http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1059611/1/.html
It is the first day of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS), the
start of two months when shopholics and bargain hunters descend on
the shopping belt.
And it is not just confined to people in Singapore. Tourists and
visitors are expected to join the shopping frenzy.
The first day of GSS coincided with Vesak Day, a public holiday.
The crowds at Orchard Road looked like the ones on any
weekend.
When asked if they knew that Friday was the first day of the GSS,
one shopper said: "Oh, I didn't know that. I don't really notice
any difference. Just look like normal."
When asked if they were in town because of the Great Singapore
Sale, one member of the public said: "No. I'm here to watch a
movie."
While some were clueless that Friday was the first day of the GSS,
others such as some tourists planned their trip to Singapore to
coincide with the event as early as six months ago.
"It's cheaper than Japanese sales," said a Japanese tourist.
"We have found some excellent stuff. It's not old stuff," said a
German tourist.
But some shoppers felt otherwise.
"The clothes on sale are not very fantastic. I got quite a few
pieces of clothes here but they are not on sale...The ones on sale
are not very nice," said a shopper.
Nice or not nice, retailers are still confident that receipts from
this year's Great Singapore Sale are likely to exceed last year's
S$5.3 billion, especially when the economy is recovering and people
are prepared to spend.