Shopping, it is said, is a national pastime in Singapore and evident from the crowds that throng the city-state's malls every day.
And analysts say that an affluent and a well-traveled consumer class are now helping to shape new shopping habits in the Southeast Asian nation, home to a population of about 5.2 million.
For instance, more shops catering to demand for overseas food and produce such as artisan bakeries have cropped up over the past year, while previously underdeveloped shopping areas have had a makeover to attract shoppers.
"It's no surprise that people are always looking for new options and are drawn to them. This is evidenced by the hordes of people that descend upon any place new, as when a new mall opens," says Lau Chuen Wei, executive director at the Singapore Retailers Association.
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"Singaporeans are amongst the world's most traveled people, and they are often attracted by what they see and experience overseas, so when some of these concepts are introduced to Singapore, they lap it up," she said.
A survey published last month by market research firm Nielsen showed that Singaporeans spend more of their spare cash on holidays than their Southeast Asian peers in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.