What will things look like when shops reopen in Singapore?

Singapore embarks on Phase 2 of reopening its economy on Friday, which allows more business and social activities to resume – like shopping. Phase 2 sees retail malls and shops reopen but with strict safe distancing measures in place. 

People can also get together socially in groups of up to five, but individuals have to keep a safe distance of at least one metre from others, where feasible.

Can't wait to rush back to the malls for a whole day of retail therapy? Be prepared for plenty of checks and screenings to ensure the health and safety of all shoppers. 

SafeEntry is a national digital check-in system that logs in the entry of people to a venue. Before you're permitted to enter places like malls, you have to scan the SafeEntry QR code displayed at the venue or present your identification card with a barcode (e.g. NRIC, driver’s licence, student pass and work permit) for scanning purposes. If there is a confirmed case at that location or venue, contact tracing can be sped up using information from SafeEntry, which in turn prevents new clusters from forming. 

At the moment, SafeEntry is mandatory at most public buildings including supermarkets, selected wet markets, malls, hotels and more and this looks to be the new normal when it comes to going out. 

As Singapore's largest mall network, CapitaLand malls have continued to operate during the circuit breaker to serve the needs of Singaporeans who need to get some essential shopping done or takeaway food. Now that everyone is gearing up for the reopening of malls, CapitaLand has put some enhanced safety measures in place on top of contact tracing and temperature screening at the entrance. These measures include anti-microbial coating for high contact areas, disinfection floormat, UV disinfection robots, lift car disinfection with PhotoPlasma technology and automatic escalator handrail disinfection and contactless lift activation at The Atrium@Orchard. 

Luxury retail mall, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is also gearing up to reopen from June 19 – after over two months of being closed. While the mall is looking forward to welcoming shoppers again, in the initial phase of the reopening, it's accessible only to members of Marina Bay Sands’ loyalty programme, Sands Rewards. 

This is to ensure safe distancing measures and limits in capacity are adhered to. Some tenants may still remain closed during this phase, mainly its F&B outlets and all other venues and attractions in the Integrated Resort (IR) such as the Hotel, Casino, ArtScience Museum and Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

During the 'circuit breaker' many local businesses have had to pivot and open an online shopping platform to continue reaching out to their customers. 

Heritage perfumery store Sifr Aromatics in Arab Street started cataloguing its products for building its website when Covid-19 first broke out in Singapore. During the circuit breaker, the brand launched its webstore where regular customers can shop for their favourite scents and candles. 

The team at Punggol plant store House of Plants has also closed operations since the circuit breaker happened and took the store online. To ensure the trust of customers, they've uploaded pictures of every plant they have – so what you see is literally what you get. 

Batik store, Galeri Tokokita adopted a more organic approach. Though building a webstore was in the works, owner Oniatta Effendi found that the circuit breaker gave her the opportunity to get to know her clientele. Loyal customers began messaging her on updates of new pieces or on availability of pieces. She also used the period for a zero-waste opportunity – she turned the batik remnants from previous collections into pretty reusable cloth masks. With a small team, she single-handedly managed the orders for the first mask collections before getting some reinforcements when the demand became overwhelming. The store located in MOX Katong reopens on June 19 but on an appointment-only basis.

While malls and shops are swiftly reopening, the pop-up market scene is not in a rush to resuming in Phase 2. The platform behind successful pop-up craft markets in town, The Social Exchange, has announced that it has no plans as yet to organise an event soon. However, the team is looking to venture online to bring together the makers and make shopping easier for customers. 

"Many of our vendors already have their own websites pre-circuit breaker so during this period they are focusing more on building their online sales. For some, they are using this time to create more new products or even offer online craft workshops. That said, most are still looking forward to having the physical event to showcase [their goods]," says Lynette, a spokesperson for The Social Exchange.

First things first – don't rush! Give establishments some time to adjust to the reopening. You're not the only one who is excited to touch all the clothes on the rack, feel the blast of mall air-con on your skin and hear the satisfying beep of your credit card being charged. Be mindful and patient when going out to malls even if it means queueing a little longer to get inside due to temperature screenings.

Secondly, just because you can go out now, it doesn't mean you should. More than anything, the circuit breaker period has taught us to be more conscious of our spending. We've had to evaluate what 'essential' really means and though the shops may be calling out to you now, there's no harm in reusing last season's clothes. 

Lastly, with so many shops ceasing operations, local independent businesses took the biggest hit. Well-loved and socially conscious clothing label Matter Prints recently announced its closure via social media. Despite its popularity, co-founder Ho Renyung said in an email that "the combination of cash flow bottlenecks, supply chain issues and soft demand for premium-priced apparel" led them to the difficult decision. There's never been a better time to rally behind our local makers and businesses and support them through these times. Check in on your neighbourhood convenience store, explore the wonderful homegrown labels we have and start shopping local!