Singapore grocery stores: A shopping guide for every food preference

No matter your budget, ingredients desired or cuisine preferred, you’ll find lots of choice when buying groceries in Singapore.

This food paradise isn’t complete without quality ingredients from grocery stores all around Singapore.

From large supermarkets to specialty grocers offering international products – here’s your insider’s guide to grocery shopping in Singapore.

1. Supermarkets

Supermarkets abound in Singapore, allowing shoppers to pick up groceries in air-conditioned comfort. The largest chain is FairPrice, along with its premium incarnation FairPrice Finest and hypermarket FairPrice Xtra.

Cold Storage is an upmarket chain that’s popular with affluent locals and expats, as are its various Market Place iterations.

Giant is a relatively more affordable major chain. Living in the heartland? Family-owned Prime Supermarket has 25 outlets for your marketing convenience.

2. Budget grocers

Bargain hunters can head to supermarkets like Sheng Siong for more wallet-friendly foods.

Looking for affordable baking supplies? Visit Phoon Huat stores. Foodie Market Place – with outlets on Outram Road and Tanjong Katong Road – is your go-to store for low-cost meats, cheeses, wines, frozen goods and other pantry items.

Serious about saving? Check out Warehouse Club, where you can load up on items in bulk and value packs.

3. Wet markets

Many neighbourhoods have wet markets. Some more well-known ones are at Tekka Centre, Tiong Bahru and Chinatown Complex. 

Want wet market freshness and prices without, you know, going to a wet market? Tiong Bahru Tada Fresh delivers from three bustling markets to your doorstep.

4. E-grocers

Get your groceries at the tap of a finger! RedMart is Singapore’s most well-known online-only grocer, with Amazon Fresh being another popular choice.

But smaller players like The Farmer’s Market (read all about them here!) and Greenies offer a wide selection at surprisingly affordable prices.

A large number of brick-and-mortar grocery stores accept online orders, too, including supermarket chains.

READ ALSO: Online groceries in Singapore - which has the cheapest delivery fees?

5. Gourmet and speciality grocers

Many sources of gourmet or speciality goods have both physical and online stores, including Ryan’s Grocery (for Australian meats plus food allergy-friendly provisions) and The Fishwives (for sustainably sourced seafood and other fresh and packaged foods; read more about them here).

The Providore (for upmarket provisions) and Taste Gourmet Market (for top-quality produce, meats and more) have multiple locations.

Online only, The New Grocer notes that its premium ingredients are those that “typically end on the plates of Michelin-starred restaurants”.

Delicia Gourmet carries caviar, truffles, fine cheeses, etc.; and Sasha’s Fine Foods delivers its carefully curated items every day.

READ ALSO: Here's how you can make grocery shopping feel a lot less stressful

6. International grocers

Craving foods from back home? For Japanese products, visit Don Don Donki supermarkets, and chains like J-Mart and Meidi-Ya Supermarket.

New Zealanders can turn to online grocer Kiwi Kitchen, while African Market Place delivers groceries and wine from all over Africa.

The South Korean diaspora is spoiled for choice, with supermarkets such as Koryo Mart, Solmart and Shine Korea.

Indian expats can look no further than Karthika Supermarket in Little India. Toko Warisan offers halal frozen foods as well as books, apparel, skincare and other household items.

7. Mostly organic grocers

Online grocer OpenTaste offers produce sorted by farm and carries a wide organic selection from Australia.

Claiming to offer the “best value in the world for natural products”, iHerb has plenty of organic pantry staples (and non-food products) to peruse.

Want to shop in person? Brown Rice Paradise at Tanglin Mall, SuperNature at Forum The Shopping Mall and Little Farms (multiple locations) have a good selection of organic goods.

Or, opt to get a weekly bundle of sustainably sourced organic produce from ShiokFarm (read more about the community-minded brand here).

READ ALSO: 10 ways to save money when grocery shopping

8. Farms and farmer’s markets

You can buy farm-to-table produce at Fire Flies Health Farm and Bollywood Veggies, the latter of which has an in-house restaurant.

Many farmer’s markets have been shelved due to the pandemic, but keep a lookout for the Kranji Countryside Farmers’ Market.

For fresh goat dairy products, head to the Hay Dairies farm. Hankering after some fresh frog legs? Jurong Frog Farm is a must-visit.

9. Seafood markets

Greenwood Fish Market, which operates three restaurants, accepts online orders. Likewise, you can buy or eat flown-in Japanese seafood at Fish Mart Sakuraya ’s outlets.

Sea farmers @ Ubin is said to sell the freshest oysters around.

And the sprawling Jurong Fishery Port offers off-the-boat seafood at wholesale prices (if you shop between 2 and 6 am!).

(Note: Jurong and Senoko fishery ports will be consolidated by 2023. For now, the fishery ports are closed to the wider public due to Covid concerns.)

10. Butchers

Sink your teeth into a juicy cut of meat from one of Singapore’s premium butchery businesses.

The list includes Culina at Como Dempsey, which also offers meats at select FairPrice Finest and Xtra outlets, Huber’s Butchery & Bistro, Swiss Butchery (whose products are offered at Taste Gourmet Market), and The Butcher (with a few outlets).

E-grocer The Farmer’s Market also offers ethically and sustainably reared meat cuts that are traceable so you know exactly what and where you’re eating from.

Meanwhile, The Meat Club has a unique subscription service for its Australian meats and more, so you don’t have to place orders every week.

READ ALSO: Best credits cards for your grocery runs in Singapore

11. Cheesemongers

Say “cheese”! La Petite Boutique, The Cheese Ark and The Cheese Shop carry a lovely selection of cheeses from various European countries.

Aussie brand Jones The Grocer boasts a cheese room at its Dempsey outlet. The cheese selection at La Fromagerie is worth writing home about, too.

12. Baking specialists

Source baking ingredients and cake decorating supplies at Bake With Yen or RedMan by Phoon Huat outlets, as well as at Bake King on Haig Road and Sun Lik Trading on Seah Street. All have e-stores.

13. Department stores

Some department stores have in-house supermarkets. The list includes Marks & Spencer, Isetan, TANGS and Takashimaya.

14. Mini-marts

Sure, you could grab snacks from 7-Eleven. Or you could pop into old-school mini-marts. Known as mama shops, they are usually nestled in HDB estates. Spot retro-looking toys and household goods.

This article was first published in The Finder.