<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Malls are packed, thanks to the Great S'pore Sale
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Retailers offering bigger rebates; less impulse buying seen as shoppers hunt for bargains; some tourists call for better discounts </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Teo Wan Gek and Kimberley Lim
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom>
The school holidays have started along with the GSS, boosting the shopping crowd. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Weekend shopping for Mrs Jade Tan started last Friday.
That was when this year's Great Singapore Sale (GSS) got going - it will roll on till July 26 - and she has already spent $195 so far.
'It's wise to come on the first two days; that's when you can get the good bargains,' said Mrs Tan, a secretary in her late 40s, of her forays to malls in Orchard Road.
Among her shopping steals was an Esprit bag that was originally priced at $129.90. She paid just $19.90.
Like her, many other shoppers are also in a mood to snare bargains, going by what The Sunday Times spotted yesterday.
All seven malls visited - Suntec City, VivoCity, Far East Plaza, Ngee Ann City, Marina Square, AMK Hub and Junction 8 - were packed.
At Takashimaya, for instance, big crowds milled at the sections offering apparel and bags.
Children's toys were also popular buys while designer labels such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton had their share of customers.
Many malls have splashed out on big newspaper advertisements to tout their tenants' GSS wares.
At women's apparel shop Muy Muy in AMK Hub, tops originally priced at $39.90 are now at $9 each - if you buy a minimum of two pieces.
'This is the first time we have introduced such large discounts,' said co-owner Eleanor Ng, 28, noting that rebates during last year's GSS were just 20 per cent to 30 per cent.
She added that has seen 20 per cent more customers than usual.
However, retailers also noted that the downturn has made shoppers buy less on impulse.
Manager Jenny Tay at ladieswear shop Unicode at Far East Plaza said: 'I have seen a lot of bargain hunters since the sale started. I have had many customers asking me whether I have discounts.'
Unicode offers 30 per cent off the second top bought.
At retailer New Urban Male, its brand strategist Imran Iskandar said shoppers are more cautious 'but we are looking at a 10 per cent to 15 per cent hike in sales related to April and May'.
It is having a storewide 20 per cent sale.
Spotted among the throngs yesterday were tourists like Ms Michi Sasaki, 36, teacher, from Japan.
'The GSS is very famous. I bought some clothes from Laura Ashley at a 50 per cent discount - that's a very good deal,' she said.
But some tourists wished the bargains were better.
Ms Chai Jet Kie, 30, a sales manager, came from Malaysia with friends especially for the GSS shopping.
'We are quite disappointed - all we have found so far are 10 per cent to 20 per cent discounts. We expected discounts going up to 70 per cent but the shops have very few items priced that way,' she said.
She had bought items from cosmetics store Sephora that were not on sale, and a children's toy at half price from Takashimaya so far.
Australian tourists Miki Herbert and Lisa Bradley bought some shoes and bags.
'But the prices were only 10 per cent to 20 per cent off, and the discounted prices are quite similar to those on clothes in Australia,' said Ms Herbert, 32, an administrative officer.
[email protected] [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Retailers offering bigger rebates; less impulse buying seen as shoppers hunt for bargains; some tourists call for better discounts </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Teo Wan Gek and Kimberley Lim
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
The school holidays have started along with the GSS, boosting the shopping crowd. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Weekend shopping for Mrs Jade Tan started last Friday.
That was when this year's Great Singapore Sale (GSS) got going - it will roll on till July 26 - and she has already spent $195 so far.
'It's wise to come on the first two days; that's when you can get the good bargains,' said Mrs Tan, a secretary in her late 40s, of her forays to malls in Orchard Road.
Among her shopping steals was an Esprit bag that was originally priced at $129.90. She paid just $19.90.
Like her, many other shoppers are also in a mood to snare bargains, going by what The Sunday Times spotted yesterday.
All seven malls visited - Suntec City, VivoCity, Far East Plaza, Ngee Ann City, Marina Square, AMK Hub and Junction 8 - were packed.
At Takashimaya, for instance, big crowds milled at the sections offering apparel and bags.
Children's toys were also popular buys while designer labels such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton had their share of customers.
Many malls have splashed out on big newspaper advertisements to tout their tenants' GSS wares.
At women's apparel shop Muy Muy in AMK Hub, tops originally priced at $39.90 are now at $9 each - if you buy a minimum of two pieces.
'This is the first time we have introduced such large discounts,' said co-owner Eleanor Ng, 28, noting that rebates during last year's GSS were just 20 per cent to 30 per cent.
She added that has seen 20 per cent more customers than usual.
However, retailers also noted that the downturn has made shoppers buy less on impulse.
Manager Jenny Tay at ladieswear shop Unicode at Far East Plaza said: 'I have seen a lot of bargain hunters since the sale started. I have had many customers asking me whether I have discounts.'
Unicode offers 30 per cent off the second top bought.
At retailer New Urban Male, its brand strategist Imran Iskandar said shoppers are more cautious 'but we are looking at a 10 per cent to 15 per cent hike in sales related to April and May'.
It is having a storewide 20 per cent sale.
Spotted among the throngs yesterday were tourists like Ms Michi Sasaki, 36, teacher, from Japan.
'The GSS is very famous. I bought some clothes from Laura Ashley at a 50 per cent discount - that's a very good deal,' she said.
But some tourists wished the bargains were better.
Ms Chai Jet Kie, 30, a sales manager, came from Malaysia with friends especially for the GSS shopping.
'We are quite disappointed - all we have found so far are 10 per cent to 20 per cent discounts. We expected discounts going up to 70 per cent but the shops have very few items priced that way,' she said.
She had bought items from cosmetics store Sephora that were not on sale, and a children's toy at half price from Takashimaya so far.
Australian tourists Miki Herbert and Lisa Bradley bought some shoes and bags.
'But the prices were only 10 per cent to 20 per cent off, and the discounted prices are quite similar to those on clothes in Australia,' said Ms Herbert, 32, an administrative officer.
[email protected] [email protected]
