," he said, "before
we open another store." Business certainly has been good, especially
with its prime location - Radioactive is situated near the escalator
of the 3rd level.
However, Aye Workshop, another store located on the same level, hasn’t
done as well, which is why the sales staff are unwilling to reveal their
real names, hence the asterisks we’ve inserted. Andy* exclaimed,
"We've been here since 1999, but there are still people who walk
in and ask us if we've just set up shop!"
On weekdays, business is so bad that they can actually
count the number of people who walk past their shop, revealed retail
assistant Cynthia*.
Most people don’t know what they’re missing out on. The
unique accessories they sell include personalised accessories. Select
a plastic or metal piece, pick a drawing of your choice, have whatever
you want inscribed, and there you go. Waiting time depends on the number
of people in "queue", which tends not to be too many. The
metal/plastic items they sell can be used as a keychain, handphone accessory,
necklace, and more. That’s not the only draw in the store though.
A variety of accessories (think necklaces, rings), photos of Korean
stars, and clothes have seen the shop stay put in Far East all these
years, even though on occasions, they’re barely scraping by.
Far East, of course, isn't the only "Plaza"
to have such great buys - there's also Lucky Plaza, located just a few
blocks down the road.
Lucky
Plaza
304 Orchard Rd
Lucky Plaza
Tel.: (65) 62353294
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (there are several stores which close
later)
Smack in the middle of Orchard Rd
is Lucky Plaza
The brown building associated with Filipino maids
who go there on their Sundays off, often gets a pass from most people
when it comes to shopping. It’s usually dismissed as a "nothing
much" place if you take away the attractions of a game of pool
at Mambo Billiards,
or food.
Its misleading stereotypes and exterior of the building hide a shopper’s
fantasy with quality cosmetic products, clothes, and more at bargain
prices. There’s Mambo Billiards, a pool hall, Levi’s
Jeans, 2 scrumptious food courts (at Basement 1 and Level 6 respectively)
and so much more.
At basement 1, cosmetic products line the shelves of numerous stores.
Nothing different from that found in large department stores, you say?
Look carefully. The perk of shopping here is that you get to purchase
"sample" and "tester" cosmetics (i.e. small bottles
that are given away during a promotion). Though the cosmetic giants
are trying to clamp down on these stores, they fill a need. Perfect
for the weekend getaway on a cruise ship, these small vials will let
you travel light. For example, Clinique’s
Self-Tanning Lotion will only cost you $20 for 150ml.
Ann* (who declined to be named for fear of being identified by the makeup
biggies), works for one such shop. She explained that her goods are
imported from France and America. Justifying her low prices, she said
that through direct dealings with wholesalers, her boss managed to get
better prices.
With such shrewd businessmen helming these shops, a myriad of reasonably-priced
goods are available for shoppers. Even men are not neglected when it
comes to the beauty factor. Yes, there are facial creams, eye creams
and others for men too.
Beauty isn't just about cosmetics and cream, but also about how you
carry yourself. A haircut is absolutely essential in helping you feel
good. So after shopping for cosmetics, why not go for a quick pick-me-up
trim?
QB House, on
the 1st floor of Lucky Plaza, occupies a relatively small space (less
than half of a secondary school classroom) for a hairdressing salon.
Dismiss any typical images of regular hair salons. You can have a haircut
done in 10 minutes for merely $10 without disrupting your carefully-planned
‘raid’ on the stores along Orchard Road.
Customers flock to QB House like bees to honey, and as Sim Chong Sze,
22, a NTU student testifies, it is "quick and efficient."
His best friend, Toh Chun Boon, 21, a NUS student, has even greater
praise for QB.
"The stylist cutting my hair spent 15-20 minutes cutting my hair
to make sure it looked good," he enthused, "and it really
turned out well! Not only was the haircut nice, the service was good
too!"
Besides getting a new fabulous look like the one Chun Boon got, you’ll
also be rejuvenated, and gain renewed zest to continue that shopping
spree. Trek 5 minutes down the road to The Heeren Shops, your next hotspot
along Orchard Road.
The
Heeren Shops
260 Orchard Rd
The Heeren
Tel.: 67334725
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (there are several stores which close
later)
The building with its famous anchor tenant, HMV,
is usually regarded as nothing other than a meeting place, or a place
to simply window shop. However, with the re-launch of Level 4 (aside from
the Annex), new tenants like Xi, RE- and Spore have been giving the Heeren
the attention and a reputation for being a great shopping location in
addition to the 50 stores at the Annex.
Intoxique, the link between the two
ends of the Annex
Intoxique,
a shop selling accessories located deep inside Heeren's Annex (Level 4),
is a place most trendy teenagers visit. Located in between Flowers in
the Attic (local diva Kit
Chan's store) and the games arcade, it acts as a link between the
2 different sides of the Annex.
This might have been the key to Intoxique's survival, as they’ve
been at the Annex since its opening in 2000. "Business has been okay,"
said Barry Shih, 27, Intoxique's retail manager, "but when there
are people holding sales with 70% discounts, it really spoils the market
[for us]."
Spoilers in the market or not, Intoxique looks set to continue bowling
their customers over with its lava lamps, its diverse range of greeting
cards, accessories, photo frames, soft toys and more. Better yet, Intoxique
is set to bring in a whole new range of goods this month.
