Singapore’s counterfeit market value amounts to $170.2 million (source: Havocscope Global Market Indexes) and the 2007 Global Software Piracy Study revealed a piracy rate of 37%, equalling a loss to the software industry of $159 million.

Singapore was amongst the first of the Southeast Asian cities to sell Western brands and to have Western brand outlets. This attracted many tourists from other parts of Southeast Asia; people went to Singapore to buy luxury brands at reasonable prices. However, times have changed and industrialization in neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, together with a devaluation of the Southeast Asian currencies, has meant that Singapore is no longer the cut-price centre it was. In fact, branded goods are now even slightly more expensive in Singapore than in Europe and especially the USA, so Singaporeans are more likely to take the opportunity of purchasing their branded goods (ironically mostly manufactured back in Asia) when travelling outside Asia.

Despite this, the country continues to attract tourist shoppers and the main centres for shopping exude luxury. A walk down the famous tree-lined Orchard Road takes you passed the crème de la crème of luxury brand outlets such as Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein and Burberry. You are surrounded by people dressed in luxury brands, wearing luxury brand sunglasses and carrying luxury brand handbags. At least, they all look like luxury brands, but closer scrutiny may well reveal that those S$530 Chanel sunglasses are actually fake and that Louis Vuitton handbag was actually bought for S$50 in Chinatown. It’s not easy to tell the wheat from the chaff at a superficial glance but counterfeit luxury products are everywhere in Singapore. And, because of Singapore’s prime position in world trade, it is a conduit for counterfeit goods from other major counterfeiting countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. It must be Singapore’s love affair with luxury items and reputation as a shopper’s paradise that has partly fuelled this demand for the cheap copies. It is also believed that the current economic slump has exacerbated the availability of and demand for counterfeit products in Singapore. Reduced buying power of consumers added to the ability of current reproduction technology to render excellent counterfeit copies of all kinds, produce an excellent climate for the counterfeit culture to flourish.

The figures quoted above highlight the problem that Singapore is also experiencing with software piracy and a similar situation exists for piracy of music and movies. The Singaporean Police carries out regular raids on the renowned haunts for sellers of pirated media and software items and a close eye is also kept on businesses to ensure that they are not breaching software copyright licences. And anti-counterfeiting measures have definitely paid off in Singapore – previously, pirated software and DVDs were widely and publicly available at shopping malls and market stalls. Counterfeit sales have now gone more underground and pirated copies are mostly found at local shops and markets in the heartlands. There are also small shops that suddenly appear, only to just as suddenly disappear a few days or weeks later. Although two outlets in the major shopping centre Sim Lim Square recently had to pay Microsoft fines for selling counterfeit software (see news story below), the more touristy areas are kept as clean as possible of counterfeits, while the rules are less strictly applied in other areas.

Legislation and action against counterfeiters
Copyright infringement is taken very seriously in Singapore. And there is a range of acts that are designed to cover all the bases as far as concerns counterfeiting.

The Singapore Copyright Act was amended in 2005 making it a criminal offence for a person or company to obtain a commercial advantage from unlicensed or pirated software. Offenders face a fine of up to S$20,000 and six months in jail. The Act also has criminal provisions with a penalty of imprisonment for a term of up to 5 years and a fine of up to S$10,000 for each article or a maximum of S$100,000. There is also a provision for search warrants to enter premises to seize infringing copies and documents which are evidence of an offence – the Singaporean Police has taken full advantage of this and to good affect as discussed above.

The Singapore Trade Marks Act provides that it is an offence for any one who imports, sells, or exposes or has in his possession for sale or for the purpose of trade or manufacture, any goods or things to which a counterfeit trade mark is applied, or to which a registered trade mark is falsely applied. The penalties are the same for copyright.

The Copyright Act also empowers the Custom and Excise Department to prevent the entry of infringing goods at the border, provided written Notice of Objection is first supplied to the Department.

Persons found in possession of infringing articles for the purposes of trade or manufacture in which a registered trade mark is falsely applied may face a fine of up to $10,000 per article, up to a maximum of $100,000 or to a maximum jail term of 5 years or both. Persons found in possession of infringing copies of copyrighted works for the purpose of selling or trade may face a fine of up to $10,000 per article, up to a maximum of $100,000 or to a maximum jail term of 5 years or both.

The Anti-video Piracy Association works proactively to raise public awareness of illegal trade and to educate the public on the benefits of buying original video products. And the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is the leading government agency that formulates and administers intellectual property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness, and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the greater development of IP in Singapore.

