AS NEW malls pop up, each competes with the last with grander designs and more lavish fittings. Understandably, rents increase, for which the consumer ends up paying.

We should consider the alternative of no-frills shopping centres. For instance, the serious shopper for sports goods heads straight to Queensway Shopping Centre.

It may be old and rundown, with a single escalator that goes only one way - up. It may have only one modern restaurant - McDonald's; and it may be far from the MRT station and have limited parking space, but it is filled to the brim with shoppers.

Another example is Sim Lim Square.

The basic design and lack of amenities in such truly local shopping centres mean rents are low. And with many shops selling the same items, prices are low compared to those at other places.

As with budget airlines, shoppers go to such shopping centres for their competitive pricing, so turnover is high and the sales cycle short. Shoppers have a greater tendency to buy, unlike visitors to other malls, where window shopping is the norm, and catering to lifestyle is a prerequisite.

Let's be creative. Instead of having many more pricey and glitzy mega malls, let's have more wallet-friendly, no-frills shopping centres.

Boon Chuan Whee

This article was first published in The Sunday Times.