Mustafa department store is a phenomena in Singapore.
It is never closed!! Really never, so it’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
During the weekend it receives 15,000 customers who are helped by 1,300 sales persons. The store occupies 7,000 square meters spread over four floors and sells some 75,000 different products.
It is a true one-stop shop. In other words: you can really buy everything under one roof. Furniture, food, drinks, household items, clothing, gold, watches, camera’s, makeup, books, music … everything, EVERYTHING you might need, you can buy there. It is an Indian shop, so there is a whole section with saris and fabrics for saris, and there is everything for the Indian customer. But I also bought a cheese slicer! Something I consider quite typically dutch;-).
Because of the huge crowds it is sometimes dangerous in the warehouse, in the sense of fire and other calamities. There are so many people in the narrow aisles, that that could turn out to become disastrous in the event of a fire. The government keeps an eye out and Mustafa was recently closed 40 hours to take action. Visitor numbers have to be controlled better, and Mustafa needs to make more space in the aisles and improve fire prevention.
Controlling visitor numbers is very difficult. Especially on weekends The whole neighborhood, Little India, is then flooded by some 100,000 Indian guest workers (all men) who have their day off. They fill the streets, shops and restuarants. They are standing, sitting, walking, hanging around everywhere. They do their shopping, wire money home, meet, laugh and talk, eat and drink. Many walk hand in hand, pinkie in pinkie, which is a normal expression of male friendship in India, so I’m told.
Not all of the following pictures are by me and I did not succeed to trace the source. Sorry about that;-)
It is never closed!! Really never, so it’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
During the weekend it receives 15,000 customers who are helped by 1,300 sales persons. The store occupies 7,000 square meters spread over four floors and sells some 75,000 different products.
It is a true one-stop shop. In other words: you can really buy everything under one roof. Furniture, food, drinks, household items, clothing, gold, watches, camera’s, makeup, books, music … everything, EVERYTHING you might need, you can buy there. It is an Indian shop, so there is a whole section with saris and fabrics for saris, and there is everything for the Indian customer. But I also bought a cheese slicer! Something I consider quite typically dutch;-).
Because of the huge crowds it is sometimes dangerous in the warehouse, in the sense of fire and other calamities. There are so many people in the narrow aisles, that that could turn out to become disastrous in the event of a fire. The government keeps an eye out and Mustafa was recently closed 40 hours to take action. Visitor numbers have to be controlled better, and Mustafa needs to make more space in the aisles and improve fire prevention.
Controlling visitor numbers is very difficult. Especially on weekends The whole neighborhood, Little India, is then flooded by some 100,000 Indian guest workers (all men) who have their day off. They fill the streets, shops and restuarants. They are standing, sitting, walking, hanging around everywhere. They do their shopping, wire money home, meet, laugh and talk, eat and drink. Many walk hand in hand, pinkie in pinkie, which is a normal expression of male friendship in India, so I’m told.
Not all of the following pictures are by me and I did not succeed to trace the source. Sorry about that;-)
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| Vier gigantisch grote en volle verdiepingen |
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| Souvenirs and gadgets |
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| Saris and fabrics |
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| Bangles |
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| Hair accessories |
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| On the streets around Mustafa, in the weekend |
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| In reality it is, looks and feels much more crowded. |
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| Buying gold, as investment |
Not only Mustafa Centre is a shopping phenomenon in Singapore. Recently we were in the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Southeast Asia. Unbelievable …! They sell 500,000 titles in a store that 4,000 square meters. (And not one Dutch book;-))
With just over 250 large shopping centers in Singapore, each with an average of 150 stores we are talking about 35,000 stores. And then I am not even counting all the independent shops. Every time I wonder how it is possible that there are enough customers for all those stores!
Quite a dangerous environment for a shopaholic like myself. I guess the fact that Singapore is not really cheap (understatement) comes to my rescue. I simply cannot afford a lot here. So it’s mainly window shopping for me.
Little India, Chinatown, Arab street and Haji Lane are some affordable exceptions.
Where do you of shopping in Singapore? Do you have any well kept shopping secrets that you would like to share? I would love to hear them!
ik kom voorlopig niet naar Singapore. Met het gat in mijn hand, zou ik volledig failliet gaan.
Greetje