When it comes to counterfeit drugs, the 1975 Singapore Medicines Act lists requirements of drugs to protect national health. The Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and the Singapore Medical Association are continuing an education programme to warn the public about the dangers of counterfeit medications.

In October 2010 Singapore announced its intention to sign a new anti-counterfeiting trade agreement with Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States. Currently, bringing fake goods into Singapore can result in stiff fines at customs if you get caught out but with the signing of the anti-counterfeiting trade agreement, you can expect an even firmer approach. Singapore is now taking intellectual property crime very seriously, and being in possession of fake software, music or video disks, for example, even for personal use is no longer acceptable.

There are, therefore, certain preventative measures being taken and a sound legislative framework in place which, combined with regular Police raids, appears to be reaping some results in certain areas. However just because pirated software and films are no longer readily available to tourists in the shopping malls and high streets, with a bit of local know how they are easily acquirable. And it seems that less obvious attention is being paid to the counterfeiting of clothing and accessories. Targeted anti-counterfeiting campaigns directed towards consumers are lacking, and one would have thought that Singapore’s reputation as a centre for luxury goods would encourage brand owners and authorities to join forces on denouncing anti-counterfeiting through campaigns and dissemination of information to the public.

Products to look out for
Statistics published on 19 May 2008 by the European Commission relating to counterfeiting and piracy, ranked Singapore fourth under the general heading of Cosmetics and Personal Care Products in a breakdown of the number of articles seized at customs. This heading encompasses all products ranging from moisturisers, lipsticks and fragrances to sunscreens, soaps and toothpastes. The counterfeit versions of branded products of this kind have undoubtedly entered the supply chain in Singapore from China, where they are rife. It is less likely that you will find counterfeit cosmetics and personal care products in the major pharmacies, which include Guardian and Watson’s, or in the major supermarkets such as Cold Storage, Carrefour and Giant. But shops at local markets and market stalls are more likely to carry counterfeits so don’t be tempted by a cheaper price on your favourite face cream and closely scrutinise the packaging if you do go shopping off the beaten track.

In Singapore you now need to be particularly wary of unintentionally landing yourself with a fake because the workmanship is good and the price could deceive you into thinking you are buying genuine: "Traditionally, purveyors of fake goods would set up makeshift tables in areas with high human traffic such as Orchard Road or town centres. They did not hide the fact that their goods were cheap knockoffs, said lawyer Wong Siew Hong, who acts for luxury goods conglomerate LVMH...Now, however, many pedlars offer better quality fakes which they pass off as the real deal and sell at a small discount to the usual retal prices". Extracted from The Straits Times, October 16 2009

Skin whitener is very popular in Asia and there have been a number of scares related to a number of brands producing this type of skin cream. Popular branded fragrances are also frequently on sale at markets and the like. These should be avoided at all cost as counterfeits can cause rashes and other skin related problems.

Singapore has also had a problem with counterfeit food and beverages, as well as cigarettes.

Singapore is highly concerned about the counterfeit medicine industry. A number of criminal rings involving the exportation and importation of counterfeit medicines from around the world and especially importing from neighbouring nations, such as Malaysia and Indonesia have been uncovered. According to a 2005 article in the Taipei Times, Singapore’s involvement in the counterfeit drug production pipe line often comes in at the packaging stage and repackaging is one way for counterfeit drugs to enter into the chain. Also back in 2005 the Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (SAPI) and the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) cautioned the public against buying medicines from unauthorised sources, specifically drug purchases made abroad and over the Internet, but it was also pointed out that fake drugs were being sold on the streets of Singapore.

As mentioned above, the shopping malls and high streets of Singapore are no longer hubs for pirated software, movies and music and if it is the genuine article you are after, you can be pretty sure that is what you are getting when you buy there. Even the cut price DVDs you can buy in Chinatown are genuine, you just have to make sure that they are the right region for your player and that they have the original English language version as an option and aren’t just dubbed into Mandarin, which is sometimes the case.

Always be suspicious of any branded products being sold from a table on a side street – wherever that side street is, be it Chinatown, Arab Street or Bugis Junction.

Counterfeit currency
Counterfeit Singapore dollars do occasionally turn up. (See 17-year-old girl arrested for using counterfeit notes) and the Singapore Government has a very useful page with information on avoiding counterfeit notes and coins.

What to buy in Singapore and where to buy it
Despite the fact that Singapore no longer offers great bargains to the brand hunters (except during the Great Singapore Sale, see below), the city is a veritable treasure trove of wonderful items to buy and treats to allow yourself at a fraction of the price you would pay in any European city.

