Boutique boom

GUARD your wallets. With just over a month to go before Christmas, a rash of new boutiques are hanging up the holly as the plaster dries in their swank locations - just in time to catch the all-important festive shopping season.

If the opening of at least five fashion boutiques this month is any indication, it seems our little red dot has become quite the magnet for ambitious retailers seeking global domination. Swedish high street retailer COS, for one, will be unveiling its first outlet at Ion Orchard next Friday, while other brands like Roger Vivier, Valextra and Kate Spade Saturday have also just opened their first boutiques here recently. American designer Tom Ford will also make his debut at Marina Bay Sands early next year, while French luxury leather brand Goyard will unveil its Takashimaya Shopping Centre boutique later this month.

And many shoppers here would be already be familiar with the latest entrants into the retail fray, many of which are established marques in Europe or the US. It is precisely this level of brand awareness by homegrown shoppers, many of whom are frequent travellers or online shoppers, that has attracted fashion companies looking to expand abroad.