<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Christmas comes early to malls
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Financial uncertainty sees stores try to woo people into spending early </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Tessa Wong
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The red and green signs of Christmas are already evident at malls such as VivoCity, with its 30.6m festive tree. -- ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT MAY only be October but Christmas bells are already ringing at some retail stores, as they try to coax wary shoppers to open up their wallets early.
Shops are banking on big sales, big Christmas trees and new promotions to get a head start on the last major shopping season in a while, amid financial uncertainty.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>SLOWER SALES EXPECTED 'While we expect slower sales given the current economic slowdown, we are confident that our promotions and offerings will appeal to cautious consumers, who will be more selective in their purchases.'
Ms Jeanice Chan, spokesman for Wing Tai which manages fashion brands such as adidas, Topshop and G2000
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Most malls and department stores will launch their Christmas promotions in mid-November, to coincide with the Orchard Road light-up and the beginning of the school holidays.
But, here and there, the red and green of Christmas is already peeking through.
Tangs, for instance, launched a new Christmas hamper promotion at the beginning of this month. Shoppers can already order from the store's website hampers stuffed with items like fruit puddings and English toffee.
'In anticipation of the demand from shoppers and corporate partners, we wanted to ensure we were the first place they could look to for Christmas gifts and goodies,' said Ms Ellen Yeo, Tangs' vice-president of store management.
Meanwhile, VivoCity, celebrating its second Christmas, has put up a 30.6m tall artificial Christmas tree two weeks earlier than last year.
The mall's deputy general manager Chang Yeng Cheong, said it needed extra time to put up the giant, which is bigger than last year's, but agreed it would also generate a festive atmosphere earlier.
Some retailers are now also holding blowout sales to clear old stock. Fashion chains Topshop and Topman, for instance, are offering up to half price on certain items.
Mr Steven Goh of the secretariat of the Orchard Road Business Association said more retailers on the shopping strip, particularly fashion boutiques and department stores, will offer deeper discounts of 50 to 70per cent on old stock, compared to the usual 30 to 40.
Retail spending, especially on fashion items, is often the first thing consumers cut back on during financial uncertainty, industry experts said.
The global financial crisis and news of Singapore being in a technical recession have made people reluctant to shop. Mr Goh said this is leaving stores with more stock than usual to clear before they bring in new things for Christmas.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has predicted that the slowdown in the Singapore economy could last 'several quarters'. Still, retailers are putting on a brave face.
Ms Jeanice Chan, spokesman for Wing Tai which manages fashion brands such as adidas, Topshop and G2000, said: 'While we expect slower sales given the current economic slowdown, we are confident that our promotions and offerings will appeal to cautious consumers, who will be more selective in their purchases.' [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Financial uncertainty sees stores try to woo people into spending early </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Tessa Wong
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
The red and green signs of Christmas are already evident at malls such as VivoCity, with its 30.6m festive tree. -- ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->IT MAY only be October but Christmas bells are already ringing at some retail stores, as they try to coax wary shoppers to open up their wallets early.
Shops are banking on big sales, big Christmas trees and new promotions to get a head start on the last major shopping season in a while, amid financial uncertainty.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>SLOWER SALES EXPECTED 'While we expect slower sales given the current economic slowdown, we are confident that our promotions and offerings will appeal to cautious consumers, who will be more selective in their purchases.'
Ms Jeanice Chan, spokesman for Wing Tai which manages fashion brands such as adidas, Topshop and G2000
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Most malls and department stores will launch their Christmas promotions in mid-November, to coincide with the Orchard Road light-up and the beginning of the school holidays.
But, here and there, the red and green of Christmas is already peeking through.
Tangs, for instance, launched a new Christmas hamper promotion at the beginning of this month. Shoppers can already order from the store's website hampers stuffed with items like fruit puddings and English toffee.
'In anticipation of the demand from shoppers and corporate partners, we wanted to ensure we were the first place they could look to for Christmas gifts and goodies,' said Ms Ellen Yeo, Tangs' vice-president of store management.
Meanwhile, VivoCity, celebrating its second Christmas, has put up a 30.6m tall artificial Christmas tree two weeks earlier than last year.
The mall's deputy general manager Chang Yeng Cheong, said it needed extra time to put up the giant, which is bigger than last year's, but agreed it would also generate a festive atmosphere earlier.
Some retailers are now also holding blowout sales to clear old stock. Fashion chains Topshop and Topman, for instance, are offering up to half price on certain items.
Mr Steven Goh of the secretariat of the Orchard Road Business Association said more retailers on the shopping strip, particularly fashion boutiques and department stores, will offer deeper discounts of 50 to 70per cent on old stock, compared to the usual 30 to 40.
Retail spending, especially on fashion items, is often the first thing consumers cut back on during financial uncertainty, industry experts said.
The global financial crisis and news of Singapore being in a technical recession have made people reluctant to shop. Mr Goh said this is leaving stores with more stock than usual to clear before they bring in new things for Christmas.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has predicted that the slowdown in the Singapore economy could last 'several quarters'. Still, retailers are putting on a brave face.
Ms Jeanice Chan, spokesman for Wing Tai which manages fashion brands such as adidas, Topshop and G2000, said: 'While we expect slower sales given the current economic slowdown, we are confident that our promotions and offerings will appeal to cautious consumers, who will be more selective in their purchases.' [email protected]