Gold, gemstones and other jewellery
Little India and Chinatown are the best quarters for cheap gold jewellery. The gold is sold according to weight and prices do vary so make sure you shop around. 22 and 24k gold is available here at a very reasonable price, especially with a bit of bartering, but make sure it has been checked and stamped by the Singapore Assay Office.

The Chinese believe that jade brings good luck and in both Chinatown and at Tanglin Shopping Centre you will find a large selection of high quality jade bracelets, rings, stones and sculptures. Prices vary quite a lot though and again you are better off leaving the touristy areas and heading for the local markets where you will find small jewellery stores selling jade and other gemstones at significantly lower prices. There’s more room to negotiate the price there too and you can strike a good deal when buying a few pieces at once. They will also often throw in a nice chain or band to hang your stones on.

Precious and semi-precious stone jewellery is relatively inexpensive in Singapore. There is a great variety on offer and the jewellers are very skilled craftsmen. There are both well-renowned local jewellery shops such as Lee Hwa and Larry, as well as world famous shops such as Bulgari and Tiffany.

Antiquities, artwork and Asian-style furniture
Regional and oriental antiquities and artwork can be bought all over the place. Prices greatly vary though and Chinese, Peranakan, Indian and Malay items of this kind purchased on the more obvious tourist trails and expat areas such as Tanglin Mall or Holland Village will cost you more than at shopping malls and markets nearer the residential areas such as Clementi, Bukit Timah, Jurong and the East Coast. Sometimes shopping malls in areas such as these have visiting markets selling antiques and artwork for a short period before moving on. Bukit Timah Plaza, north-east of Clementi is a good place to check out for these sorts of offerings and has a great little furniture shop on the first floor selling large and small teakwood pieces. When buying wooden furniture ask if the wood has been dried because otherwise it can crack in temperate climates.

If it is teakwood and other Asian style furniture and home accessories you are after, check out Wihardja, which has a few outlets dotted over the island. The prices here are incredibly low but it isn’t open all the time so click here for the website, see the kinds of things on offer and find out when it is next open.

For those with a larger budget, there a masses of wonderful sculptures, lacquer work items, paintings and ceramics from China and Southeast Asia. More up-market and expensive purchases can be made on Demspey Road (also known as Tanglin Village), Tanglin Shopping Centre, Tomlinson Antique House or at Lim’s Arts and Crafts (with branches in both Holland Village Shopping Centre and Vivo City).

Carpets and rugs are also significantly cheaper in Singapore. For kilims and Arabic rugs go to Arab Street in Kampong Glam. Here you can also find a nice selection of souvenir shops selling jewellery, batik, basketwork, etc. on the road leading down from the Sultan Mosque. Dempsey Road is also a good place to go for carpet buying.

Clothing and material
A subsidiary of the Jim Thompson chain of shops, the Siam Silk Company on Orchard Road has the finest Thai silk at what Europeans would regard as low prices. Little India has sari material at reasonable prices and on Arab Street (Aljunied Brothers House of Batik) you can find fantastic batik. The People’s Park Complex on Eu Tong Sen Street is also known for its enormous material selection.

There are many good tailors in Singapore who can sew you a made-to-measure suit or dress in the finest material and the latest designs. It usually takes about two days for your order to be ready. Good tailors can be found in Holland Village Shopping Centre but, again, it is also worth checking out less centrally placed shopping malls. Having a tailor-made suit trumps the brands and avoids the possibility of fakes, as you really will have a one-of-a-kind item. Just be sure to select a good quality material when you discuss the outfit with the tailor.

Home electronics
This is one area where Singapore is no longer much cheaper than Europe. However you can still save money when you buy here just by virtue of the tax-free shopping. However, Singapore does tend to get new models of electronic gadgets, particularly from Asia, more quickly than in Europe, so if you are an early adopter of technology, this can be the place to shop. Sim Lim Square and the Funan Centre are both massive malls dedicated to the sale of home electronics, particularly computers. You can shop around and compare prices but often the best price will be obtained at Parasilk in Holland Village. They are particularly knowledgeable here about cameras. Remember to check the voltage of home electrical equipment to ensure that it is correct for your electricity supply back home.

It is also worth visiting Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road, the Mustafa Centre in Little India (more about this below) and Electric City in Suntec City Mall.