Another place with a multifarious range of goods is Mini Mix. Nothing
like a shot of sugar to recharge your batteries when you feel that those
heavy shopping bags are wearing you out, and sapping your energy to shop.
According to its website, the store has got "more than a hundred
different types of sweets". Sandra Wong, 16, a Secondary 4 student,
thinks the claim might be true. "There are so many different boxes
of sweets, and there are also the Pick 'N' Mix sweets," she said,
"but my favourite will be the Pooh Biscuits."
Simply standing in front of the corner unit, you’ll be lost for
words and not know what to pick. From Milk Bears to Dracula Teeth and
even mini Chocolate Eggs, choosing a bag of 100g will take more than 5
minutes. If you think that your wallet cannot afford this little luxury,
you are wrong. 100g of sugar rush will cost a mere $1.20, so you can start
digging your piggy banks for those 20-cent coins now.
Now that you’re hugging your little bag of candies, you might want
to think about heading across the road to Cathay Cineleisure to rest your
tired legs. Cathay
Cineleisure
8 Grange Rd
Cathay Cineleisure
Tel.: 67335956
Opening Hours: 11am – 10.30pm (Mon-Thurs) 11am – 1am (Fri-Sun,
Eve of PH)
Take a much-needed breather on the comfortable red sofas on the 6th level
of Cathay Cineleisure. These chairs were put there for the comfort of
those waiting to go into the cinemas, which is what most people patronise
the building for.
Cineleisure is well known for food, movies, and games.
Located beside the Meritus
Mandarin Singapore, hardly anyone would visit this building for
shopping, not even die-hard shopaholics. The stores on Level 2 have
complained that many people bypass them, and what a waste that this
is so. This floor holds several gems, one of which is Maameemoo.
Don't be fooled by the tiny shop
space; Maameemoo has more than you would imagine!
Maameemoo, named after a cartoon about a French cow
with the same name, is owned by Lisa Chin. The store sells things ranging
from women's clothing, to accessories, pencil boxes and bags, and is
usually manned by Rachel Lim, 17, a private school student.
Regular customer Hoang Xin Qi, 18, a polytechnic student, declares Maameemoo
her “absolute favourite”. "Their clothes are very unique
as they are all done by hand," she explains, "and their accessories
are very cute! I'll come by, and usually I'll walk out with at least
1 shopping bag."
Rachel says that most of the customers are junior college students,
and so the busiest days that the shop sees are Wednesdays, the co-curricular
activity (CCA) days for JC students. "We are busy on weekends,"
she says, "but Sunday is relatively slower."
Over at 8%, Cecelia Yeo, 20, the store's retail assistant, agreed with
Rachel 100%. 8%, which sells bags of all kinds, together with a small
variety of slippers, is located a few doors down from Maameemoo.
"Business has picked up since the Great Singapore Sale," she
confides, "but I hope that business will get even better."
With their variety of bags, pouches, pencil boxes, and slippers, business
should be picking up in no time, especially with prices for pouches
that start as low as $6.90.
Time, for retailers, is absolutely precious and makes a huge difference
to their cash registers. However, for shopaholics (post-GSS), the time
that is left till the next GSS represents a whole period to scour the
island for good, cheap buys. Oh, and to compile a list of good shopping
hotspots to go to during the next GSS.
Spotting
a Shopaholic
Shopping as a
hobby is fine, but be careful, warns professional counsellor and
psychologist Dr. Frederick Toke. “Avid shoppers live to shop,”
he says with a laugh, “and it becomes a habit that is hard
to break.”
He turns serious, and begins to highlight the fact that one can
become addicted to shopping. “When a person begins to experience
things like mood swings, being irritable, and constantly thinking
about shopping,” he explains, “it shows that he/she
has become addicted to shopping.”
Several people blame the fact that stores more often than not have
sales signs all over these days, and claim that seeing a ‘Sale’
or a ‘10% discount’ sign in a shop will affect them
psychologically. You only have to read Sophie Kinsella’s best-selling
series of shopaholic books to see how the addiction can totally
ruin a person’s life.
Dr. Toke reveals that it is true. “There was an experiment
done by a psychologist [Pavlov] with regard to predicting behaviours,”
he says, “and so he used a dog for this experiment.
“Each time during meal-time, he would produce a plate of meat.
He rang a bell at the same time, and the dog instantly salivated
at the sight of the meat. He continued doing so, and the dog soon
got used to the bell signalling meal-time. As such, even when the
bell was rung without any meat, the dog would still salivate.”
He used this as an illustration to describe what conditioning is.
“This is what we call classic conditioning,” he elaborates,
“the conditioning of the mind. A sale sign is just like the
bell, and the purchasing of goods is the meat.
Most shopaholics will feel good after shopping as it makes them
feel in control, feel relieved from stress, and a sense of satisfaction.
“So shopaholics should be careful,” he says, “because
once it becomes a habit it’ll be quite hard to break.”
So to you, our reader, please be careful not to become addicted
to shopping, as it can become a rather serious problem.
On a lighter note, take a quiz here
to see what kind of a shopper you are!
