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Merci Marcel
Photograph: Merci Marcel

The most unique multi-concept stores in Singapore

When pure retail therapy just doesn't cut it anymore

Cam Khalid
Written by
Time Out Singapore editors
&
Cam Khalid
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There's always that one-stop-shop that we love to frequent, but sometimes the same-old, same-old can be a bore. But with everything from in-house cafés to art galleries, these cleverly curated multi-concept stores are a great way to shake up your retail therapy session. Besides a plethora of products to bag, from wardrobe essentials to home accessories, these Instagrammable brick-and-mortar stores also make an ace backdrop for your next profile photo – with a cuppa in hand, of course.

RECOMMENDED: 50 best shops in Singapore and the best new shops and drops in Singapore

  • Restaurants
  • French
  • Orchard
  • price 1 of 4

The pretty French café in Tiong Bahru has an equally gorgeous sister in Orchard Road in the form of a stylish multi-concept store. The 600-square-feet space marries European furniture pieces – both contemporary and vintage – with Singaporean heritage designs, and carries over 700 lifestyle products spanning across 80 unique brands from all over the world. The centrepiece is none other than the attention-grabbing floor-to-ceiling island bar where enjoy a tipple or two. If you're feeling peckish, the café and bar dishes out French cuisine including Merci Marcel's signature French dumpling pasta but with a twist.

  • Shopping
  • Bookshops
  • Chinatown

A bookstore, event and café space all in one, The Moon is a whimsical space that brings you into the library of your favourite chronicles with a wide variety of genres from modern literature to illustrated cooking books and thought-provoking non-fiction reads for you to browse through. With its warm lighting, wood furniture, and comfy plush cushions sprawled across the reading room upstairs, The Moon is the coolest spot for an afternoon read with a cup of coffee in hand.

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  • Shopping
  • Grocery stores
  • Bukit Timah

With a mission of redefining dining experiences, SPRMRKT is a culinary-cultural concept that merges food, retail and art into a single, yet multi-faceted, experience. Visit their outlet at Cluny Court, nestled within the picturesque neighbourhood of Bukit Timah, for an afternoon of good food, produce shopping, and cultural immersion. Try its delectable Monte Cristo ($18) or their Blackened Fish & Chips ($23) for a one-way ticket to Flavour Town. Admire works of art hung up all around the cafe, created both locally and internationally. See something you like? Maybe it's a sign for you to start your very own art collection.

  • Shopping
  • Rochor

The Social Space wears many hats. It's a cafe, a florist, an eco-friendly lifestyle store, a nail salon, and also houses The Refillery. The section is decked out with at least ten dispensers, each ranging from 15 to 20 litres. Items on sale include shampoo, eco-friendly dishwashing, and laundry liquids so if you're stocking up on household cleaning products, here's where to go. 

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  • Shopping
  • Musical instruments
  • Buona Vista

Beyond a wide range of musical instruments and accessories, the store offers repair services and by-appointment-only sessions for music aficionados who’d like to have consultations with pros on limited edition guitars. Budding guitarists and drummers can also jam to their heart's content at one of the five teaching rooms. What's more, fashion and music come together at this stylish space with merchandise from labels like Converse, Kanken, and Happy Feet. Be sure to grab a cuppa at the Swee Lee Social Club – a casual hangout space for music lovers to chat over coffee by Common Man Coffee Roasters and desserts. 

  • Restaurants
  • City Hall

Gallery and Co brings together retail and F&B into one stylish package –  a far cry from your average museum store. Curated by heavyweights of the local creative industry, the shop stocks a suitably artsy range of childrenswear and accessories. There are also hard-to-find books, quirky knick-knacks, and so much more (you'll just have to see for yourself). To fuel up, hop over to the restaurant and bar, most of whose dishes are inspired by the artworks on display.

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  • Shopping
  • Fashion
  • Orchard

With pastel-coloured walls and high ceilings, what draws you in the store is how much it looks like a museum. In Good Company offers visitors a retail experience beyond just clothes. The local brand steers clear of trends, and releases curated collections featuring timeless silhouettes that’ll withstand the test of time, as well as a range of bold and geometric-inspired necklaces with interesting fabrications. The best part? Its ION Orchard flagship store houses Plain Vanilla Bakery that serves up aromatic coffee, cupcakes, and salads, while its Jewel Changi Airport counterpart houses Birds of Paradise, known for gelato created from herbs, spices, and botanical ingredients.

  • Shopping
  • Lifestyle
  • City Hall

The Japanese label camps out in Plaza Singapura with a pool of lifestyle, home, and fashion products. More than just a retail space, the flagship store also features the Café&Meal Muji dining space, as well as an exhibition gallery and customisation area. It also plays host to a range of creative workshops and talks where you can learn and join conversations on lifestyle, culture, art, and design.

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  • Shopping
  • Showrooms
  • Bukit Timah

Most of us are well acquainted with homegrown online label, Our Second Nature, but the brand's brick-and-mortar store remains a hidden gem (for now, at least). Tucked away in Chip Bee Gardens, the novel boutique is stocked with a wide variety of the Our Second Nature's distinctive pieces. If retail therapy alone doesn't cut it for you, pop by the in-house cafe where you'll find flat whites and cold brews alongside sweet treats like banana walnut bread and lemon drizzle cake. We can't think of a better name for this cosy and intimate space. 

Monument Lifestyle
  • Shopping
  • Tanjong Pagar

This store on the Duxton block recreates Los Angeles’ beachy vibe in its shop that’s part retail and part café. On its retail front, you’ll find American menswear labels such Katin and Alex Mill that have yet to make their way into the mainstream Singapore market. When you’re done browsing, grab a cup of specialty coffee or nosh on artisanal bread at the café.

Shop 'till you drop

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