WITH so many new malls sprouting up in Singapore, competition amongst shopping centres is stiff.

Which is why The Centrepoint has made a conscious effort to keep a healthy staple of unique shops that sell interesting items unavailable elsewhere in Singapore.

'The Centrepoint has been around for a long time and along the way we've got some tenants that are unique which we continue to keep,' reveals Andre Lobo, senior advertising and promotions manager of Frasers Centrepoint Ltd.

'Shoppers nowadays, are bombarded by the same array of brands at any mall. What we are trying to do is to provide an assortment of store choices that offer products that are unusual or even quirky. We want people who walk into The Centrepoint to say wow this place has got something different, so we continue to maintain these stores which makes the mall a bit more edgy.'

He cites accessories shops Simont Silver & Glass and Peach Blossom Gallery as stores that fit into this category. 'Simont works with silver and glass which I think makes great artistic pieces of jewellery while Peach Blossom Gallery uses a lot of semi-precious stones to create ethic pieces,' he says. 'These are shops that really tend to attract the attention of tourists who like the novelty of what these shops have to offer.'

In clothing design, he suggests Mazzario by Mimi, who comes up with designs that take a modern spin on cheongsam design.

Other good examples, says Mr Lobo, are home furnishing stores Ssouk that offer interesting small decorations, Kartell that has modern looking pieces of furniture that make ideal statement pieces within the home, as well as The Loft, where one can find antique looking items.

Ergoworks, a complete concept store that provides integrated solutions for those who appreciate ergonomics - the design of furniture and equipment to promote good posture, well-being, healthy work and study habits - is another find.

To promote the more unique concept stores within the mall, The Centrepoint will launch a promotion in the coming week where an array of the more unusual home decor items that can be found throughout the mall will be featured at the atrium.

'Sometimes the stores themselves may not even know that they have interesting items that can really pique the shoppers' interest,' explains Mr Lobo.

'Retail is competitive, and it is a challenge to give a shopper something that is interesting so we have to work together with the outlets to come up with ideas that would engage the shoppers. It has to be a joint effort.'

This article was first published in The Business Times