 

If you are looking for great deals on genuine branded handbags, go to Madam Milan at the Holland Village Shopping Mall, Raffles Place MRT Station or Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. Here there is a fantastic selection of authentic, pre-owned designer bags selling at 30 - 40% less. All of the bags are the real thing and most of them look and feel new.

Other treats
In Singapore you really can allow yourself a good pampering and, after a hard day walking the pavements, there is nothing more relaxing than a foot massage or facial. Spa treats are significantly cheaper in Singapore than in Europe and you can get a facial, manicure, pedicure or massage at a fraction of the European price. Foot massages are almost regarded as a necessity. Be aware that these do vary in intensity and, if it’s not something you have done before, it is good to ask the masseuse to go easy on you (foot massage is not recommended if you are pregnant). There are plenty of massage parlours in Chinatown and people out on the streets trying to tempt up the tourists. Again, follow the rule that where there are tourists, the prices will be higher. All local markets have plenty of massage parlours and you pay much less there. These sorts of places are quite basic and functional so if you have a hankering for a more indulgent experience, go to Serenity Cove at Holland Village Shopping Centre or the Ashi Reflexology Centre also in Holland Village.

While you’re in Singapore take the opportunity to have a hair cut because hairdressers are also much cheaper here. You will even pay less at famous chains like Tony & Guy and you nearly always get a lovely head massage thrown in.

If you want a permanent reminder of your trip to Singapore, why not get a tattoo? There are some very skilled tattoo artists here and prices are very good. Yours truly can personally recommend Robin Lim at Bugis Tattoo, Blk C New Bugis Street, Level 2. Ink-credible kash on Lor Mambong in Holland Village also has a good reputation but prices here are slightly higher.

Food glorious food
Eating out in Singapore is really affordable and, depending on where you go, it can sometimes be cheaper than eating in. For simple and fast eating, the hawker centres offer an amazing array of delights, for example you can get a delicious plate of ‘chicken rice’, Pad Thai, or Roti Prata for as little as S$2.50. For a proper eating out experience there is Clarke Quay and neighbouring Boat Quay all with a fantastic array of restaurants serving Asian, Western, Middle Eastern and ‘Fusion’ foods. Holland Village comes to life at night along the restaurant and bar stretch and again has a great mixture of places to go. The bars tend to have Happy Hour until about 9 pm and, which is good because alcohol is still relatively expensive in Singapore. In fact when you get your restaurant bill at the end of the night, it might look higher than you expected just because of the cost of alcohol. Also remember, the prices you see on the menu tend to be minus 7% GST (VAT) and a service charge of 10% (so you’re not really expected to leave a tip), which are added to you final bill.

The Great Singapore Sale
Being the organised place it is, Singapore has a special time for holding sales. Held in May to June each year, the Great Singapore Sale is an island-wide event involving practically all the shops in Singapore, top-end boutiques and department stores alike. This is the time to really find good deals on more expensive items such as fashion and luxury brands and home electronics. Click here for the official website. Occasionally over-zealous outlets put up a Great Singapore Sale sign out of season, just to try to lure in the shoppers. May to June is the rule and, though they may have a sale on, it’s not the official sale time.

Shopping malls
Singapore is the eponymous home of the shopping mall. There are literally hundreds of them all over the island. Among the more well-known and upmarket on the Orchard Road stretch are Takashimaya in Ngee Ann City (yes, a shopping centre inside a shopping centre!), the Paragon, CK Tangs, Forum Galleria, Wisma Atria and Plaza Singapura. All the luxury brands feature strongly in these places. At Lucky Plaza on Orchard you might find some good bargains. Other good shopping malls away from Orchard are Vivo City near the Sentosa gateway, Great World City and Raffles the Plaza.

In general, the shopping malls outside the central drag will offer more bargains. Bukit Timah Plaza, West Coast Plaza on West Coast Road (about to reopen at time of writing), Bugis Junction or the IMM at Jurong are good places to head for.

The Mustafa Centre
Open 24-hours a day, the Mustafa Centre is an enormous department store in Serangoon, Little India. The nearest MRT is Little India but say ‘Mustafa’ to any taxis driver and they will know what you mean. This place literally has everything: cosmetics, healthcare products, stationery, home electronics, home appliances, clothing, food; anything and everything. Prices are very good and it is often cheaper for electronics than at Sim Lim or Funan. The only thing to potentially avoid buying there is mobile phones, which are for some reason more expensive here than elsewhere. The supermarket is an experience in itself and an excellent place to stock up on herbs and spices for Indian and Asian cooking. It does get really full up though and the aisles are very narrow so a good time to go is 2 o’clock in the morning!