Consumer behaviour

BRUNCH

Are Singaporeans tightening purse strings as they tie the knot?

Wedding party sizes are shrinking, but couples are not necessarily spending less – merely smarter

Spending per May holiday trip fell to 571 yuan, from 574.1 yuan in 2025, Reuters calculations based on official data showed.

China’s May Day overall tourism activity rises, but travellers are cautious

Its holiday periods have been marked by increased domestic travel but per capita spending has lagged

For Singapore investors, when it comes to China exposure, the question is not how much China, but which, says the writer.

Quiet malls, full containers: The two-speed reality of the Chinese economy

The China that disappointed investors may not be the same one that is growing

Structural and cyclical forces are converging across China, Japan, India and South-east Asia, with early signals having emerged throughout 2025.

Is 2026 the start of the world’s next consumer super-cycle?

The next global bull market may be driven by 3.5 billion Asians earning more, travelling more and spending more

CEO Donald Kng hopes revenue from Vetreska’s Fur stores can hit “seven digits in Singapore dollars”.

Singapore is the ‘litmus test’ for how much consumers will spend on their pets: Vetreska CEO Donald Kng

‘If this concept fails here then we don’t really need to try any other place,’ says company’s chief

Physical stores remain popular and outperform e-commerce overall, with 27% preferring to shop in-store.
RETAIL

How AI is transforming Singapore consumers’ shopping habits

Study finds that shoppers want seamless shopping across multiple platforms and demand greater payment flexibility 

Courts has automatically added unsolicited items into consumers’ shopping carts, while Prism+ has used fake countdown timers and misleading stock indicators.

Singapore consumer watchdog raps Courts, Prism+ for misleading website features

The watchdog urges consumers to review their shopping carts, verify payment amounts and question urgency claims

The panel discussion on consumer trends at Asia Future Summit 2025, from left: Cheryl Cheong of Samsung Electronics Singapore, Li Simeng of Chagee and Lien Choong Luen of Gojek. The panel discussion was moderated by Jeremy Au Yong, associate editor of The Straits Times.

Consumers driven by gratification and experience, not just cost, say Asian brand leaders

Samsung, Chagee and Gojek executives say consumers will still pay for the right experiences

In less than three years, OpenAI's ChatGPT has amassed more than 700 million weekly users, 99% of whom are individual consumers using free and paid versions of the program.

AI’s path to profits is being driven by consumers

A surprisingly robust market is growing out of people finding virtual friends and playing games

Holland Village is full of buzz and is pet-friendly, thanks mainly to the new One Holland Village development. But the area has lost its quirky mix of shops.
THINKING ALOUD

Holland Village, Boat Quay and other destinations that have seen better days

[SINGAPORE] Holland Village was a favourite destination of mine as a young working adult. It had a charm that differentiated it from the typical shopping areas. It was pleasant strolling about the sho...