9 annual sale events and festivals for the best discounts in Singapore

The retail industry is kind of in shambles right now.

But that’s not to say that it isn’t tough for e-commerce. It may be easier than ever to just set up a website and start selling stuff, but that makes the competition especially stiff.

9 SALE FESTIVALS FOR SHOPPING IN SINGAPORE

From online festivals to warehouse sales, here’s a list of popular sale seasons and events in Singapore for the biggest discounts.

1. GREAT SINGAPORE SALE (GSS)

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The Great Singapore Sale (GSS) is Singapore’s biggest shopping season that happens right around June to July every year. This is an islandwide sale and most brands — on- or offline — participate in it.

If you want an “official” overview of all the discounts and merchants, download the GoSpree app by Singapore Retail Association. Otherwise, you can check with the banks — during the GSS, many banks tie up with merchants to offer additional credit card perks.

For those who prefer more casual shopping, you can just take a walk down Orchard Road — most (if not all) of the big departmental stores and shoppings usually participate.

2. BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAY SALES

Traditionally, Black Friday is a post-Thanksgiving sale for brick-and-mortar shops. Cyber Monday is a part-2 sale, devoted to online shops.

That may still be the case in western markets where Thanksgiving is observed, but in Singapore, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are kind of mashed up in that both on- and offline stores take part in the entire sale weekend.

Most brands that have offline shops have e-shops too anyway. This year, Black Friday will be on 29 Nov 2019. Stayed tuned for updates on the sales!

3. SINGLES DAY 11.11 SALE

Ah, the legendary 11.11 sale. It’s now a massive e-commerce sale event all over the world, but for those who don’t know, the 1-day festival actually originated as a celebration for #foreveralone singles in China.

It’s even inspired spin-offs like 9.9 and 10.10 sales, which are (honestly) quite ridiculous. Those are nowhere near as large in scale — the discounts are not as good — but it’s annoying to see the retailers try their luck anyway.

ALSO READ: New to shopping online for clothes? Here are 25 popular Singapore blogshops to get you started (including delivery fees and promotions)

4. NATAS TRAVEL FAIR

NATAS stands for the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore, and which explains how they can hold a huge event that gathers all the travel agencies in one place. Not just that, there are usually airlines, hotels, and other travel-related booths as well.

5. CULTURAL SEASON SALES - CHINESE NEW YEAR, DEEPAVALI, HARI RAYA AND MORE

Generally, traditions surrounding occasions like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali involve buying new clothes and sprucing up your home, which is why just about every retailer joins in the fun.

The best part is that Singapore is a melting pot of cultures, so even if you’re not participating in said festivities, you can still benefit from the ongoing sales.

6. DEPARTMENT STORE SALES - ROBINSONS, TAKASHIMAYA, ISETAN, ETC

There isn’t a particular “season” for this one, but there are quite a few popular department store sales.

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Firstly, there are the members-only sales. These are usually reserved for members, who get to shop 1 to 2 days before the sale opens to the public. I can’t speak for all of them (because I’m not a member everywhere), but my mum is a Robinsons member and she always gets first dibs during their closed door sales, which are actually quite attractive. I also know of many aunties who love the OG family sales.

Next, there are the annual anniversary sales. This is to celebrate the department stores’ birthdays. For example, it’s in September for OG and March for Robinsons.

You can usually find updates to these sale events on each department stores’ Facebook pages.

7. WAREHOUSE EXPO SALES

Sale events at the Singapore Expo and other convention centres are also super popular. You’ve probably heard of the big electronics and travel fairs (as listed here), but did you know that there are actually warehouse sales almost every weekend?

8. SINGAPORE NATIONAL DAY SALES

Every year in August, the nation gets clad in red and white in celebration of Singapore’s birthday. Prices get slashed, and discounts are usually tied to Singapore’s age.

For example, this 2019 we turned 54 years old, so many of the promotions included $5.40 deals and 54% off discounts.

9. COMEX, SITEX, IT SHOW AND OTHER IT FAIRS

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And what sale listicle is complete without the iconic consumer electronics sales? Tech gadgets are expensive, so it’s little wonder that many Singaporeans wait for trade shows to buy new laptops, cameras and more.

There are 4 main IT fairs: COMEX, SITEX, IT Show and The PC Show. Most items are discounted, but for those that aren’t (like Apple products, for example), don’t worry — there are usually bundles and lots of freebies thrown in.

It’s also a great time to touch, feel and test products if you aren’t sure which exact brand and model you like best. During these fairs, everything is consolidated in one huge event.

This article was first published in MoneySmart .