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Great Singapore Sale rebrands for more events, flavors and deals
Island-wide retail therapy: The mascot for the GoSpree e-coupon app from the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) poses with other promotional models of the Great Singapore Sale, which runs from June 21 to July 28
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sland-wide retail therapy: The mascot for the GoSpree e-coupon app from the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) poses with other promotional models of the Great Singapore Sale, which runs from June 21 to July 28. (Photos courtesy of Great Singapore Sale: Experience Singapore)
Retail aficionados in Southeast Asia can rejoice with the return of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) — but with a refreshed concept this year that offers a variety of experiences that go beyond luxury and designer shopping.
After 25 years, the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) — the organizer behind the shopping extravaganza — has rebranded the event as the GSS: Experience Singapore (GSS:ES) in collaboration with One Kampong Gelam (OKG), the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA), the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) and the Textile and Fashion Federation (TAFF).
The island-wide retail event will last six weeks from June 21 to July 28, with numerous discounts for both retailers and food and beverage vendors.
SRA executive director Rose Tong said the rebranding was a response to the evolving retail landscape amid changing customer preferences and competition from online marketplaces.
“GSS:ES is more than just a sale. It’s a retail experience that encourages locals and tourists to take home a slice of Singapore,” said Tong during a recent press conference. “The spotlight is on local brands and unique cultural precincts to entice one to shop, dine, play, explore and to live it up, as well as help catapult our local talent to the fore and build a pipeline of future retail Singapore brands.”
To kick things off, the city’s premier shopping destination, Orchard Road, will host on June 21 the Orchard Fashion Scramble: a massive outdoor fashion spectacle featuring 200 dancers and 100 models draped in the latest collections of both homegrown and foreign designers.
As befitting Southeast Asia’s answer to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Orchard Road is also hosting The Great Singapore Street Pop-Up from June 21 to 30, when more than 40 retail pop-up shops offering fares from apparel to novelty items will line the street from ION Orchard to the Mandarin Gallery.
Those interested in updating their homes alongside their wardrobes can look to The Great Furniture Showcase at Robinsons The Heeren, where participating studios like 11H will be displaying limited edition designs to view and purchase.
To complement the GSS:ES experience, shoppers can take advantage of a 7 percent additional discount on July 7.
The best time to shop will be Fridays, when various retailers will offer additional deals like complimentary services and flash deals. Stores are also open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., which should delight early birds and night owls alike.
Visitors from India and Indonesia can book through designated travel agents to receive the GoSpree Passport, good for additional deals, while visitors from China can take advantage of exclusive deals from 75 select retailers via the WeChat Mini Program feature on the app.
Along with shopping bonanzas, GSS:ES will be presenting local talents and cultures through movie screenings and neighborhood tours.
The Great Singapore Stories highlights the work of local filmmakers and musicians at the Design Orchard rooftop and the Grange Road Car Park. The event includes screenings of 10 short films made by Temasek Polytechnic students on June 22 at the Design Orchard and on June 21-23 and June 28-30 at the Grange Road Car Park.
GSS: ES pays homage to the Malay-Muslim quarter of Kampong Gelam on July 5-14, when visitors can join cultural tours or activities to experience the district’s old-world charm.
Kampong Gelam’s Arab Street is synonymous with ubiquitous textiles, which ProjeKGlamway will highlight on July 6. A spin on Netflix’s Project Runway reality contest, ProjeKGlamway will see local designers showcasing their abilities to work with the traditional textiles on offer among the street’s myriad shops toward a runway show.
The district’s Kandahar Street will be hosting performances by musicians and artists from the Aliwal Arts Centre. And on July 5-14, KG SOUQ will provide food trucks offering traditional culinary fixtures like satay.
Meanwhile, Baghdad Street will be the prime destination for handcraft hunters from July 5 to 14 with the KG Home & Lifestyle Bazaar, and for those seeking vintage clothing and collectibles with the KG NOSTALGIA on July 6-7.
