PresentationShopping Malls and Consumerism

Culture

Jurjen VerweijTessa van Voorthuizen

Dennis Wierenga25-01-2013

University of Amsterdam

Presentation outlineSocietal relevanceResearch questionHypothesisResearch methodION (Orchard Road)Bugis Junction (Bugis)Pusat Tekka Centra (Little India)Conclusion

Societal RelevanceShopping Malls are a quite unknown

phenomena in Holland

Testing the stereotype (Coclanis, 2009) of Singapore as thé shopping paradise

“Life for Singaporeans is not complete without shopping” (Goh Chock Tong, Former Prime-Minister)

Research QuestionResearch question:“What is the function of the shopping

locations in Singapore and how do different groups of people utilise these different spaces of consumption”?

Hypothesis:“Most Singaporeans go the shopping mall as

a way of expending their living room”

Research methodsLiterature researchParticipant observationQuestionnaires in both the ION mall and

Bugis Junction shopping centreNumber of questionnaires: 46 (ION)+48

(Bugis)

Research locations

Orchard Road: ION

ION statistics

Bugis: Bugis Junction

Bugis: Bugis Junction statistics

Little India: Pusat Tekka Centre

Little India Different kind of consumerism focused on

daily groceriesDifferent kind of socio-economic class (lower

and lower end of middle class) Older generation and families mostly

utilising the wet markets

Conclusion“What is the function of the shopping

locations in Singapore and how do different groups of people utilise these different spaces of consumption”?

Mostly popular with students/young consumers

Malls also function as places of recreation and leisure (foodcourts, windowshopping, meeting friends)

Definetly obsessed with gadgets and gizmo’s!

Mid-segment shopping locations seem to be best visited

Very little overlap between shopping populations in malls and wet markets

Singapore, a shopping paradise, but not for most Singaporeans!

Questions?