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Bugis St Market
Once Singapore's most infamous sleaze pit, now its largest street market, filled with cheap clothes, shoes, accessories, manicurists, food stalls and, in a nod to its past, a sex shop. You'll even find (gasp) the occasional knock-off.
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Cathay Cineleisure Orchard Rd
Specialising in teen fashion, junk food, with a cinema and possibly the worst escalator layout on earth.
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Centrepoint
This spacious, practical, no-nonsense shopping centre has long been a favourite with Singaporeans and draws a fair number of visitors too. The biggest draw is Robinsons department store, established in 1858, which is well known for some of the best service in Singapore. Children's retail, home furnishings, jewellery, electronics and bookshops are other attractions here. One of the liveliest malls, especially during the Christmas holidays.
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Cho Lon
For some offbeat souvenirs, Cho Lon is an interesting gallery offering an eclectic selection of intriguing ephemera: quirky Mao statues, Ho Chi Minh busts, Indian velvet embroidered cushions and other eccentric homewares. It's part of a group of galleries in the block attracting avid collectors of mantle talking-points.
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Curiocity Gallery
For a peek at work being turned out by Singapore's young fashion designers, have a look inside the Curiocity Gallery run by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. The industry is still young, but it's clear some promising talents are being unearthed in the new, creative Singapore.
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Da Paolo Gastronomia
Top-notch deli and the perfect place to fuel up for a shopping jaunt around Holland Village. Grab your pick of the excellent gourmet pizzas, salads, desserts, dips, breads, sandwiches, then score one of the bench tables along the pavement for a picnic.
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Dempsey Rd
These former British Army barracks have been turned into warehouse shops specialising in antiques. In this delightful, pleasantly disorganised setting, you'll find anything from Kashmiri carpets and teak furniture to landscaping ornaments and antiques - and a couple of excellent wine bars. It's a fascinating place to explore, attracting crowds of expats and well-to-do Singaporeans at weekends.
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DFS Galleria Scottswalk
DFS Galleria, with its distinctive bright red exterior, is an alluring place - and the interior is no less attractive. The ground floor is done out surprisingly tastefully with replica shophouse and Asian architecture and here you'll find good quality souvenirs, though it's a little pricey. Everything from SIA stewardess dresses, to nicely packaged chopsticks to pre-packaged local food like chicken rice.
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Edge
A thicket of local streetwear outlets wedged into a corner of Parco Bugis Junction, illustrating the revolving-door nature of Singapore fashion. Don't put off buying that t-shirt until tomorrow, because the shop may well have packed up and gone by the time you come back.
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Far East Plaza
Known as a favourite hang-out spot for teenagers, with its startling array of funky stalls selling Japanese-style street fashions and accessories, it's also good for tailored suits, electronics, Sunny Books, shoe shops, hair and beauty salons and even tattoo parlours. Far East is a must-stop for bargain hunters and an antidote to the sparkle and splash on much of Orchard.
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Forum
If you and your credit card are wise, you'll ban the kids from this shopping mall. It's packed with designer brat-wear selling at decidedly adult prices, as well as a massive Toys R Us on the top floor. If toys are not what you're after, check out some bookshops like Twinkle Thinkers for the little ones.
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Forum - The Shopping Mall
Kid-sized DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Guess and Benetton gear.
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Funan Digitalife Mall
The principal computer centre, Funan is the place for brand-name goods, a better bet than Sim Lim Square if you don't know exactly what you're doing. There are dozens of computer shops on the top floors, as well as a large Challenger Superstore.
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Galérie Cho Lón
Marrying the polish of a high-end lifestyle store with the chaotic jumble of an eccentric curio shop, Cho Lón always has the ability to surprise. Among the familiar range of Asian furniture, homeware and antiques you'll find an excellent range of books, plus things such as old-style stitched leather footballs and antique kids' bicycles. A delight.
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Golden Mile Complex
This is Thailand: the whole human circus wrapped up, packaged inside an unattractive shopping centre and transported to Singapore (minus the motorbikes running you down on the pavement). This is the place to come for Thai groceries, including all the essential roots, leaves and pastes you'll struggle to find anywhere else. Stay for lunch or dinner.
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Heeren
Hip youth-orientated monolith, with massive multilevel HMV and warrens of local designer outlets on levels four and five.
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Holland Village Shopping Centre
This ageing, slightly rundown building is a magnet for expats and fashionable Singaporeans and a great place for an aimless browse among the arts, handicrafts, gifts, homewares and fashion outlets. Then top it off at one of the massage, reflexology or beauty salons on level three for a little pampering afterwards.
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Indian Candys
There are dozens of great Indian sweet shops in Little India, but we like this one because of the bad spelling and the grumpy old fellas behind the counter (though if you're pretty and female they may suddenly get a spring in their step).
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Indian Classical Music Centre
A tiny shop filled with sitars, tabla and all manner of bells - wearable and shakeable. Buy CDs to play along to, or sign up for music lessons.
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Indian Handicraft Centre
The best place to browse for all things homely and Indian, from cushions to statues to screens to furniture - this place has everything. A lot of larger items aren't on display, so if you're looking for something in particular, ask the friendly owner.
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Jones The Grocer
Australian posh-nosh store and bistro dedicated to high-end edibles. Wildly popular with expats, it's worth visiting for its superbly smelly cheese room, though some of the produce is a rip-off (we noted a 300% markup on tins of ghee readily available in local supermarkets).
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Khan Mohamed Bhoy & Sons
Follow your nose to what may be the last traditional spice-grinding shop in Singapore. Plastic garbage bins full of dried bell chillies crowd the doorway, while inside you can take away big scoops of turmeric, cumin and fennel or order them freshly ground.
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Kinokuniya
Claims to be Southeast Asia's biggest bookshop, and who are we to argue? Occupying a massive 43,000 sq ft, and providing an extensive collection of over 500,000 quality titles from all over the world, including English, Japanese, Chinese, French and German publications.
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Louis Vuitton
It's worth going at weekends just to see the queues of eager females and their anxious male companions waiting to get in. Join the queue, and look for a bag the replica hounds haven't copied yet.
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M)phosis
M)phosis' Ngee Ann City branch (one of nine around town) stocks colour-coded miniature wisps of girly, slinky, sexy stuff; nice knits; and elegant pieces by local designer Colin Koh. You'll increase your chances of actually fitting into something if you buy two pieces and sew them together.
