Experts: Greater Singapore Sale required to beat competitors from other Asian cities

Big spenders: The growth in spending shows that Singapore remains an attractive shopping destination. - The Straits Times / Asia News Network

The Great Singapore Sale (GSS) this year has done well with double-digit growth in spending, but retail experts and shoppers say that the annual sale has to be bigger, broader and even more value-for-money to stay ahead of competition from other cities in the region.

According to figures released by MasterCard yesterday, its cardholders spent over US$1.6bil (RM5.1bil) during this year’s event, up 11.2% from a year ago. There were 13.5 million transactions, a 12.5% increase. More than a quarter of the spending during the eight-week sale, which ran from May 30 to July 27, was done online.