THE Great Singapore Sale (GSS) starts today, offering shoppers an unprecedented retail space of over 371,600 sq m - with the addition of the Marina Bay Link Mall and nex in Serangoon - to browse and find bargains.

The eight-week-long sale boasts promotions islandwide and its organiser, the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA), is hoping to meet its sales target of $5.5 billion, up from last year's $5.3 billion. The GSS will end on July 24.

Shoppers will be given added incentive to buy Singapore brands with discounts, freebies and shopping vouchers - all part of the Get Singapore initiative.

Get Singapore, which is a non-profit collective founded in 2009, is also expected to launch Singapore's first online mall, Get Shopping, which will stock products such as cosmetics, apparel and food, made by Singapore brands and labels. Shoppers who make online purchases from the portal - which is expected to be up by next Friday - will enjoy free local shipping.

The sale's key partners are MasterCard, the GSS' official card for the eighth year running, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), Baywatch Association and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). STB has launched a GSS initiative on social- media tool Twitter, called the GreatSingaporeSale. It will provide shoppers with real-time updates of sales and offerings.

Tourist purchases make up approximately 20 per cent of total retail sales in Singapore, and tourists will enjoy additional perks this GSS. By presenting their passports, they will get to enjoy an additional 5 per cent off sale prices and 10 per cent off regular-priced items at stores such as Topshop.

SRA president Jannie Chan said: "Some retailers are actually bringing down selling prices to be in line with international selling prices... That means there is no price differential, despite a strong Singapore dollar."

SPH and Baywatch Association are also organising lucky draws and challenges for shoppers, with prizes ranging from an iPad 2 to a Subaru Forester car.

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