Shopping for groceries in Singapore
Photo by striatic Some rights reserved

Now, where are the best places to buy groceries in Singapore? Essentially there are supermarkets and wet markets. I'll tell you a little about each in the following paragraphs. Supermarkets are effectively what you might be used to in your own home country - e.g. Tesco, Sainsbury, Walmart - that kind of place. I know the wet markets might be more foreign to you, but they effectively sell more fresh produces at cheaper prices. However, they can be more inconvenient (not to mention dirty) and might not be your cup of tea.

Jophn, If you're in Singapore and are thinking of settling down, one of the best supermarkets in town has got to be Cold Storage. This chain of supermarkets has everything under one roof, from vegetables, meat, cornflakes to the most exotic sauce or biscuit that you can imagine. The stores are also located in central places - so you will find branches right smack in the middle of HDB new towns. The supermarket is open daily from 9am to 10pm. I live near a Cold Storage in Singapore and I've got to tell you I'm always there for groceries and other essential stuff.

Cold Storage also runs Cold Storage Gourmet at Guthrie House, Fifth Ave. This specialty store also offers interesting ingredients from around the world (think organic food and fine wines, that kind of thing).

If you want a cheaper version of Cold Storage, then go to NTUC Fair Price. This is a government co-operative which runs many supermarket stores in Singapore. The prices there are usually lower and it is open every day from 9am to 10pm. The downside is that they don't store as many varieties of goods as Cold Storage.

Its easy to shop for groceries in Singapore
Photo by What Rhymes With Nicole Some rights reserved

You may also like to know about this immensely popular place at Suntec City called Carrefour. This is a hypermarket, i.e. it is a supermarket on steroids - you can find millions of things (and at very good prices too) at Carrefour. But be warned, the parking and crowds may just get to you, especially during the festive weekends.

The are no 'chains' of wet markets in Singapore. However, if you want to go to a wet market, the best places to check out would be the HDB new towns. For example, Ghim Moh has a good wet market selling poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruits and the like - at near wholesale prices. You can also bargain down the prices with the market vendors if you like. If you like to cook and can't find a specific ingredient at a supermarket, a wet market is the place to look.

Ok, before you go out and start checking out the places I mentioned, let me tell you about other little places and convenience stores in Singapore. There are places worth checking like 7-Eleven - a chain of 24 hour convenience stores selling not only groceries but other home essentials. Another 24 hour supermarket is The Sun, located right by the Nanyang Executive Centre.

If you are looking for an ethnic specialty, than you should be prepared to pay more. You can find a wide range of this type of foods at Liberty at Jurong Point. If you are looking for organic stores than try the Brown Rice Paradise or Supernature at Orchard Road. Green Valley Farms, Paragon Market, Tanglin Market are other organic shops selling Singapore groceries. Some of them even have home delivery service.

I've talked a lot about grocers in Singapore - obviously the list is long and we didn’t mention all of the shops available. Let’s now have a quick look at where to seek some other essentials in Singapore such as cosmetics and toiletries, laundry and dry cleaning and photo developing.

These are quite common in Singapore. Cosmetics and toiletries are sold in almost every department store or grocery outlet. You will easily find a wide range of skincare and hair care products as well as fragrances. Currently there are more than 250 registered launderettes, drycleaners, laundry services and dry cleaning services in Singapore.

They are usually located in shopping centers around the Central Business Districts and within the residential areas. Photo developing shops are everywhere. The most common are the Kodak and Fuji studios. The services offered are quite standard - you can have your photos developed in 30 minutes, have t enlarged or get your passport photos ready in five minutes. The prices vary according the speed of the service with the express services being more expensive than the regular ones.